This is how often happy couples have sex

A new study has shed some light on how often a happy couple should be having sex a week - it's lower than you might think.

The research published by The Society of Personality and Social Psychologyhas concluded that just once a week is enough to suffice most couples.

The study, which was conducted by the University of Chicago, surveyed 30,000 couples across America before reaching their conclusion.

The 'once a week' figure is perhaps a smaller number than most couples would have guessed - but as we all know, work and social commitments and general fatigue can get in the way of matters in the bedroom.

Amy Muise, the lead researcher on the study, is quoted as saying:

Although more frequent sex is associated with greater happiness, this link was no longer significant at a frequency of more than once a week.

Our findings suggest that it’s important to maintain an intimate connection with your partner, but you don’t need to have sex every day as long as you’re maintaining that connection.

The General Social Survey was carried out between 1989 and 2012 and their findings were consistent over age groups, genders, income and the length of relationships.

You might be asking "what about single people?"

Unfortunately the research couldn't draw a distinct conclusion for people outside of a relationship, as there are a number of factors to consider; like how comfortable they are having intercourse outside of a relationship and the context in which sex occurs.

The study also managed to dissolve some stereotypes surrounding people's sexual appetites. Men, overall, were not found to want more sex than women and older people were just as active as their younger counterparts.

Muise added:

Our findings were consistent for men and women, younger and older people, and couples who had been married for a few years or decades.

If you do feel a little unsatisfied by the amount of sex you are experiencing with your partner, these results should not been seen as an indicator of how much sex you should be having.

Muise believes that in order to maintain a happy relationship, couples should be more open with their sexual needs and engage in conversations.

She says:

It’s important to maintain an intimate connection with your partner without putting too much pressure on engaging in sex as frequently as possible.

HT Daily Dot

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