Lesbian bed death

Lesbian bed death is the concept that lesbian couples in committed relationships have less sex than any other type of couple the longer the relationship lasts, and generally experience less sexual intimacy as a consequence. It may also be defined as a drop-off in sexual activity that occurs two years into a long-term lesbian relationship. The concept is based on 1983 research by social psychologist Philip Blumstein and sociologist Pepper Schwartz, published in American Couples: Money, Work, Sex, which found that lesbian couples reported lower numbers when asked "About how often during the last year have you and your partner had sex relations?" The research has been criticized for its methodology and because sexual activity decreases for all long-term couples regardless of sexual orientation. Analyses of the concept have therefore regarded it as a popular myth. The concept was mentioned by JoAnn Loulan in Lesbian Sex (1984), although her research was more focused on debunking the idea that lesbians are inherently less sexual people than others. A German study has shown that the female sex drive greatly diminishes once she is in a secure relationship. From an evolutionary psychological point of view, lesbian couples are expected to seek sex less frequently than heterosexual or gay male couples. However, this occurs in men as well, as per the Coolidge effect.