Study shows disparities between men and women in predictors of sexual satisfaction

Gender stereotypes would have it that men are more sexually satisfied if they have had a high number of partners, and women are more fulfilled if they regularly cuddle with their significant other. However, a recent study published in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior found that these beliefs may not be entirely true.

The research involved more than 1,000 heterosexual couples from the U.S., Brazil, Germany, Japan and Spain who had been in relationships of at least one year duration.

According to the study's results, tenderness was important to sexual satisfaction for both men and women, but more so for males.

The findings also indicated that having a greater number of lifetime sexual partners was associated with lower sexual satisfaction for men.

Compared to U.S. men, those from Japan were more than 2.5 times more sexually satisfied in their relationships, on average.

"Our next step is to understand how one person's health, physical affection and sexual experiences relate to the relationship happiness or sexual satisfaction of his or her partner," said lead researcher Julia Heiman.