USA: +1(669)289-8683 
Sign in
ANALYSIS THREE ARTICLE, ONE PARAGRAPH PER EACH, 250 WORDS PER EACH PARAGRAPH
The incidence and frequency of marital sex in a national sample
PREVIOUS RESEARCH ON MARITAL INTERCOURSE FREQUENCY
A major source of information on marital sexual frequency is the landmark study by Kinsey and his colleagues (Kinsey, Pomeroy, & Martin, 1948; Kinsey, Pomeroy, Martin & Gebhard, 1953). With a diverse but nonprobability sample, they found that the median frequency of sexual intercourse per week was 2 to 2.5 times for married individuals under the age of 35. In a more recent national nonprobability study, Blumstein and Schwartz (1983) found that young couples had sex about two or three times per week: Forty-five percent of heterosexual couples married for 2 years or less had sex three times per week or more, and another 38% had sex between one and three times per week. For couples married 2 to 10 years, comparable percentages were 27% and 46%. Questions about the frequency of marital sexual intercourse were also included in large-scale studies of childbearing decisions and fertility, which were conducted with probability samples. These fertility studies (e.g., Trussell Westoff, 1980; Udry, 1980; Westoff, 1974), which surveyed only women, found rates of sexual frequency slightly lower than those reported in the nonprobability sexuality studies. For example, Westoff (1974) found that women under the age of 45 had sex an average of 1.7 times per week. The “sexual revolution” of the 1960s and 1970s did not result in much change in the frequency of marital sex. In the recent NORC survey, the average frequency of sex for sexually active, married respondents under age 60 was seven times a month, or 1.6 times a week (Lauman et al., 1994; Michael et al., 1994).
Although the exact average frequency for marital sex varies somewhat across types of studies, one consistent finding from previous research is that respondents who were older or married for a longer period of me reported a frequency lower than respondents who were younger or married for a shorter period of time (Blumstein & Schwartz, 1983; Edwards & Booth, 1976; Greeley, 1991; Hunt, 1974; James, 1983; Kinsey et al., 1948; Kinsey et al., 1953; Michael et al., 1994; Trussell & Westoff, 1980; Westoff, 1974). Longitudinal studies (e.g., James, 1981; Udry, 1980) and retrospective studies (e.g., Greenblat, 1983) have also documented a decline in sexual intercourse over even a few years of marriage.
Studies focusing specifically on older adults have found that marital sex continues beyond the age of 60, but at a lower frequency (for a review, see Riportella-Muller, 1989). The incidence and frequency of sex declines with each additional decade of life (Brecher, 1984). Greeley (1992) reported that the steepest decline in the incidence of marital sex occurs between the 5th and 6th decade of life. Sixty-one percent of people in their fifties reported having sex with their spouse at least once a week, compared with 37% of those in their sixties. These studies of older adults highlight the importance of looking not only at the frequency of sex, but also at whether or not the couple is sexually active. Some couples stop having sex or have it very infrequently, and this cessation is not limited to couples over the age of 60 (Avna & Waltz, 1992).
EXPLANATIONS FOR THE DECLINE IN MARITAL SEX OVER TIME
The most common explanation for the decline and eventual cessation of marital sexual activity is age-related reductions in the biological capacity to engage in sexual intercourse. This explanation includes declines in male motivation and physical ability, declines in women’s testosterone levels, and increases in illness (Greenblat, 1983; Hengeveld, 1991, James, 1983; Kinsey et al., 1953; Udry, Deven, & Coleman, 1982). There is no question that health, biological capacity, sex drive, and energy levels play some role in the decline of marital sex. Furthermore, psychological factors associated with aging may contribute to a decline in intercourse frequency among older adults. For example, society has negative attitudes about sex among the elderly (Masters & Johnson, 1970; Riportella-Muller, 1989), and these attitudes can lead people to believe that their sexual desire should wane as they get older. Although biological and psychological factors associated with aging are involved, they do not explain why intercourse frequency begins to decline well before the final decades of life. For example, these factors are hardly sufficient to explain the rapid drop in the frequency of marital sex that occurs shortly after marriage (Jasso, 1985; Kahn & Udry, 1986).
A second explanation for the decline in sexual frequency is habituation–the decreased interest in sex that results from the increased accessibility of a sexual partner and the predictability in sexual behavior with that partner over time. James (1981) found that the coital rate dropped by about one-half during the 1st year of marriage. The rapid decline in marital sex shortly after marriage is frequently referred to as the “honeymoon effect,” or the novelty wearing off (James, 1981). As marital duration increases beyond e honeymoon stage, the couple’s sexual behavior becomes more routine and predictable, habituation to sex increases, and the level of marital sexual intercourse decreases (Blumstein & Schwartz, 1983; Doddridge, Schumm, Berger, 1987). From this perspective, remarriage should increase the frequency of marital sex because the couple’s sexual script must be reestablished. Although habituation may explain the substantial decline in sex shortly after marriage, it does not help us understand why the frequency of marital sex continues to decline much later in the marriage.
Although aging and marital duration (habituation) are two major explanations for the decline in sexual frequency with the passage of time, certain life changes may also be associated with decreases (or increases) in opportunities for sex for individuals in certain age groups. Even though the actual time spent having sex is quite short (only 15 to 60 minutes for most couples), the demands of working, child care, and problems associated with the management of complicated schedules are frequently cited as reasons for the decline in marital sex as people age (Michael et al., 1994). For example, couples may have sex less often because one or both spouses become too busy or tired from other demands. Involvement in other roles, such as a demanding job and parenthood, negatively affects marital sexuality (Greenblat, 1983). The introduction of new roles often leads to role overload for one or both partners. Wives frequently work full-time outside the home and yet continue to spend significantly more time than their husbands doing housework (e.g., Blair & Lichter, 1991). If increased fatigue from work and fixed time commitments reduce interest in and time for sex, dual-income couples should report lower levels of marital sexual activity. This is what Olson and DeFrain (1994) refer to as the DINS (double income, no sex) dilemma.
Pregnancy and parenthood may also decrease opportunities for sex. Research shows that sex declines by the third trimester of pregnancy (Kumar, Brant, & Robson, 1981). The birth of a child greatly alters the marital relationship through shifts in emphasis on spousal roles to intense investments in paternal and maternal roles. The intense care required by infants and young children increases fatigue, reduces the time couples can spend alone together, and decreases situations conducive to sexual activity. Some research shows that children, particularly young children, have a depressing effect on sexual intercourse frequency (Blumstein & Schwartz, 1983; Doddridge et al., 1987; Greenblat, 1983).
The overall level of satisfaction in a marriage is also likely to affect how often married couples have sex. Studies have found frequency of sex to be significantly related to overall marital happiness or satisfaction (Blumstein & Schwartz, 1983). Happy couples have sex more frequently than unhappy couples. Satisfaction in the marriage leads to greater desire for sex and to making more opportunities for sex. The increased level of sex frequently leads couples to be even more satisfied with their marriage.
In addition to the aging, habituation, and opportunity variables, researchers have also examined how several background variables are related to sexual frequency. Research on the social context of marriage generally shows weak or inconsistent effects (Michael et al., 1994). Social background factors that have been found to decrease sexual intercourse frequency, although not in every study, include being Catholic, living in a rural area, having demanding jobs, having traditional attitudes about sex roles, and not using effective contraceptive methods (e.g., Edwards & Booth, 1976; Trussell & Westoff, 1980; Westoff, 1974).
In sum, a number of different perspectives explain why marital sexual activity declines with the passage of time. Disentangling the effects of p each explanation, particularity habituation (marital duration) and biological aging, has been largely ignored in the literature. Taken separately, none of the hypotheses adequately explains the rapid decline in marital sex. Each appears applicable to a different stage of the life course. Habituation of sexual desires occurs early in marriage and may continue to some degree as marital duration increases; increases in role demands occur after the 1st year of marriage and probably reach a peak by middle age, causing a sexual decline during this time for some couples; and biological aging diminishes sexual intercourse into later life. Furthermore, it is likely that once sex declines–regardless of the reason–couples modify their sexual script to include a lower level of sexual frequency. A condition that caused a decline in marital sex, such as pregnancy, may disappear, but the couple becomes accustomed to having sex at a lower frequency.
Title
The incidence and frequency of marital sex in a national sample
Author
Call, Vaughn
;
Sprecher, Susan
;
Schwartz, Pepper
Publication title
Journal of Marriage and the Family
1995
Publication date
Aug 1995
Year
1995
347 399 1875
Publisher
Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Place of publication
Minneapolis
Country of publication
United Kingdom
Does quality of marital sex decline with duration?
Does the quality of marital sex increase or decrease with marital duration? Previous research assumes that it decreases; however, there is no empirical evidence of declining quality of marital sex with duration in the literature. This study theoretically and empirically examines how the quality of marital sex changes with duration. Theoretically, two effects may influence the change of quality of marital sex: the effect of diminishing marginal utility (the marginal utility of consuming a good or service diminishes as the consumption of that good or service increases) and the effect of the investment in the marriage-specific human capital (including the “partner specific” skills that enhance the enjoyment of marital sex and the knowledge about the spouse’s sexual preferences, desires, and habits). The quality of marital sex could either increase or decrease depending on which effect is dominant. The multivariate analysis of the National Health and Social Life Survey data shows that marital duration has a small and negative effect on the quality of marital sex. The gender difference in the quality of marital sex is discussed.
An assumption concerning the decline in the quality of marital sex with marital duration appears to be implicit in studies of marital sex. Previous research reports that the frequency of marital sex declines with marital duration, net of the age effect (Blumstein & Schwartz, 1983; Call, Sprecher, & Schwartz, 1995; Greenblat, 1983; Jasso, 1985; Kinsey, Pomeroy, & Martin, 1948; Kinsey, Pomeroy, Martin, & Gebhard, 1953; Masters, Johnson, & Kolodny, 1992; Trussell & Westoff, 1980; Udry, Deven, & Coleman, 1982). According to the typical explanation given to this phenomenon, the declining frequency of marital sex is due to the loss of novelty (Blumstein & Schwartz, 1983; Call et al., 1995; James, 1981). This is often referred to as the “honeymoon effect,” meaning that the frequency of marital sex decreases because the satisfaction with marital sex declines with marital duration.
There is, however, no empirical evidence of declining quality of marital sex with duration in the literature. In other words, we do not know how the quality of marital sex changes with marital duration. Edward and Booth (1994) reported that the quality of marital sex declines with age. Some scholars think that the effect of marital duration is identical to that of age (Christopher & Sprecher, 2000); however, these two effects are totally different. For example, both individuals A and B are 30 years old, and A is married for 10 years, while B is married for just 1 year. Other things being equal, if the quality of A’s marital sex differs from that of B’s, the difference must be due to the effect of the duration but not to the effect of age (since they are of the same age). Apparently, the age effect is not equivalent to the duration effect.
In this article, I empirically analyze how the quality of marital sex varies with marital duration with the National Health and Social Life Survey data (Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, & Michaels, 1994). This study will provide empirical knowledge of how the quality of marital sex changes with duration. Such knowledge will improve our understanding of marital sex. In addition, we know that men and women express themselves sexually in different ways and have different preferences or tastes (Laumann et al., 1994); therefore, the quality of marital sex may vary by gender. This study will provide new empirical evidence of the gender difference in the quality of marital sex.
Title
Does quality of marital sex decline with duration?
Author
Liu, Chien
Publication title
Archives of Sexual Behavior
Publication year
2003
Publication date
Feb 2003
Year
2003
Publisher
Springer Science & Business Media
Place of publication
New York
5 Ways To Keep Married Sex Exciting
How can anything be novel or exciting, and how do they beat the boredom? What you must remember is that no one is the same person each day, each month, or each year. A healthy marriage helps each person grow and evolve. The healthier the marriage, the more you can embrace and expect each person to grow and change. The way a couple communicates their love changes, too.
My husband says things and touches me now in a way that is much deeper than when we first married. When we’re apart and speaking on the phone, our way of communicating is different than it was when we first married. I get him, and he gets me. Couples who have been happily married for a long time understand the concept of feeling “freer” in marriage than they were when single. A healthy marriage supports both people’s ability to become the people they want to become.
Great sex is highly correlated with understanding your partner. For women, the more secure and comfortable they are with their partner, the more unconventional and open to new things they will be. This affects their partner and is what makes their partner love sex with them. Men’s need for visual variety is much higher than women’s. Men may use this as an excuse for why they visit men’s clubs or invest in pornography, when in truth, this is a rote and “in the box thinking” excuse.
If couples talk about this need, they can both do things that will help provide variety and not lead to the potential problems that men’s clubs and watching pornography may cause. When a married couple is struggling with their sex life, the biggest obstacle is convincing the couple that they must keep talking about their sex life. One of the assignments I give each of my married couples who are unhappy with their marital sex life is to talk about their sex life for 10 minutes, four days a week.
This proves excruciatingly painful for them, especially the women. Couples can go on date night and talk about their kids all night, but if one of them interjects, “Oh wait, we have to talk about our sex life now,” you would most likely hear silence at best, and a groan at worst. Some of women’s views about their sexuality are directly related to the way society affords more social accolades for being a good mom than they do for being a wonderful, intimate partner to their husbands (the media also projects husbands as being another child for the wife to look after).
Women’s tendencies to not value intimacy or sex as much as they do their children and their numerous other chores stems from societal pressures. Women don’t use sex as a stress reliever as men do, because it isn’t a stress reliever. It becomes a chore when a woman feels as if she has numerous jobs to do, and lists pleasing her husband as another one of those jobs. Many women don’t understand the importance of their sexual health and how important sex is to a healthy marriage.
It isn’t uncommon for me to counsel a forty-year-old woman who has been married for years but has never had an orgasm and has no idea how to achieve one. For this woman, sex is a stressor and a chore. It takes understanding on both sides. The wife needs to understand that sex is a stress reliever for her husband, and her husband needs to understand that sex may be an additional stressor to his wife. If a husband can help alleviate some of her other tasks, and she can do little things such as touching and embracing him more, it may help alleviate some of his stress without adding to hers.
Many women will tell me the reason they don’t hug or touch their husband more is because their husband’s mind goes directly to the goal of having sex, and she feels “too tired to get into all of that.” If you are going to build a healthier family, you must begin with building a healthier marriage. If you are going to build a healthier marriage, you must build healthier communication. If you are going to build healthier communication as a married couple, you must be able to talk about your sexual feelings with your spouse. If you are going to talk about your feelings toward sex, you have to become aware of your sexual/sensual self as a person.
Below are a few suggestions to help you get started:
1. The brain is the largest sex organ. You have to start here to feel good about sex. If you are angry or anxious at a partner, you have to deal with the brain first. Anger that is held in does not create good sex or help you to feel sexy.
2. Your attitude. Embrace yourself — you don’t need to be a perfect size. If you have curves and hips, embrace them. This is one of the most beautiful aspects of women. Most of us have flaws, cellulite, acne, or wrinkles. These “flaws” will not distract from a beautiful smile or a warm embrace. Take a lesson from your man. Men are much better at embracing their flaws than women are.
3. Fantasize. The more you think about sex, the more you will want it, so be sure to take time to think about it. Read romance novels, listen to music, and watch movies. I caution couples not to share their fantasies unless they involve one another.
4. Get to know your body. Touch yourself so you know the sensitive areas of your body. Where does it make you feel good to touch? This knowledge is very important and helpful to the person loving you. Your partner cannot read your mind, so let them know what feels good.
5. Foreplay. The name tells you what it is for. Healthy marriage foreplay starts first thing in the morning and lasts all day. Make sure you stay connected during the day with a quick call or text. Sexual intercourse is only one small part of sex. There are so many ways to be intimate in your marriage, so why get hung up on only one?
Source:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/30/married-sex_n_4005229.html
