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Millennials vs. Boomers: The Surprising Truth About Sex Positions and Preferences

Exploring the generational divide and surprising similarities between millennials and boomers around sex positions, behaviors, and attitudes.

By Sneha Tete, Integrated MA, Certified Relationship Coach

Created on Sep 19, 2025

Exploring the generational divide and surprising similarities between millennials and boomers around sex positions, behaviors, and attitudes.

Millennials vs. Boomers: Sex Positions and Preferences Across Generations

Generational gaps are evident across topics from homeownership to pop culture, but how deep are the divides in the bedroom? New data reveals that when it comes to sex positions and sexual preferences, the line between millennials and baby boomers might not be as bold as assumed. Drawing on contemporary surveys and recent research, we explore the ways in which millennials and boomers approach sex—highlighting where their preferences align and where they differ.

America’s Favorite Sex Positions: The Survey Findings

Bespoke Surgical conducted a comprehensive survey of 1,000 Americans spanning age groups and all 50 states to unearth the nation’s most cherished sex positions. While one might expect striking differences between the habits of digital-native millennials and experience-rich boomers, the top choices reveal that the generations are, in fact, more similar than different.

Doggy-style (24.18% of respondents)
Missionary (20.08%)
Cowboy/Cowgirl (17.48%)
Reverse Cowboy/Reverse Cowgirl (5.89%)
Lotus (5.29%)

The overwhelming favorite—doggy-style—was chosen by nearly one in four respondents. According to survey insights, this position’s enduring popularity owes much to the possibility for deeper penetration, which can produce stimulating experiences for both partners. Its versatility also contributes to its mass appeal, inviting playful dominance, submission, and the potential for both physical and emotional connection.

The Generational Breakdown: Where Millennials and Boomers Meet (and Don’t)

Millennials and boomers might spend their money differently, approach relationships with distinct mindsets, and even interpret pop culture through wildly divergent lenses, but their sexual tastes are far less polarized. Here’s how each generation stacks up in key areas:

1. Preferred Sex Positions

Rank	Position	Millennials	Boomers
1	Doggy-style	Most preferred	Most preferred
2	Missionary	Very popular	Very popular
3	Cowboy/Cowgirl	Top three	Top three
4	Reverse Cowboy/Reverse Cowgirl	Noted favorite	Noted favorite
5	Lotus	Popular among some	Popular among some

2. Why These Positions Remain at the Top

Physical Pleasure: Deeper penetration in doggy-style and varied stimulation options remain big draws for all demographics.
Control & Variety: Switches in dominance, speed, and angle allow long-term couples and adventurous partners alike to tailor each position to their taste.
Emotional Connection: Classic positions such as missionary or lotus allow for eye contact and a sense of closeness—not to mention plenty of opportunity for kissing, talking, and nonverbal connection.

Sexual Behaviors: More Similar Than Different

While generations love to point out their differences, modern research suggests that their sexual behaviors are much more aligned than pop culture would have us think.

Frequency & Activity: Contemporary studies challenge the myth that sexual activity drops drastically with age. Boomers remain sexually active well into their later years, and both millennials and boomers value regular intimacy in relationships.
Number of Partners: The average number of sexual partners in recent six-month periods remains similar across millennials, Gen Xers, and boomers, typically hovering around four to five.
Preference for Variety: Both generations engage in a spectrum of sexual activities, from oral sex and masturbation to experimenting with toys or new positions.

The uptick in sex-positive attitudes and the closing of the ‘orgasm gap’—the historical divide in the frequency of orgasms between men and women—also features prominently among millennials, but boomers, too, increasingly embrace sexual health discussions and prioritize pleasure.

Key Social Differences: Attitudes, Openness, and Self-Expression

Age at First Experience: While millennials tend to have their first sexual experiences (such as anal sex) slightly earlier than boomers did, this is largely a function of increased acceptance, access to information, and progressive cultural attitudes.
Sex Positivity: Millennials ushered in an era of body positivity, consent culture, and orgasm equity, focusing on communication and mutual satisfaction in the bedroom.
LGBTQ+ Acceptance: Younger generations, including millennials, have grown up amid expanding civil rights and greater visibility for LGBTQ+ people, making non-traditional sexual expression less stigmatized and more openly discussed.

Attitudes Toward Sex Work: Divergence in Opinions

Where we do see a more marked divergence in generational attitudes is around the topic of sex work:

Baby boomers are far less likely to support the legalization or normalization of sex work except for low-contact roles like phone sex or sex shops. Most boomers remain uncomfortable or opposed to the idea of decriminalizing street- or indoor-based sex work outright.
Millennials fall into the middle: while not as staunchly opposed as boomers, they remain divided. Many support legalization or destigmatization for activities such as cam modeling or adult content production but hesitate at full-fledged endorsement of all forms of sex work.
Gen Z (while not the focus here) is the most open to normalizing most forms of sex work, especially those based online or with minimal physical contact, reflecting a broader trend of destigmatization and digital-first attitudes.

Sexual Well-being and Communication: Generational Wisdom

Despite stereotypes, both boomers and millennials prioritize sexual wellness and pleasure. There are, however, generational tendencies in how people talk about sex, handle new desires, and adapt over time:

Boomers often bring a wealth of life experience but may have grown up in environments where sex was less openly discussed.
Millennials are more likely to seek information online, use sex-positive resources, and discuss boundaries and consent openly with partners.

Both generations are now converging on the importance of pleasure, communication, and mutual satisfaction—an encouraging trend for sexual wellness at any age.

Why Sex Positions Matter: Beyond the Bedroom

Why does this data matter? Beyond curiosity, understanding sex position preferences shines a light on deeper relationship values: communication, trust, agency, and the desire to connect, physically and emotionally. As sexual wellness is increasingly recognized as core to overall well-being—across all life stages—it’s clear that pleasure and intimacy aren’t limited by age.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Do millennials and boomers have more in common in the bedroom than we think?

Yes. Surveys reveal that both generations favor the same sex positions, value mutual satisfaction, and remain sexually active well into later stages of adulthood.

How do attitudes toward sex positions compare between millennials and boomers?

While attitudes toward discussing sex might differ, actual preferences for sex positions—such as doggy-style, missionary, and cowgirl—are nearly identical.

Is the stereotype that older people stop having sex true?

No. Research continually debunks this myth, showing that many boomers maintain a vibrant sex life and consider sexual intimacy an important part of their overall happiness.

Are millennials more likely to try new positions or toys?

Millennials, benefitting from the sex-positive movement, are typically more comfortable discussing and experimenting with new positions, toys, and sexual experiences, but boomers are increasingly open-minded as well.

How do generational attitudes toward sex work differ?

Boomers are more resistant to sex work legalization beyond low-contact roles, whereas millennials hold more flexible—but still cautious—attitudes.

Final Thoughts

While the world loves to pit generations against each other, the evidence suggests that, at least when it comes to sex positions and preferences, millennials and boomers are more alike than anyone could have guessed. Their favorite positions are nearly identical and both generations are united by the desire for pleasure, intimacy, and satisfaction. The differences are more about how they talk about and approach sex than what they actually do in the bedroom. So, whether you’re a millennial, a boomer, or somewhere in between, take heart: great sex is timeless.