Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook

Uproar After NC State Agent 'Fixes' Girl's Lunch Preschooler has to eat chicken nuggets instead of mom's meal »

Couples Who Share Chores Have More Sex

Housework amps up your spouse, but why?

By Harry Kimball, Newser Staff

Posted Oct 21, 2009 1:42 PM CDT

(Newser) – More housework equals more sex, a new study shows, though watchers are split on why that is. Two answers quickly spring up: For one, active folks tend to pour their energy into all pursuits. “This group of go-getters seem to make sex a priority,” a researchers tells the Wall Street Journal. And then there’s the mushier reason: housework “makes the couple remember why they are married,” a writer says, “to be on the same team.”

Whatever the reason, the numbers don’t lie—72% of people today credit shared chores with helping a happy marriage, up from 47% in 1990. But why is maddeningly hard to pin down. Some feel a clean house is more conducive to intimacy—while others think housework can eclipse the spark. “Before you know it, it's one in the morning and you haven't spent any time with your spouse,” a perplexed wife says. To add to the confusion, work away from the home also appears to make house-life more amorous.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

Housework. (AP Photo)

A man removes clean dishes from the dishwasher. (AP Photo)

Want to spice things up at home? Get out that duster, fellas. (Shutterstock)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

If you're both around doing housework, that also means you are alone together, and in a place where both are relaxed and comfortable. It's pretty hard to have sex when you're not together in a place that permits it. - Tom Doran, engineer, offers an explanation

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

AP Photo

35 Brutally Honest Reasons Men Say No to Sex (The Stir)

Which Entertainer Pulled Out of 'Inappropriate' Whitney Tribute? (NewsOne)

The French Government Wants to Tone My Vagina (Slate)

Obama Photo on Facebook Helps Catch Drug Dealer (HuffPost)

Hottest Women to Ever Appear in the SI Swimsuit Issue (Bleacher Report)

Partner Links

A snapshot of the day's best news stories.

View Larger Grid

All Today Yesterday Pick a Date

COMMENTS

Read the comment policy

Showing 3 of 19 comments

Emjay

Oct 22, 2009 7:46 AM CDT

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this out. Women who aren't resentful because they do all the cleaning, childcare, cooking and shopping besides being employed outside the home are likely to be far more affectionate with a husband who pitches in to make it a little easier for her rather than sitting on his arse watching sports. Men who help around the house will definitely benefit by having a wife who's not "too tired" and who feels much more loving toward her man.

kokuaguy

Oct 22, 2009 7:20 AM CDT

The reason is obvious and so simple -- a successful relationship requires that both parties be willing to work at it. On all levels.

Spudsy

Oct 22, 2009 4:59 AM CDT

No time to write. Must vacuum.

What's Popular Now on Facebook

Rick Santorum: Birth Control Is 'Not OK'

Valentine's Day Role-Playing Goes Very Wrong

Wall Street Journal (Source Grid »)

Lifestyle • Health

work • study • marriage • sex • housework • relationship • opinion polls • women's issues

More Newser Stories

Marriage Won't Make You Happier: Study

At least, not compared to just living with your partner

(NEWSER) - If you're living with your significant other, don't worry too much about tying the knot, because it won't make you any happier, according to a new study. The study followed 2,737 single men and women for six years, watching as 896 of them either got married or moved in with a lover, Science Daily reports. The results? Both married couples and cohabitators exhibited higher levels of happiness and fewer depression symptoms than single people—but married couples didn't have an advantage over those just cohabitating. More»

Man Must Pay Ex for Lack of Sex

He owes former wife about $14K for 21 years of sexless marriage

(NEWSER) - A French judge may have just sent Viagra sales soaring: He ruled that a 51-year-old man in southern France must pay his wife about $14,000 for "lack of sex over 21 years of marriage." The judge referred to Article 215 of France's civil code, which says married couples must have a "shared communal life." Named only Jean-Louis B. in court documents, the man claimed "tiredness and health problems" prevented him from satisfying her—or even trying, the Telegraph reports. More»

Wives' Insomnia Hurts Wedded Bliss

Same isn't true for husbands' lack of sleep: Study

(NEWSER) - If your wife has a poor night’s sleep, it can be bad news for the marriage—but if it’s your husband who can’t drift off, that’s no problem, a study finds. After a woman’s night of tossing and turning, the likelihood of an argument the next day increased. But men’s poor sleep didn’t boost the odds of a feud. “We found that wives' sleep problems affect her own and her spouse's marital functioning the next day,” said a University of Pittsburgh researcher. More»

How Economics Can Save Your Sex Life

Lower costs, increase transparency, become a "rabbit"

(NEWSER) - Forget the usual advice on reawakening your love life: more foreplay, sex journals, role-playing. Instead, try economics. Today’s couples can’t afford “excess time and energy,” write Paula Szuchman and Jenny Anderson in the Daily Beast . Drop the cost, and you’ll increase demand, “as any economist will tell you.” Tell your partner when you’re up for it, and then “make it quick.” More»

For a Better Relationship, Postpone Sex

Researchers find good things come to those who wait

(NEWSER) - If you’re after a healthy relationship, it may be best to wait before hitting the sack. Couples who wait longer are more satisfied and stable later, research published in the Journal of Family Psychology suggests. “If couples become sexual too early, this very rewarding area of the relationship overwhelms good decision-making and keeps couples in a relationship that might not be the best for them in the long run,” the study's head tells LiveScience . More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Couples Who Share Chores Have More Sex