Equality the key to a satisfying sex life

JAPAN can’t get no satisfaction. But Austria’s mojo is working.

Sex is more satisfying in countries where women and men are considered equal, according to an international study of people between the ages of 40 and 80 by researchers at the University of Chicago.

Austria, where 71% of those surveyed reported being satisfied with their sex lives, topped the list of 29 nations studied.

Spain, Canada, Belgium and the United States also reported high rates of sexual satisfaction.

The lowest satisfaction rate, 25.7%, was in Japan.

Sociologist Edward Laumann, considered a top authority on the sociology of sex, led the study.

He believes the findings show that relationships based on equality lead to more satisfaction for women, which in turn leads to more satisfaction for men.

“Male-centred cultures where sexual behaviour is more oriented toward procreation tend to discount the importance of sexual pleasure for women.

“When mama’s not happy, nobody’s happy.”

The study appears in the April issue of the Archives of Sexual Behaviour. It was funded by Pfizer, which makes the impotence drug Viagra.

Researchers surveyed 27,500 people by phone, in person or by mail, depending on local practices.

The different ways of questioning people was one of the study’s limitations, the researchers noted.

A nation’s level of health and education could contribute to the findings, said John DeLamater, editor of the International Journal of Sex Research, who was not involved in the research.

“It’s conceivable that people in developed countries have more information about sexuality. And they’re also healthier. Being better informed, and being in better shape, they may be more able to maintain a satisfying sex life.”