Sexual Intimacy: Men’s and Women’s Perspectives

Several views reveal that men and women have different perspectives regarding the subject of sex. Men are said to show more attraction to sexual matters than women.

However, is that true in real life? If so, what is the difference and what are the causes? This article will discuss the differences between men’s and women’s perspectives on sexuality.

Differences in sexual perceptions

Regarding the differences in men’s and women’s perspectives on sexual matters, Ohio State University conducted a study on how often men and women think about sex. The results showed that in one day, men thought about sex at least 19 times. On the other hand, women think about it as much as 10 times in one day.

Instead of just thinking about sexual matters, research from the University of California also reveals that men usually want to have sex more often than women. This is not the case with heterosexual couples alone, because in gay and lesbian couples, the frequency of sexual intercourse is more common in gay couples.

The study also mentions that men view sexual desire as physical pleasure and are more open to premarital sexual relationships. Meanwhile, women tend to think of it as a romantic, affectionate thing that requires commitment.

Differences in intimacy needs

Additionally, differences in views on sexual matters are caused by several reasons. One of them is the difference in the way men and women look at intimacy in relationships. This was revealed by psychotherapist, Esther Perel, published on the news channel News24.

According to Esther, men view sex as a link in a relationship. Thus, in this case, sex plays the role of a gentle way that men use to express the love they have towards women. In other words, sex is a man’s way of feeling intimacy with his loved ones. 

Women focus more on the emotions they feel in the relationship to be able to feel intimacy. So, for women, sex is the end result of the intimacy they feel in relationships. Before reaching the sexual stage, women want to feel closer through chat or other things, until finally, they connect with their partners, before having sex. 

In conclusion

Based on the explanation above, the difference in sexual views between men and women is indeed an actual thing. This can be seen from the differences in the frequency of thinking about sexual things in a day, differences in views on sexual desire, etc.

Through this article, you can discover that one of the differentiators in each gender’s perception of sex is based on their differences in seeing intimacy in relationships. 

Men make sex their language of intimacy. However, women consider sex to be the result of the intimacy that has with their partner. In addition, the social construction of gender differences is also one of the causes of differences in the desires of men and women related to sex.

If you would like to read more on sexual intimacy, the Relationships Science Labs produces courses, certifications, videos, podcasts, and other resources on the topic. The tools and learning materials are based on the research of the Institute for Life Management Science and are aimed at helping couples improve their relationship dynamics. Visit the Relationships Science Labs today.

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