Featured Image Credit: Getty Stock Image
Topics: Sex and Relationships, Mental Health
Callum Jones
A warning has been issued to couples who have sex less than once a week after a new study lifted the lid on how sex relates to happiness in a relationship.
To be honest, there is no right or wrong answers when it comes to how many times per week a couple should be getting naughty in between the sheets.
I mean, whatever floats your boat, right?
Well, various studies have looked into the how much sex a couple have in a relationship impacts factors such as happiness, while also expanding on how much sex is considered 'too much'.
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And a new study published in the International Journal of Sexual Health has found that 85 percent of women who have sex at least once per week described themselves as 'sexually satisfied'.
Researchers spoke to 500 heterosexual women for the study, and 66 percent of women who had sex once a month reported less happiness.
While the study also found that women in the 18-24 age bracket were most likely to report being sexually satisfied, the authors noted a downside of the research was that there was no way to verify the participants were being fully honest.
“Our research highlights that the widespread cultural focus on orgasm as the pinnacle of sex, which can create unnecessary pressure and distress when orgasm doesn't occur, is reductive” said Alexandra Janssen from The University of Manchester in the UK.
“Our findings offer a powerful message - it's normal and okay if orgasm doesn't happen every time, and might even be a good thing”.
A separate study has looked into the perfect amount of times we should be getting laid to lower our changes of getting depression.
In regards to the perfect amount of times we should be getting laid to lower our changes of getting depression, apparently it's once or twice a week.
The effect was most prominent for study participants who were 20 to 30 years old, Mail Online reports.
As for how it helps ease depression symptoms, it's believed to come down to hormones such as endorphins and dopamine being released while doing the act.
And according to experts from the Shantou University Medical College, China, it's once or twice a week.
"A sexual frequency of 1-2 times per week showed the greatest protective effects on psychological well-being and may serve as a reference standard for mental health evaluation and monitoring during depression treatment," the study stated.
"Further research is needed to determine directionality, causality, and potential modifiers of this association."
Speaking about the findings, Mutong Chen, a co-author on the study, said: "Regardless of sexual orientation, sexual activity offers benefits such as enhanced wellbeing and quality of life, significantly impacting mental health."