Which non-sexual affectionate touch with your partner can boost your sex life revealed
FEELING CLOSER Which non-sexual affectionate touch with your partner can boost your sex life revealed
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HOLDING hands boosts your sex life, research suggests.
It helps increase women's self-confidence — along with spooning or spontaneous hugging.
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And this non-sexual affectionate touch improves their happiness with their partner.
The findings are from a survey of 1,156 women aged between 18 and 72 by a team at the Kinsey Institute in Indiana, US.
Writing in the Journal of Sex Research, the researchers said: 'Affectionate touch such as hugging and hand-holding is an essential component of many intimate relationships.
'Our results showed women who received more frequent affectionate touch in their romantic relationships reported higher body satisfaction, as well as higher relationship and sexual satisfaction.
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'This emphasises how a romantic partner's messaging — both verbal and non-verbal — can impact body image.
'Given the prevalence of body dissatisfaction among women, these results suggest that affectionate touch may have significant impacts.'
The researchers suggest that simply touching your partner more often signals attraction and makes them feel better about themselves.
That can then lead to them putting more effort into the relationship, feeling happier about it and increasing mental wellbeing.
Polling in the UK suggests only half of Britons are happy with our sex lives or emotionally fulfilled in our relationships.
Georgie answers your quickfire sex questions
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