Consumers are embracing their sexual health and wellness more than ever before which is blurring the lines between sexual health and self-care. Mintel’s US Contraceptives and Sexual Health Market Report 2023 explores how brands can secure future growth in this expanding industry. Featuring market dynamics, consumer insights and expert analysis, this market report gives you a 360° of the US sexual wellness market and contraceptives industry.
Below, we’ve handpicked some key insights from the full report and summarised the core topics.
Key Areas Covered in this Report
- Sexual health activity and product usage.
- Important factors that influence consumers’ selection of condoms, personal lubrication, and personal devices.
- Consumer attitudes toward the purchasing of sexual wellness products.
- Current use and interest in sexual health product areas.
- Consumer attitudes toward sexual health.
US Contraceptives Market – Current landscape
In the US, the contraceptives space holds more importance than ever. The market has reflected this and has seen steady growth over the last five years to 2023.
As the stigma around contraception continues to decrease, maintaining momentum in the market will depend on brands’ ability to shift as pleasure continues to drive purchases.
US Sexual Wellness Trends – What you need to know
Pleasure is top of mind
For the first time, sexual enhancement products have higher usage than contraceptives. As sexual health through pleasure continues to become destigmatized, interest in sexual enhancement products will continue to grow. Brands will need to respond for this by providing products that go beyond basic functionality.
Sexual wellness as self-care
Women are interested in self-care through sexual wellness. As the lines between the two blur, more will view sexual health as a part of holistic well-being.
Brands can encourage more exploration in the category by increasing the number of conversations taking place about the topic to normalise behaviours and products further.
Purchase the full report to learn more about the trends shaping the future of the contraceptives and sexual health industry in the US.
More About this Report
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel defines the OTC (over the counter) contraceptives and sexual health market as follows:
- External condoms, spermicides, emergency contractive (“morning-after”) pills, internal condoms
- Personal lubricants
- Pregnancy test kits – includes digital tests, stick tests, and cassette pregnancy test kits used to detect the hCG hormone in urine
- Ovulation test kits – at home test stick kits that test for a LH surge in urine
The market size only covers OTC purchases, so products provided for free, such as condoms given out at a healthcare clinic or pregnancy tests given by a healthcare professional are not included.
Expert Analysis from a Health & Wellness Specialist
This report, written by Lindsay Cameron, a leading Health and Wellness analyst, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight current trends in the US contraceptives and sexual wellness markets and add expert context to the numbers.
Consumers are embracing their sexual wellness more than ever, embracing the merging of sexual health and self-care.
Lindsay Cameron
Analyst – Health & Wellness
Collapse All
-
- Key issues covered in this Report
-
Executive Summary
-
Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Assessment of sexual activity
- Graph 1: assessment of sexual activity, 2023
- Graph 2: assessment of sexual activity, ages 18-24, 2021-2023
- Product usage
- Graph 3: sexual health product usage, 2023
- Graph 4: NET product usage, by category, 2019-2023
- Graph 5: select sexual enhancment product usage, 2021-2023
- Graph 6: usage of sexual enhancement products, by age, 2023
- Graph 7: contraception product usage, by sexually active age groups, 2023
- Sexual health activities
- Graph 8: sexual health activities, 2023
- Graph 9: masturbation as a sexual health activity, by age, 2019-23
- Graph 10: masturbation as a sexual health activity, by gender 2021-23
- Graph 11: select sexual health activites, by age, 2023
- Important factors in product selection
- Graph 12: factors in condom selection, 2023
- Graph 13: factors in personal lubricant selection, 2023
- Graph 14: factors in personal device selection, 2023
- Graph 15: brands as a key factor in product selection, men, 2023
- Graph 16: select important factors when choosing sexual health products, women, 2023
- Purchasing sexual health products
- Graph 17: purchasing sexual health products, 2023
- Graph 18: select purchasing behaviors of sexual health products, by gender and age, 2023
- Graph 19: sexual health purchasing behaviors, females by age, 2023
- Attitudes toward sexual health
- Graph 20: attitudes toward sexual health, 2023
- Graph 21: attitudes toward sexual health products, by age, 2023
- Graph 22: attitudes toward sexual health education, by age, 2023
- Graph 23: attitudes toward sexual health products, by gender and age, 2023
- Trial or interest in sexual health products
- Graph 24: trial or interest in sexual health products, 2023
- Graph 25: trial or Interest in products with attractive packaging, by age, 2023
-
Competitive Strategies
- Launch activity and innovation
- Graph 26: share of healthcare product launches featuring free from claims, 2018-23*
- Marketing and advertising
- Opportunities
-
The Market
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Graph 27: consumer price index change from previous period, 2020-23
- Market size and forecast
- Market share/brand share
-
Appendix
Market Intelligence Made Easier With Mintel
The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:
- Gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market: Mintel reports blend consumer research, market forecasts, product innovation tracking, and competitive analysis, allowing businesses to see every angle of their industry and identify new opportunities quickly.
- Make decisions with confidence, grounded in robust data: Each report draws on up-to-date, reliable information from trusted sources and industry experts, ensuring your strategies are based on solid evidence rather than speculation.
- Benefit from expert analysis and practical recommendations: Mintel’s reports are written by experienced analysts who interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights you can trust to guide your next moves.
- Stay ahead with actionable intelligence on market trends and consumer behaviour: By combining fresh research with long-term market monitoring, our reports help businesses anticipate changes and adapt strategically. So you’re prepared to make informed decisions and drive growth.
What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?
Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.
The Four Pillars of Our Research
We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:
- Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
- Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
- Trade Research: Insights from conversations with industry experts. Their real-world experience helps us understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
- Brand and Social Media Research: Analysis of online opinions and trends. This lets us spot trends, measure brand sentiment, and capture feedback in real time, adding further depth to our research.
Bringing It All Together
Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.
Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.
£ 3,695 (Excl.Tax)
-
Download today with instant access
Pay via credit card or invoice (net 30 payment terms)
-
Multiple formats provided
We send a PDF, Powerpoint and Excel Databook straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
-
Interactive databook included
Focus on the data that matters most to you with a customisable databook avaliable on our platform
-
Save up to 20% when you purchase multiple reports
Discount automatically applied in basket
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn moreTrusted by global industry leaders
We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.
They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.
Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
We use Mintel Reports, mostly for financial services and ecommerce markets, plus a few retail and technology ones.
As a leading payments provider, we value additional insights into consumer behaviour, opinions and trends that are shaping the many different markets we operate in. Mintel is a very good and very quick way for us to obtain those insights.
We use Mintel to get a view on where a particular market is going, which can support us in product development and help us identify opportunities or indeed risks, it is a very useful barometer of a market’s potential.
Andrew Neeson, Market Intelligence Manager, VocaLink
At Jackman, we believe that powerful strategies are based on human insight. Mintel’s leading-edge reports and insights into consumer attitudes and behaviors are an important input as we develop and execute strategy.
Alana Gavin, VP Research and Insights, Jackman
We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.
Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.
Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
Mintel helps us when we want to know something quickly – it provides fast answers to our questions. If we need to get a view of what’s going on in a particular market it’s very useful.
When carrying out background research, I find Mintel an excellent starting point.
The fact that it covers so many markets is a big plus for me– instead of having to buy specialist products in each area we are interested in, especially when we only require a brief view on a particular market, we can go to Mintel for help as a one-stop shop. I find Mintel a useful and valuable resource.
Ben Zeidler, Director - Research and Analytics, Tenth Wave
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn more
