How Are Sexual Frequency and Relationship Satisfaction Intertwined? A Latent Profile Analysis of Male–Female Couples

Abstract

Do most couples who report high sexual frequency also report high relationship satisfaction? Are there happy sexless couples? In this study, we take a novel approach to investigating how sexual frequency and relationship satisfaction are intertwined by using latent profile analysis to identify subgroups of couples based on how frequently the couple has sex/sexual intercourse and the relationship satisfaction of both partners. We also test how demographic (age, relationship duration, raising young children) and relational (commitment, self-disclosure, conflict) covariates are associated with profile membership. Data came from 2,101 male–female couples (82.7% of males and 95.8% of females were young adults between the ages of 20–39 years) in the German Family Panel (pairfam) study. Results revealed that couples were classified into four distinct profiles. The majority of the sample (86.38%) occupied a profile in which both partners were highly satisfied and the couple had sex frequently (just less than once a week). The second profile was characterized by low relationship satisfaction for both partners and infrequent sex (less than 2–3 times per month; 3.60%). Two profiles had partners with discrepant levels of relationship satisfaction and a moderate sexual frequency (between two and three times per month and weekly): a satisfied female partner and highly dissatisfied male partner profile (4.01% of the sample) and a satisfied male partner and dissatisfied female partner profile (6.01%). The demographic covariates were rarely associated with class membership, but the relational covariate associations were robust. Couples with infrequent conflict and high levels of self-disclosure and commitment from both partners had higher odds of being in the highly satisfied and frequent sex profile compared to all other profiles.