Women’s Sexual Desire May Not Vary More Than Men’s

New research shows striking similarities in men's and women's sexual desires.
The variability in men's and women's sexual desire is more consistent than previously assumed. Find out when women's sexual desire varies more than men's and when it doesn't.

• Women's sexual desire varies more than men's when assessed over the long term.

• Men's and women's sexual desire in general and within their relationships is consistent over the short term.

• Even over the long term, men's and women's variability in sexual desire is much more similar than it is different.

A team of researchers led by Emily Harris from the University of Melbourne investigated men’s and women’s feelings of sexual desire over short- and long-term durations. The authors defined sexual desire as “an interest in being sexual with other people or solo sexuality.” Importantly, the authors distinguished between “trait” sexual desire, which is a person’s general level of sexual desire, and which stays relatively stable over time, and “state” sexual desire, which is a person’s level of sexual desire at any given moment, and which fluctuates over time.
The current research assessed trait and state sexual desire. Although researchers have theorized that men’s sexual desire is stable and strong over time while women’s sexual desire is more unstable and variable, the current research suggests that women’s sexual desire varies only slightly more than men’s and only over the long term.
Women’s Sexual Desire May Not Vary More Than Men’s