Sexual boredom, or the feeling that sex has become too dull, mechanical, or routine, can occur for both men and women in long-term relationships. Previous research has suggested that there may be an association between sexual boredom and sexual desire, but little is known about this potential relationship.

Therefore, a team of researchers recently conducted an online study of 1,223 Portuguese participants that explored their levels of sexual boredom, sexual desire (for their partners, for attractive others, or solitary desire,) sexual satisfaction, and relationship satisfaction.

To evaluate these components, they used the following self-report measures:

• Sexual Boredom Scale
• Sexual Desire Inventory-2
• New Sexual Satisfaction Scale
• Global Measure of Relationship Satisfaction

After collecting the participants’ responses, the researchers analyzed the results and found the following patterns in sexual boredom and sexual desire for the male and female respondents.

In general, the women in this study could be characterized by one of three profiles depending on their levels of sexual boredom, sexual desire for their partners, sexual desire for attractive others, and solitary desire. The authors named the profiles P1, P2, and P3.

Women’s Profiles

On the other hand, the men in this study could generally be described by one of the following two profiles: P1 or P2.

Men’s Profiles

Compared to the women, the men reported higher levels of sexual boredom and sexual desire. The women’s profiles suggest that sexually bored women tend to have low sexual desire in general or low sexual desire for their partners, but above average solitary desire and desire for attractive others.

Conversely, sexually bored men reported higher levels of solitary desire and desire for attractive others than men who had low sexual boredom, but both groups reported above-average sexual desire for their partners.

Across the board, individuals who reported lower levels of sexual boredom had higher sexual satisfaction in their long-term relationships. Helping couples introduce novelty into their sexual routines may be beneficial for couples who are experiencing sexual boredom.

References:

• de Oliveira, L., Štulhofer, A., Tafro, A., Carvalho, J., & Nobre, P. (2023). Sexual boredom and sexual desire in long-term relationships: A latent profile analysis. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 20(1), 14-21. https://doi.org/10.1093/jsxmed/qdac018