Marital Sex
Conclusion
Across cultures, sexuality plays an important role in marital and other types of long-term, established relationships. The attitudes that partners hold about marital sexuality, the amount of sex that they have, their preferences and the kinds of sexual activities in which they engage, and how they communicate with each other about their needs and desires can have an enormous impact upon their level of sexual satisfaction and on their happiness with the relationship in general. Although there is no "right" amount or type of sex that characterizes healthy relationships, research suggests that partners will be most satisfied—sexually and nonsexually—when they utilize sexual activity to express feelings of love, commitment, and intimacy (rather than to dominate, punish, or harm the partner) and when they agree about the role that sexuality should and does play in their relationship.
See also: HONEYMOON; INFIDELITY; INTIMACY; LOVE; MARITAL QUALITY; MARITAL TYPOLOGIES; SEXUAL COMMUNICATION: COUPLE RELATIONSHIPS; SEXUAL DYSFUNCTION; SEXUALITY; SEXUALITY IN ADULTHOOD; THERAPY: COUPLE RELATIONSHIPS
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PAMELA C. REGAN
Additional topics
Marriage and Family EncyclopediaRelationshipsMarital Sex - Beliefs About Marital Sexuality, Sexual Frequency, The Decline Of Sexual Frequency Over Time, Sexual Practices And Preferences