Sexuality in Adulthood

Often when a couple first gets together there is urgency for sexual expression. There is the thrill of exploration, finding what pleases the self and one another. They make being together a priority. As time passes and there is an increased familiarity and comfort, some of the urgency and intensity may diminish. The majority of studies conclude that sexual frequency decreases the longer a couple has been together (Aiken 1998). These findings include heterosexually married and cohabitating couples as well as same-sex couples (Edwards and Booth 1994; Kurdek 1991). One should not necessarily conclude that the couple's love for one another has decreased because they engage in sexual intercourse less frequently. In fact, studies show that when a couple is in the earlier stages of a relationship sexual frequency is higher than in the later stages regardless of age (Aiken 1998; Edwards and Booth 1994).