IFS Report Links Weekly Sex Rate of 62% to Regular Church Attendance in Marriage
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Oct 3
IFS Report Links Weekly Sex Rate of 62% to Regular Church Attendance in Marriage
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Oct 3
Summary
A new Institute for Family Studies report found 62% of married regular churchgoers ages 20 to 54 had sex at least weekly, versus 48% of nonreligious spouses.
The analysis also linked regular attendance to higher sexual satisfaction: 55% of churchgoing Catholics and 45% of Protestants rated their sex lives excellent or very good, above nominal affiliates and the unaffiliated.
Researchers drew on a 2026 survey of 3,125 married adults, the General Social Survey and a 1,219-person FOCUS alumni survey, and said the association persisted after demographic adjustments.
Daily prayer tracked with greater sexual satisfaction but not more frequent sex, while viewing marriage as permanent and sharing values were also tied to stronger marital quality.
The authors said the study was observational and self-reported, so it cannot prove religion causes better sexual outcomes; therapist Jessica Steinman said shared rituals and connection may help explain the pattern.