Why passion peters out for men first

MEN are the first to lose interest in sex during longterm relationships, a study has found.

They are put off because they feel insecure and because they worry about losing their freedom within a relationship.

An analysis of 64 studies on sexual desire conducted since the Fifties found that men also have unrealistic expectations of their appetite and their bodies as they get older. It said that there are “clear assumptions in our culture that women have lower sexual desire than men” – but this is not always the case.

The University of Kentucky study found that unlike women, men often lose interest in sex when they are unhappy or insecure.

The research, published in the Journal of Sex Research, said men expect their appetite to stay at the same level and grow frustrated when it dips.

Men also feel pressure to always be ready for sex, and think they should always be the ones to initiate it. There may also be physical issues such as erectile dysfunction.