Married with children: Is your sex life “normal”?

Published by Rebecca Sinclair on July 21st, 2010

average, behavior, child sexual abuse, children, compare, dynamic, fertility, frequencies, human behavior, human interest, human sexual behavior, human sexuality, interpersonal relationships, life, married, normal, person, self, sex life, sexual, sexual acts, sexual fantasy, sexual intercourse, social issues, your sex - By Rebecca Sinclair on Wednesday, July 21, 2010 - 11:41

Have you ever wanted to find out how you compare to the average person when it comes to sexual frequency? If asking your friends is not your style, SELF magazine did the dirty work for you. They asked women across the country how often they are having sex, and the answers might just surprise you.

Sexual frequency broken down by relationship status

According to SELF magazine’s “Are you having enough sex?”:

  • 20% of women “in a relationship” and 19% of women who cohabitate have sex almost every day.
  • 25% of married women and 15% of single women have sex 3 to 5 times a week.
  • 41% married women, 39% of married women WITH KIDS, 37% of those who cohabitate, 27% of women “in a relationship,” and 12% of single women are having sex 1 to 2 times a week.
  • 28% of married women WITH KIDS, 23% of those who cohabitate and 9% of women “in a relationship” have sex a few times a month.

While the article stresses that there is no “normal” frequency, it is interesting to peep into other couple’s bedrooms and see what is (or is not!) going on.

“The optimal frequency,” says John Gagnon, Ph.D., professor emeritus of sociology at Stony Brook University in New York, “is whatever agreement a couple comes to.”

The article goes on to discuss the details of specific relationships within each level of frequency, and it is definitely worth the read. The story is in the August issue that is on newsstands now.

What do you think?

Do the numbers surprise you? How does your frequency compare to those surveyed? Are you satisfied with your current frequency? Is your partner? Comment below. We would love to hear from you.