Recent research dispels the stereotype that men are aroused by visual stimuli, while revealing who is more prone to adultery. See the latest data on the love behaviour of men and women.

Three factors that excite women

Research on 662 women highlighted the three main factors that stimulate a woman’s sexual desire: intimacy (the feeling of deep affection and closeness), self-existence (being able to see herself as a separate entity and not one shared with her partner) and the affirmation (feeling desired by her partner);

Women and men are equally visual types

The theory that men are more visual types than women when it comes to sex has been debunked by research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. An analysis of 60 studies, using magnetic resonance imaging, showed that gender had no effect on how men’s and women’s brains reacted to watching erotic films.

One in four women experienced pain during last intercourse

A study of over 2,000 women, published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, showed that nearly a quarter of them experienced physical pain during their last sexual intercourse. Of these, 49% did not tell their partner about the painful experience, while the odds of concealing the fact from their partner were three times higher among women who had little or no pleasure from the intercourse.

Vaginal dryness and atrophy begins in perimenopause

According to research on Menopause, during perimenopause, the period before menopause (ages 40-55), hormonal changes cause thinning of the vaginal folds and dryness of the lining, a condition called vaginal atrophy, resulting in vaginal dryness.

“Open-minded” more prone to adultery

Those who are free and open-minded about sex and new romantic experiences are more likely to cheat, according to research in Personality and Individual Differences. However, this “liberated spirit” is associated with greater fantasy and extroversion in sex.

Sexual desire builds gradually

The key for couples looking to improve their sex lives is to build sexual desire day by day, according to research published in the Archives of Sexual Desire. A small flirtatious hint, for example, about what will follow the next day, is a first step.