Does it seem like you’re not having sex as often as people used to? You might be right. In the early 2010’s a study found married couples and cohabitating couples, in fact, are having sex less frequently than couples in the same situation reported in the mid 90’s. Nine times less often per year, they told researchers. But the focus should be on quality, not quantity, says Houston certified sex therapist and marriage and family counselor Dr. Viviana Coles, the Texas Love Doc. “I do think that cohabitating couples are having less sexual intercourse,” she tells KTRH News, “but might be having more sexual activity overall floating throughout their relationship.”
Researchers did not find a reason to account for the slight dip in frequency, but a separate study found there was no decline for couples who shared the responsibilities of housekeeping. So maybe it’s the hectic lifestyles we live today, or maybe it’s the distraction of the screens on smartphones, tablets and TV’s.
But it raises a topic that everyone wonders about but is too embarrassed to ask: how often does a married/cohabitating couple have sex on average? Answer: depends on whether or not they have kids. “Couples who are cohabitating but have children tend to have sex about three or four times a month. But couples who don’t have children tend have sex more often, five to six times a month,” says Dr. Coles.