Sexual satisfaction is greater if couples divide housework fairly, says study

Afair distribution of housework increases a couple’s sexual satisfaction, according to a recent American study. This new study by Florida State University, USA, could increase men’s motivation to do a little more housework, even after several years of marriage.

The study is based on the data from a survey conducted between 2004 and 2006 with more than 1,000 couples with an average age of 55, who are married for an average of 27 years. A fair distribution of household tasks improves both partners’ level of sexual satisfaction, while not affecting how often they have sex.

The study indicated that women were still doing twice as much housework as their partner in 2013 compared with seven times more in the 1960s, although 57% of them worked full-time. “Feelings of unfairness in housework and other aspects of your marriage can be corrosive to the relationship,” explained Anne Barrett, main author.

She added, “When the housework arrangement is unfair to women, it reduced the sexual satisfaction scores — on a scale of zero to ten points — by almost a point on average for both men and women.”

The study showed that the feeling of fairness in the division of household tasks was the criteria which had the biggest impact on a couple’s sex life compared to other factors such as judging whether a partner is only doing ‘men’s work’ or ‘women’s work,’ or the fact that housework eats up time that could be used for sex.

The study has helped to