Men Like Cuddling More Than Women, Plus Other Sex Findings

Despite what they might like for you to believe, men are actually more interested in cuddling than women, according to a recent study.

The study, conducted by The Kinsey Institute, shows that cuddling, kissing, and caressing is actually more important to men than it is to women. Furthermore, men are more interested in being happy in their relationships, while women want to be sexually satisfied.

The results appear to go against all conventional wisdom, especially based on media portrayals of men and women.

This study makes it clear our assumptions aren't always borne out by research, said Jennifer Bass, director of communications at The Kinsey Institute.

And while men and women alike enjoy joking that once you get married all of the sex stops, that doesn't appear to be the case. Instead sex, similar to an aging wine, actually might get better over time, according to the study.

Possibly, women become more satisfied over time because their expectations change, or life changes with the children grown, said The Kinsley Institute director Jen Heiman.

Women in relationships of over 15 years were more likely to be sexually satisfied by their partners than women in relationships of less than 15 years. If relationships can get past the rocky period years of one to 15, the situation improves greatly.

I have been with my husband since I was 19 years old (I just turned 40), and sexual satisfaction is a major part of why our marriage works, Saideh Browne of Brooklyn told ABC News.

The study surveyed over 1,000 couples from the United States, Brazil, Germany, Japan, and Spain, who had been together for an average of 25 years.

More sex doesn't bode well for men

Men seemingly love to boast about the amount of sexual partners that they've had and frequently partners goes hand in hand with sexual prowess. But the shocking study shows that having more sexual partners is actually a predictor of less sexual satisfaction.

Furthermore as the sex drive of men lessens over time with age, kissing and cuddling are the things that become most important to them.

Men may become less concerned about sex because they are feeling spontaneously aroused less frequently with age, Denver couples psychologist Susan Heitler told ABC News. They still like sex, but they feel less desperate for it than in their younger years.

Other countries more satisfied than United States

One of the most interesting aspects of the survey is the differences amongst the countries surveyed, and how they compare to Americans. What the study shows is that Americans seem to be lacking a bit in the sexual satisfaction department.

Japanese men were more than 2.5 times sexually satisfied than their American counterparts. While both Japanese and Brazilian women were more sexually satisfied than American women.

While the results aren't completely definitive, as only 1,000 couples were surveyed, it still offers a very interesting look into sex lives of men and women.