Lesbian bed death

[2][3] 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?

[8][9] History scholar John D'Emilio heard lesbian activist Jade McGleughlin use the term in a speech at the "Sex and Politics Forum" held at George Washington University during the 1987 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights,[10] which psychologist and sex therapist Suzanne Iasenza believes was the first time it was publicly uttered.

The questionnaire covered various aspects of couples' relationships, such as work, sex, children, finances, and decision-making.

[4] One of Blumstein and Schwartz' conclusions was that lesbian couples in committed relationships have less sex than any other type of couple (of those mentioned in the survey: heterosexual married, heterosexual co-habitating, or gay male) and that they generally experience less sexual intimacy the longer the relationship lasts.

[15][16] In her New York Times review of American Couple, Carol Tavris suggested potential bias in the Blumstein and Schwartz survey results, as most of the respondents were typically white, affluent, liberal, and well-educated.

[17] Scholar Waguih William IsHak stated that although lesbian bed death lacks scientific evidence, empirical data has suggested "that women ha[ve] less sexual desire than men and are more submissive in sexual interactions".

Women in general were found to be "more willing than men to forgo sex or adhere to religious vows of celibacy".

[18] However, according to Peplau, the "available empirical database on homosexuals is relatively small"; additionally, "an adequate understanding of human sexuality may require separate analyses of sexuality in women ... based on the unique biology and life experiences" of the female sex, because researchers have "ignored activities, such as intimate kissing, cuddling, and touching, that may be uniquely important to women's erotic lives.

"[18] Researchers have argued that "more attention must be paid to the impact of hormones that may have special relevance for women" and which are "linked to both sexuality and affectional bonding".

[2][3] Reviewing the literature on topic, she argued that the concept should end because it relies on gender socialization theory, lacks definitional clarity and empirical validity, and because all long-term couples experience a decline in sexual frequency as the years go on.

"[25] Dowling also described a widespread negative effect of the concept, stating that numerous websites began to crop up claiming that they can cure lesbian bed death.

[25] McCroy argued that all couples experience a decrease in sexual intensity after the early stages of a relationship have passed.