No matter your relationship status, sex remains a complicated — and often touchy — subject. Although no one wants to admit it, people across all demographics are spending less time in the sack. But how much sex should couples really be having? Research has shown that couples who have sex at least once a week are happier than their less-bedded counterparts.

S ex and health go hand in hand. Research has linked it to a slimmer waistline, a stronger heart and a lower risk for prostate and breast cancers. But Americans today are having less of it than Americans a decade ago, according to a just-released study appearing in Archives of Sexual Behavior. From to , the average American adult had sex nine fewer times per year than Americans did from to , the researchers found. That drop in frequency was even steeper for married couples who live together; they had sex 16 fewer times a year. But the increase in time spent working and parenting may be possible explanations for the drop in sex among married people. Plus, with the rise in quality and accessibility of streaming entertainment, competition for free time is stiffer.

Here is what they say, as well as some additional tips to help you get your sex life on track! There is some question among sex therapists about what the true average is for couples in committed relationships. The answers can range from once a week to once a month! When couples stop having sex, their relationships become vulnerable to anger, detachment, infidelity and, ultimately, divorce. However, another study, printed in The University of Chicago Press about 10 years ago, stated that married couples are having sex about seven times a month, which is a little less than twice a week.

While it's not usually a good idea to compare your sex life to what sex statistics say about others, it can be interesting to look at how often other couples have sex. For example, sometimes people believe they're having less sex than their peers, but scientific study results might prove them wrong. Other stats can offer insight on married couples' sexual satisfaction and even relationship satisfaction and how it's related to sex. Americans in their 20s whether partnered or not have sex about 80 times a year, or more than once per week, says a study.