New book reveals romance and passion not main
reasons women have sex
FOR every woman expecting the earth to move, it would seem
there are two with more practical motives.
From relieving boredom, to keeping the peace in a relationship
or even curing a headache, the reasons for succumbing to the advances of
the opposite sex are many and varied. Romance and passion, it
has to be said, comes rather low down the list,
according to a new book.
One woman even admitted to having sex just so her husband would put the
rubbish out. Cindy Meston and
David Buss, authors of Why
Women Have Sex, highlight 200 specific reasons."Research has shown
that most men find most women at least somewhat sexually
attractive, whereas most women do not find most men sexually
attractive at all," conclude the authors, both psychology professors at the
University of Texas. Having apparently discounted
physical attraction, the 1000 women interviewed by Prof Meston gave a huge range of
reasons for sleeping with a man. One said she
did it for a spiritual experience, proclaiming: "It's the closest thing to God."
But in most cases the explanations were far more mundane, with 84 per cent
admitting to having sex just to ensure a quiet life or to bargain-
for house hold chores. One woman explained: "I have sex to relieve
the boredom - because it's easier than fighting. Plus it gives me
something to do." For others, it provides an unlikely cure for a
migraine or stress headache. While it may not come as welcome news, some
women have sex out of sympathy, with one admitting: "I
slept with a couple of guys because I felt sorry for them." But most have selfish
motives, with financial or material rewards a
major factor behind many sexual encounters. In one survey of students carried out by the
researchers, nearly one in 10 women
admitted to "having sex for presents". Other reasons included: "he bought me a nice dinner", "he spent
a lot of money on me
early on" and "he showed me he had an extravagant lifestyle". And rather than love or romance, for many women sex
is just
about fun. Six in 10 university students in one survey said they regularly slept with a male friend who was not their boyfriend. One,
who was at a different college from her boyfriend, explained it was because "life is too damn short to be waiting four years
to have sex
again". Others confessed they did it to improve their sexual performance, with one explaining: "I have had sex with my
boyfriend to make
my sexual skills better."
The research concluded, perhaps predictably, that women are attracted to
tall men with a deep voice, who smell good. A symmetrical body
also helps, since it is a genetic indicator of health and
suggests he will give his lover strong children. However, those who don't live up to this
ideal can take some comfort. Their lower
level of testosterone may win over the ladies too, because it suggests they are less likely to run off
with another woman.
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