I. (Some of) The Literature
“As a general rule a modest woman seldom desires any sexual gratification for herself. She submits to her husband, but only to please him and, but for the desire of maternity, would far rather be relieved from his attention.”—Dr. William Acton, 1862
I have read (I cannot cite) that in the hierarchy of human urges the sex drive is second only to that of hunger.
We may pick a nit: We may need to have a thing, but do we like it?
“Among ages 18-59, older age for men is associated with lower likelihood of his own orgasm; for women it is associated with a higher likelihood of her own orgasm.”
But:
“Women are much more likely to be nearly always or always orgasmic when alone than with a partner.” (Same Kinsey study)
Frequency of sex (Americans):
▪Adults who have never been married are having sex about 14 times per year more than married adults.
...
Single Americans over 45 report more frequent sex than married ones. 48% of singles over 45 have sex at least once a week, compared to just 36% of married couples in the same age group (AARP, 2010).7
For purposes here these are key statistics, for if Leo Bersani were correct that people have sex for many reasons, pleasure mostly not among them, then when those crucial other reasons--duty, morality, religious or societal, peer pressure, economic--are removed, pleasure as the motivation must rise closer to the top (if it was not there already).
That AARP study is consistent with the variables and constants in this account of the Weimar Republic:
“The war and hyperinflation may partially explain why so many people originally entered prostitution, but the introduction of the new currency and the end of hyperinflation did not make many of them abandon it.”
Kinsey:
Sex once per week or more
• 37% of men
• 52% of women
Surprised the hell out of me.
According to the Kinsey Institute, average frequency of sexual intercourse in US is 112 times per year (age 18–29), 86 times per year (age 30–39), and 69 times per year (age 40–49).[4]
