Married couples who regularly attend church report having more frequent sex and greater sexual satisfaction than those who attend less often or not at all, according to a new report from the Institute for Family Studies (IFS) in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Researchers analyzed findings from multiple datasets, including the 2026 IFS Religion and Family Survey of 3,125 married adults ages 18–54, the long-running nationally representative General Social Survey, and a separate survey of 1,219 alumni of FOCUS, a Catholic campus ministry.
Regular churchgoers reported having more frequent sex than less religious or non-religious married adults, with regularly attending Catholics reporting some of the highest levels of sexual frequency. The association remained even after accounting for demographic differences.
Among married adults ages 20 to 54, 62% of regular churchgoers reported having sex at least once a week, compared with 48% of nonreligious spouses, according to the report.
In addition to frequency, sexual satisfaction was also higher among church attendants. Catholics and Protestants who regularly attended religious services were more likely to rate their sex lives positively than those who attended less often or had no religious affiliation.
Daily prayer was linked to greater sexual satisfaction among married Catholics and Protestants, though it was not associated with more frequent sex.
Among churchgoers, 55% of Catholics and 45% of Protestants rated their sex lives as “excellent” or “very good,” compared with 45% of nominal Catholics, 35% of nominal Protestants and 40% of religiously unaffiliated respondents.
Those who viewed marriage as a permanent commitment were more likely to report both frequent and satisfying sex. That belief, along with shared values, was also strongly associated with overall marital quality.
Study limitations
Because the analysis was observational, it cannot determine whether religious practice directly causes better marital or sexual outcomes, the authors acknowledged.
Additionally, the marital outcomes were self-reported, and other unmeasured differences between religious and non-religious respondents could have influenced the results.
Differences in factors such as age and length of marriage could also make it challenging to strike comparisons with the broader population.
The study was funded by FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students.
Marriage therapist reacts
Jessica Steinman, a licensed marriage and family therapist and certified sex addiction therapist in Los Angeles, spoke with Fox News Digital about the potential relationship between religious activity and the quality of a couple’s sex life.
“When we think of people who are really involved in religion … we might think they’re not having a lot of sex or that they’re having very constricted views on their sex lives,” she said. “And this article and research show that’s changing.”
People who actively participate in a shared spiritual or religious life may also feel more connected to one another as partners, according to Steinman, who is also the chief clinical officer for No Matter What Recovery in Los Angeles, Chicago and Austin.
“If they’re showing up and looking at things outside themselves — things that are spiritual, things that are religious, things are having them look inward, things that are having them look into larger morals and values within their marriages and partnerships — I think they’re going to possibly have happier marriages and partnerships,” the therapist said.
They may also be more vulnerable and open with one another, which could contribute to a more active sex life, she added.
The rituals and shared practices associated with religious life likely play a role in strengthening that connection, the expert suggested.
“Certain religious settings are really focused on rituals and traditions,” Steinman said. “And if you’re looking at partnership and marriage … engaging in sexual connection and sexual intimacy can really become a ritual itself.”
The research highlighted what has been described as an ongoing “sex recession,” where people are not engaging in sexual intimacy as much as they once did.
Regardless of religious affiliation, Steinman encourages people to find ways to connect with their partners.
“Get off the phones, get off of the internet, turn the TV off and start really connecting with your partner,” she advised.
Steinman suggested that partners engage with one another and build connections that go deeper than simply asking, “How was your day?”
That can include building emotional openness and discussing how partners want to connect sexually, she said.
