Sexual satisfation within marriage: The role of religion

Abstract

This study establishes the relationship between religion and sexual satisfaction among married German adults using unique data from the first wave of the German Family Panel (pairfam) (N = 3127). Based on the group reference theory we expect to find a direct positive effect of religion on sexual satisfaction that could partly be explained by the traditional values and attitudes individuals have towards marriage. The results suggest that the Islamic respondents and respondents who adhere another religious denomination experience a significantly higher satisfaction than the nonreligious respondents, whereas there is no difference found between the other religious groups and the nonreligious. Furthermore, having traditional attitudes and values towards marriage does not seem to play a role.