The survey’s findings confirm what other studies have shown: There’s a surprising gender divide in the mask-wearing debate. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local authorities, and certain businesses have recommended or mandated masks, multiple surveys indicate that men are less likely to do so. Gallup has been measuring U.S. adults’ face mask use since early April and in their most recent survey, published on July 13, the researchers found that 34 percent of men say they always wear masks, compared to 54 percent of women.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Similarly, a May 2020 study from Middlesex University, London, reveals that men are significantly less likely to wear masks than women in general. So, why are some guys so reluctant to don a mask? According to Middlesex University’s researchers, men were more likely to say that wearing a face covering is a sign of weakness or that their decision not to wear a mask was influenced by stigma against covering up. In AFF’s survey, researchers also found that there was a notable age gap among the individuals willing to wear masks on a date and those who weren’t. While coronavirus mortality rates are higher among older individuals, individuals under 30 surveyed by AFF were three times more likely than those over 50 to wear a mask on a first date. RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. While wearing a mask on a first date may not be ideal, experts say it’s necessary to stem the spread of COVID-19—and make it to that next date unscathed. Of course, the next outing with your new flame brings up yet another divisive issue: whether those masks stay on in the bedroom. According to a May 2020 study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, if you’re having sex with someone new, you should be wearing a mask then, too. And for more insight into the mask-wearing debate, This Is Who Is Actually the Least Likely to Wear a Mask.
