Twaddle probably inspired by women who don't like sex and are looking for excuses to avoid it while still getting the other benefits of a "relationship" (although how anybody can call it a "relationship" if there is no sex beats me).

Sex is good. Orgasms tend to inspire fondness and emotional involvement.

Cuddling is nice - but frustrating if there is no sex.

Cuddling and sex are better.

Cuddling and sex and emotional involvement are better still.

If your sex partner goes off sex for a while you can put up with it. If, persistently, one partner wants sex but the other does not, it is fatal to the relationship. And I have heard women (women whom I trust to have been being honest at the time) say the same.


What the study should have tried to measure and appears not to have done is to compare oxytocin levels between (a) cuddlers and (b) fuckers - all other things being equal. I propose the hypothesis that levels would rank as follows

Lowest - neither cuddles nor sex
Next lowest - cuddles but no sex
Higher - sex but no cuddles
Highest - sex and cuddles.

The other variable to be considered is general support - task sharing, listening, social support, even money support.