Does equality mean less sex?

With the feminist movement, women joining the work force, and growing equality within the household, modern relationships resemble a gender neutral teamwork dynamic rather than the gender-role conforming breadwinner husband and homemaker wife of yesteryear. An interesting study was published last year that examined the relationship between egalitarianism within marriages and the frequency that couples had sex – it turns out couples who equally care for the household are happy and emotionally satisfied, but have less sex.

In Does a More Equal Marriage Mean Less Sex? (NY Times), Lori Gottlieb examines this idea in greater length. It’s important to consider power, gender differentiation, and competing needs when couples are not getting the sex they want.