Experts issue urgent warning claiming this one sexual thing 'could damage' your relationship

A study has found that couples could be damaging their relationships by doing one certain thing in their love lives.

Anyone in a long-term relationship will know that it takes more than just sex to form a meaningful and trustworthy partnership, but there's no denying that what goes on beneath the sheets is still pretty important.

But a study has found that a certain habit that many couples are guilty of could damage a relationship beyond repair.

Published by the MDPI, the objective of the investigation - which collected data from 675 individuals who'd had partners for at least a year - was to examine the 'association between three sexual motivations - rewarding, intimacy and enhancement - and their relationship to sexual and relationship satisfaction'.

Essentially, do they partake in trading sex for everyday favors?

When you're way past that blissful honeymoon period and knee-deep in cohabitation, some people like to mould intimate time into a bargaining tool, but that's really not healthy in the long run.

Some couples are endangering their equilibrium by using sex as a bargaining tool (Getty Stock Image)

Researchers from Israel's Haifa University found that as many as two-thirds of the study's participants were guilty of this.

Dr Wafaa Sowan said: "While occasional sexual reward may not impact relationships, frequent use appears to undermine both sexual and relational well-being.

"Sexual rewards may become a transactional or alienating experience."

Almost three in 10 of the 675 reported that it happened on a regular basis, with sexual satisfaction being much lower among them.

The official findings were as follows: "The rewarding motive was present among many participants, with approximately 10% reporting frequent use. Rewarding was negatively associated with both relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction.

"It also showed a negative correlation with enhancement motivation and no significant correlation with intimacy motivation. While occasional sexual reward may not impact relationship dynamics, frequent use of this motive appears to undermine both sexual and relational wellbeing.

"The findings suggest that sexual reward is a distinct and measurable motivation with potential implications for couple dynamics and therapeutic intervention."

'While occasional sexual reward may not impact relationship dynamics, frequent use of this motive appears to undermine both sexual and relational wellbeing' (Getty Stock Image)

This comes as another study found how long it takes the average guy to orgasm during sex.

Researchers determined that the vast majority (95 percent) of sexually active heterosexual men achieve a climax, while women only ranked at 65 percent.

Lovehoney also looked deeper into how age influences orgasm speed. For example, 18 to 24-year-old males last around the 16-minute mark.

Speaking to Metro, Lovehoney's sexual health expert Sarah Mulindwa explained: "In your 20s, excitement and novelty are high, which can lead to quicker climaxes, but recovery is fast, and stamina is generally good. At this stage, it's all about pacing - using edging, breath work, or condoms strategically can help build control.

"However, what matters most at any age is communication, technique, and pleasure - not the stopwatch."

Between the ages of 25 and 34? Those lads are enjoying themselves for two minutes longer.

"Experience, rhythm, and better communication usually make sex feel smoother, though stress or time pressure can shave off minutes," Mulindwa said.