Religious People Get More Pleasure From Sex Than Atheists, Study Finds (3 photos)

Norwegian researchers have found that religious people are more satisfied with their sex lives than atheists—despite having sex less frequently on average. To reach these conclusions, sexologists at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health surveyed 15,000 UK residents aged 18 to 59.





Among those surveyed, 11 percent of men and 16 percent of women said religion plays an important role in their lives. However, religious individuals have sex less often, particularly those who are unmarried or not in committed relationships. Despite this, religiosity positively impacts the quality of one's sex life—or at least overall satisfaction with it.



Married religious women reported the highest levels of sexual satisfaction. Interestingly, far fewer married religious men were completely satisfied with this aspect of their lives. Study participants also indicated that both too much and too little sex have a negative effect.

Britons who engaged in casual sex reported lower levels of satisfaction, as did those with no sex life at all. Analyzing the data led the Norwegian researchers to a very intriguing conclusion.



It turns out that sexual satisfaction increases with frequency—but only up to a point. Beyond that threshold, an increase in sexual encounters actually negatively impacts how people rate their sex lives. In short, too much sex can be just as detrimental as too little.

In general, sex research almost always yields surprising results. For instance, after looking at athletes alongside the general public, sexologists discovered that intense sports training can actually take a toll on one's intimate life.