The Greek crisis has had some devastating effects on the every day lives of ordinary Greeks. Millions have lost their jobs; others have been forced to emigrate, while some even took their own lives. The fabric of society is gradually disintegrating. But a side effect of the harsh economic conditions is that the sexual drive of Greeks has also followed the path of the country’s economy. It is rapidly falling. Economic uncertainty, fear of what the future has in store result in high stress levels, which in turn leads to less desire for sex.

According to one of Greece’s prominent ‘sex doctors’, Thanos Askitis argues unemployment is a key factor, especially for males. It kills their desire for sex he says. The female, he argues is in despair as she sees the family income dwindling, which causes strain on the couple. “She starts blaming her jobless spouse”, he says. Mr Askitis recounts an incident with a 48-year-old patient who visited his office. The man had lost his job 6 months ago. “I can’t stand it anymore. It is torture”, confesses the man, who has two children with his 43-year old wife of 20 years. “We sleep separately now. I sleep in the living room while she takes the bed”, he continues. Askitis says it is normal for people to display feelings of guilt in such strenuous conditions. “Is it my fault I lost my jobs”, wonders the man. Askitis says his wife blames for not holding on to his job after 16 years. She accuses him of being incompetent and weak.