Sex therapist reveals exactly how often you should be having sex and the answer may surprise you

A sex therapist has broken down some of her frequently asked questions, including how much sex people should be having.

For most people, having sex is a great part of being in a healthy, committed relationship, physically expressing your love and adoration for your partner. But with that said, a lot of people would be liars if they said they never grew concerned about their sex life at some point, both inside and outside of a relationship.

Of course, there are also scientific factors, such as age, for example, and plenty of experts have offered their advice on how to spice up your love life.

However, sex therapist Charlene Douglas has given her professional insight into what makes a healthy sexual relationship and how often the average couple spends time in the sheets.

Speaking to LADbible Stories during an Honesty Box session, Douglas opened up about some of the questions she frequently receives once people find out her profession.

There are numerous factors that could influence your love life (Getty stock images)

She said: “So oftentimes, I'll go to a bar and people will find out that I'm a sex therapist and they'll say to me, ‘How many times should you really be having sex like in a week?

“And they're all waiting for my answer. Everyone leans in waiting for me to give that number to work out whether they're in the normal range or not.”

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She noted that ‘statistically speaking’ once a week is the average amount for most couples. And there are scientific studies to back this up, including a sexual lifestyle survey by Natsal-3, which found that couples in long-term relationships were having sex around once a week.

However, in case you start to worry that you are under, Douglas also added a caveat to this point.

She said: “That average can go up or down depending on stress, depending on finances, and depending on what is going on in your life, it could mean that that might change.

“If you're not having sex in your relationship, it doesn't mean it's all doom and gloom. It might just be that you need to have a conversation if that is something that's important for you.”

Meanwhile, other sex experts, like Mariàn Martínez, disagree with the idea of a 'normal amount', as she told Women's Health that 'comparing yourself to any number is pointless'.

As well as talking about the frequency of sex, Douglas weighed in on the importance of communication with a partner as she insisted that trust, loyalty, boundaries were crucial, as well as having an atmosphere where the person doesn’t 'feeling judged, criticized, disrespected, or belittled'.