Factors Related to Decline in Preferred Frequency of Sexual Intercourse among Young Couples

In a nonrandom sample of 30 church-affiliated couples, preferred frequency of sexual intercourse declined as a function of age, duration of marriage, and number of children. Husbands indicated a higher preferred frequency than wives, although their preferred frequencies were significantly correlated. Preferred frequencies were not correlated with birth order, socioeconomic status, or education. For wives only, preferred frequency was correlated positively with marital satisfaction and length of premarital acquaintance.