6
end of an otherwise
successful relationship. A
quick online search will
bring up a huge volume of
statistics -- most of them
not scientifically
generated -- regarding the
frequency of sex among
long-term, committed
couples. The numbers
presented in these
"studies" vary widely,
depending on the source
and what the author is
trying to promote. So in
this instance, Google,
Yahoo, Bing and similar
search engines are
somewhat useless.
Probably the best source
for scientifically reliable
data on this topic comes
fromGeneral Social
Survey, which has tracked
American sexual
behaviors since the 1970s.
According to the GSS,
JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE
married couples have sex
an average of 58 times per
year. However, this
number lumps 25-year-old
newlyweds into the same
pool as senior citizens
who've celebrated their
golden anniversary, and it
does not include
unmarried long-term
couples. There may or
may not be much
difference in the sexual
behaviors of married and
unmarried committed
couples, but there is
almost certainly a
difference between young
newlyweds and their
grandparents, which
means the 58 times per
year number is not overlymeaningful. Recent GSS
surveys support this
assertion, showing that
couples in their 20s have
sex 111 times per year on
average, with frequency