Sex at least once a week contributes to a happier relationship with significant other: study

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Intimacy is imperative in keeping romantic relationships healthy and partners satisfied, and this belief has been proven by scientists from Canada in a study published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, Healthday reports. However, people are also cautioned about overdoing it.

Medical Daily reports that researchers led by social psychologist and postdoctoral fellow at the University of Toronto-Mississauga Amy Muise analyzed survey results from over 30,000 Americans aged 18 to 89 collected in the span of 40 years from three different projects and wrote three studies.

The first study analyzed responses from over 25,000 Americans—11,285 men and 14,225 women—about their thoughts on sexual frequency and general happiness in the General Social Survey conducted between 1989 to 2012. The survey also involved sociological issues ad opinions on race relations, religion, and sex. Results showed that respondents who had more frequent sex were happier, even if the frequency of sex was just once a week.

A second study was conducted via an online survey of 138 men and 197 women to compare happiness and frequency of sex with happiness and income. Participants, whose annual income ranged from $15,000 to $75,000, were asked about their income and sex frequency. Results showed that happiness levels in couples who had sex less than once a month and those who had intercourse once a week was higher than those who earned $15,000 to $25,000 annually, and those making $50,000 and $75,000.

The third study involved analyzing survey results from 2,400 married couples in the U.S. over the span of 14 years. Researchers found that there was no strong relationship between sexual frequency and overall life satisfaction, however, couples admitted feeling more satisfied with their relationships as sex became more frequent as once a week.

This led researchers to conclude that more sexual intercourse may not necessarily equate to a increased level of happiness.

"Our research suggests that couples do not need to aim to engage in sex as frequently as possible but instead aim to maintain a connection with their partner," Muise said, explaining that feelings of improved well-being "leveled off once couples reached a frequency of about once a week. It wasn't bad to engage in sex more frequently than once a week. It just wasn't associated with greater well-being on average."

According to Eurekalert, results have also revealed that couples typically had a once a week average frequency of lovemaking. Muise commented, "Perhaps this is the average since it seems to maximize the benefits for well-being. It is likely that weekly sex is enough for the average couple to maintain their intimate connection and to feel like they have an active sex life, and this is why we see this as the leveling-off point."