# Surprising fact about ‘duty sex’ revealed — and the real reason couples do it: study

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/surprising-fact-about-duty-sex-revealed-and-the-real-reason-couples-do-it-study/
- Published: 2026-11-03T20:44:12+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-03T21:57:19+00:00
- Original publisher: New York Post (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://nypost.com/2026/11/03/lifestyle/surprising-fact-about-duty-sex-revealed-and-the-real-reason-couples-do-it/
- Topics: Americas, Entertainment, Gaming, Research, Science, World

## Key points

- Fear of infidelity was the strongest factor linked to duty sex.
- Men and women reported doing it at similar rates.
- Researchers say the findings need testing in broader samples.

## Summary

A study of 252 young adults found that fear of a partner’s infidelity was most strongly linked to having sex out of obligation, known as “duty sex”. The researchers suggest it may function as a response to perceived risk of losing a partner, offering an evolutionary explanation for a behaviour often associated with relationship maintenance.

Men and women reported engaging in duty sex at similar rates, and relationship length was not linked to how often they did so. The participants were aged 18 to 24, including 176 women and 76 men; most identified as heterosexual. The authors cautioned that the findings rely on self-reports and a small, predominantly young sample, so further research is needed.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.