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| Men who do their fair share of the housework may benefit from a better sex life. |
Study coauthor Dr. Matt Johnson, a family ecology
professor in the Department of Human Ecology at
the University of Alberta in Canada, and colleagues
recently published their findings in the Journal of
Family Psychology.
The team's findings oppose those of a study
reported by Medical News Today in 2013, which
suggested husbands who help out with what are
deemed traditionally female household chores -
such as doing the laundry or washing the dishes -
have less sex than those who leave all the chores
to their wives.
In addition, the study found no association between
the amount of housework a man did and the sexual
functioning between them and their partner.
"[That study] didn't ring true," says Dr. Johnson. "It
didn't fit with my intuition and background
experiences as a couple's therapist."
To reinvestigate the association between
housework and sex, the researchers reviewed the
data of 1,338 couples who were part of the German
Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family
Dynamics (Pairfam) project.
Each male partner was asked about the amount of
housework they did, what chores they did, and
whether they perceived their housework
contributions to be fair.
The frequency of sex among each couple and each
partner's sexual satisfaction were assessed 1 year
later.
Sexual satisfaction improved when men
did fair share of chores
The results showed no association between the
amount of housework a man did and a couple's sex
life.
"In any relationship, the amount of housework is
going to mean something different based on the
couple's context, based on their own expectations
for what each partner should be doing, and their
comparison levels of what happens with other
couples they know," notes Dr. Johnson.
However, compared with men who reported making
an unfair contribution to household chores, those
who perceived a fair contribution to household
chores engaged in more frequent sex with their
partner, and both partners reported their sex being
more satisfying.
The researchers note that there are cultural
differences between Germany and the US;
Germany tends to adopt more traditional gender
roles, and studies have indicated German men do
less housework than American men.
However, Dr. Johnson points out that if previous
studies rang true, these latest results would have
shown a negative impact of housework on the
sexuality of German men because of their more
traditional gender views. "But that wasn't the case
at all," he added.
Overall, the researchers say their findings indicate
that couples who wish to improve their sexual
intimacy may benefit from a fair division of
household chores. Dr. Johnson adds:
Household chores may not only improve sex life.
MNT recently reported on a study that suggested
dishwashing could help relieve stress.
Posted by: Philip Ochika