Science says: many women get bored in bed after a year in their relationship

Every relationship has its ups and downs, which seems perfectly normal to me. Yet there are a number of notorious moments when couples face a turning point, for example after seven years. This phenomenon is also known as the ‘seven year itch’ , a moment when many relationships fail. Personally, I have never reached the seven-year mark, so I can't really speak to that.

But according to researchers, there is another notorious turning point, one that occurs much earlier than you might expect, namely after just one year. And what turns out? Mainly women start to doubt during this moment. Well, I have unconsciously survived that period, but what exactly is going on?

Well, when you are completely head over heels and can't stay away from each other, you prefer to jump into bed together every day – multiple times. But before you know it, this number drops to ‘only’ a few times a week. Well, you do have to keep putting in the effort for each other, but apparently women struggle more with that, because they – according to research from the University of Southampton – get bored in bed after just one year. Ouch, that doesn't sound good.

This study involved 11,508 people, of whom 6,669 were women and 4,839 were men. What turned out? The women who had been in a relationship for a year (or longer) were four times more bored in their sex lives. Even 34 percent of women indicated that they had lost interest in sex, while the number for men was 15 percent. The reason for this? There were actually more than one. Many women with children indicated that their libido had significantly decreased since becoming a mother. I can somewhat relate to that. Additionally, it also turned out that negative experiences with sex were a cause and that women enjoy different things sexually than their partner. A case of miscommunication, you could say.

But how do you survive this turning point and can you do anything about it, or do you just have to pack your bags after a year? Well, don't be too disheartened if you are currently almost a year into a relationship, because it can actually only get better. Phew. According to sex therapist Vanessa Marin, many studies have also shown that the sex between couples can only get better as they stay together longer. This is because you get to know each other and each other's desires better and better. Apparently, that ‘one year itch’ is just a moment that you as a couple have to go through together. Consider it the first test you need to pass. I'm so glad I've already gotten through that, on to the seven year itch.

Image: Love & Other Drugs