Does sex increase our happiness? This has been described in research papers and in popular settings. Having sex is often a vehicle to be happier. However, a new study developed by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh (USA), goes against this wisdom by challenging the theory that the more sex we have, the happier we are .
The work, which has been published in The Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization , recruited 128 healthy individuals, between 35 and 65 years of age, made up of heterosexual couples, with the aim of finding out how frequency affects happiness. sexual.
Thus, the couples were randomly assigned to form part of two groups: the first had to continue with their usual sexual relations; the second, he had to double the frequency of his sexual encounters per week . They also completed several questionnaires each day about their levels of satisfaction, pleasure, and happiness. The study lasted for three months.
Upon reviewing the results, the researchers found that the group asked to have more sex had experienced a decrease in happiness, as well as in their sexual desire and also in how they enjoyed sex. Experts believe that this presence of unhappiness is not motivated by having to have more sex but by having to have it without it arising naturally , but as part of the study.
“The desire for sex diminishes much faster than the enjoyment of sex once it has started. Instead of focusing on increasing sexual frequency to the levels they experienced early in a relationship, couples should work on creating an environment that awakens their desire and makes sex even more fun, ”says Tamar. Krishnamurti, a co-author of the study.
