Sex lives improve when men do their share of chores, study reveals,
Forget candlelit dinners and flowers – the most effective aphrodisiac for women may be the sight of her partner taking the bins out, according to a study.
Researchers have found a strong link between the division of household chores and a woman’s libido.
They discovered that women experience higher sex drives when housework is divided evenly.
But when they shoulder most of the load – including washing the dishes, making beds, taking out the rubbish and doing laundry – they reported lower levels of passion.
However, this was only true for women who expected equality in relationships.
Among those with more traditional attitudes to gender roles, this link largely disappeared – and even reversed in some cases.
‘When women endorsed less benevolent sexism – in line with wanting an equitable partnership – and were evenly splitting household chores with their man partner, they reported the highest sexual desire for their partner,’ study author Alexandra Liepmann, from the University of Colorado Boulder, told PsyPost.
‘But, when women who want an equitable partnership were doing more household chores than their man partner, they reported the lowest sexual desire for their partner.’
Across both studies, on average, women reported doing more domestic labour than men. They also reported lower levels of sexual desire
Researchers have found a strong link between the division of household chores and a woman’s libido. The study says one of the most effective aphrodisiacs may be the sight of a man taking the bins out
The study, published in The Journal of Sex Research, analysed two previous investigations involving nearly 1,000 people.
The first followed 163 couples living together during the Covid pandemic, while the other surveyed 617 people in heterosexual relationships after the pandemic.
Across both studies, on average, women reported doing more domestic labour than men. They also reported lower levels of sexual desire.
The link between libido and household chores, however, relied on what the women believed relationships should look like.
Those who reported wanting a more equal partnership reported the highest levels of sexual desire when housework was divided evenly.
Among those who ended up doing more than their fair share, desire fell substantially.
This was especially true for women who were mainly responsible for cleaning, financial admin and parenting.
However, for women who believed in traditional gender roles, this link disappeared. Some even reported greater sexual desire when they were the ones doing more housework.
The solid green line represents women who expect equality in their relationships. Analysis showed that they experienced higher sex drives when the housework was divided evenly
On the whole, women overwhelmingly were responsible for cleaning, parenting and cooking meals, the study showed
In the study, men also reported lower desire when they took on more childcare. The researchers referenced the ‘intensive and often exhausting’ nature of the work.
When they looked closely at cleaning, however, it produced an unexpected result.
Men who did more cleaning reported higher desire for their partners. The scientists suggest this was because, for men, cleaning is usually seen as a voluntary, praiseworthy contribution.
For women, on the other hand, it is often expected.
The team said their work suggests that couples should be ‘especially mindful of how household tasks are divided and how this may be related to their sex lives’.
‘How household chores are divided up is important for women’s sexual desire for their partner, especially when women want equity in their relationships,’ Ms Liepmann said.
The study says that estimates for the proportion of women reporting low sexual desire range from 6.5 per cent up to 55 per cent.
Men also experience low desire, but to a lesser extent.
Read More
He’s just not that into you! Sexual arousal can lead to ‘tunnel vision’ that makes it more difficult to realise someone doesn’t fancy you, study finds
‘In romantic relationships, feeling sexual desire for a partner is often expected,’ the researchers said.
‘Yet, in man–woman couples, sexual desire tends to decline over time, particularly for women.’
They explained this is often seen as an ‘individual or relationship issue’, rather than one explained by expected gender roles or inequities.
Future work will aim to investigate the way couples discuss the division of household labour, they added.
