Money might not be able to buy you love or happiness, but it can buy you good sex. No, not like that. According to a new study from researchers at the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB), socioeconomic factors are directly correlated to higher sexual satisfaction. Translation: more money means better sex.
The first Spanish National Sexual Health Survey was based on in-depth face-to-face interviews from 9,850 participants in 2009. The interviews were conducted in the participants’ homes, and then the researchers stratified interview responses by level of education and whether the participant grew up in a developed or developing country. According to Dolores Ruiz, the main author of the study, ‘People of a lower socioeconomic status claim to be less satisfied sexually. It especially applies to women who seem to be more influenced by these factors.’ Moreover, women of higher socioeconomic standing were found to use contraception more frequently which, the researchers noted, could indicate a ‘greater awareness of their own needs and a greater ability to develop their sexuality with a greater degree of control.’
Sexual wellness expert Emily Shire details, ‘92.96% of women with a university education, for example, said they were generally satisfied with their sexual life, while only 81.98% of women with less than primary education agreed. Clearly, both groups reflect high levels of satisfaction, but the difference is significant. The disparity widens when it comes to the matter of contraception. 62.01% of women with less than a primary education used contraception within the past year, which jumps up to 81.17% for women who have attended university. Among women from developed versus developing countries, 78.5% of the former use contraception compared to 67.06% of the latter.’
Shire explains, ‘While contraception may not initially seem related to levels of sexual enjoyment, for many people, especially women, the use of contraception makes sex a less stressful experience, because it reduces their concerns about pregnancies and STDs. When we’re too turned or worried or in a bad mood as a result of extra stress in our lives, it’s harder to have enjoyable, satisfying sex…Just think about sex in your own life. Isn’t it more enjoyable when you aren’t worried about an unwanted pregnancy or the health risks a partner may be exposing you to? Alleviating concerns like these is a critical part of being relaxed and enjoying the sexual experience for many others too, it turns out.’
There wasn’t just a disparity between women’s levels of sexual enjoyment; there was also a large gap concerning rates of sexual abuse. Shire notes, ‘Rates of sexual abuse also showed a strong disparity among women based on their levels of education. 4.03% of women with a university education had suffered sexual abuse, compared to 13.65% of women with less than primary education. Unsurprisingly, a history of sexual abuse can negatively affect a person’s levels of sexual satisfaction as adult, as well as other related issues regarding romance and intimacy.’ A study published last year in the American Journal of Psychiatry revealed that exposure to sexual abuse at a young age was ‘specifically associated with pronounced cortical thinning in the genital representation field in the somatosensory cortex.’
What does this mean? Dr. Jens Pruessner, of the University of Montreal, comments that these regions ‘would be associated with a lowered pain threshold, so you would more easily perceive pain instead of touch from that area.’ Shire concludes, ‘So, sex can potentially feel physically different, namely worse, for people who suffered sexual abuse, further explaining the differences between women of higher and lower socioeconomic status (based on the 9% difference)…What this study really shows us is that sex is yet another way socioeconomic privilege can extend into every aspect of a person’s life. Higher socioeconomic background affords certain privileges and protections that can make for a more satisfying sexual life. But that, we should hope, can change. Enjoyable sex should be a luxury for everyone.’
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