A psychological study found that there is a strong link between sexual satisfaction and happy relationships. Psychologist Andrea L. Meltzer and colleagues authored this study from the Florida State University.
They found that sexual afterglow was the key for a happy relationship. The sexual satisfaction from intercourse lasted 48 hours. Yet not every couple had the same strong experience of “afterglow”. A stronger afterglow through the first 14 days of the newlywed period was an important observation. These couples reported the same strong afterglow 4 to 6 months later and a strong marital relationship score. The opposite was true for couples that had a weaker afterglow initially. They also had a lower marital relationship score 4 to 6 weeks after. Consequently the study authors concluded that regular sex generating a strong afterglow was important for pair bonding.
What do we know about normal frequency of sex?
The International Society for Sexual Medicine quotes various facts from the Kinsey report and other sources.
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Married or single
First of all, research showed that single men and women do not have as much sex as do women or men with a steady partner, or married women and men. Furthermore, 2% of single men between the ages of 18 and 24 had sex 4 or more times per week. Among single women this figure went up to 5%. Finally, 21% of married men and 24% of married women had sex 4 or more times per week.
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Young or older
13% of 70-year and older single men had sex a few times per month or weekly. In addition, for men in a steady relationship in the same age group the rate was 63%. Finally, for married men of the same age group it was 15%.
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Does more sex make you happier?
The above link cites research from Carnegie Mellon University. Sixty-four couples between the ages of 35 to 65 participated in this study. 50% received the suggestions that they should double the amount of sex they had before. The other 50% were the unchanged control. Researchers hoped to evaluate sexual frequency and happiness through this approach. The results were somewhat surprising:the couples that followed the advice to have more sex surprisingly scored lower on the happiness scale than the controls!( It probably shows that quantity does not translate into quality!)
Sexual Satisfaction And Happy Relationships
Conclusion about sexual satisfaction and happy relationships
In some way there is a relationship between sexual satisfaction and happy relationships. A psychologist from Florida State University found that sexual afterglow following intercourse lasts 48 hours. Hence, ideally this would mean that couples or partners have sex every 2 days. But the statistics rather portray the opposite. It is also well known that stress can affect the desire for sex. After a long day of work both partners may not feel like physical intimacy, but instead they need sleep! It seems like partners and couples have sex less frequently. For a happy relationship couples need to talk about what their wishes of intercourse frequency would be. In that discussion it may help them to know that the afterglow of each intercourse only lasts 48 hours. According to the psychologist researcher the afterglow provides the cement for couple bonding. As a result this can translate into happy long-term relationships.
