Well-off women have better and safer sex: Wealth and social standing mean a more satisfying love life, says new study Results from analysis of Spanish National Sexual Health Survey Found higher your socioeconomic (SE) status the more fulfilled by sex life Those with higher SE status also more likely to practice safe sex People are more satisfied with sex with a stable partner than casual Your socioeconomic status is based on a combination of factors including income, education and occupation Those looking to improve their sex life may think key factors are sexual chemistry, physical attraction and energy. However new research suggests that your socioeconomic status (based on income, education and occupation) affects how satisfying you are likely to find your love life. A new analysis based on the first Spanish National Sexual Health Survey, carried out in 2009, confirms that socioeconomic factors affect sexual satisfaction and found that people with a lower economic status claim to be less sexually satisfied, particularly women. Investigators at the Barcelona Public Health Agency (ASPB) have analysed the influence of various socioeconomic factors on the results of the first Spanish National Sexual Health Survey carried out by the Centre for Sociological Research. This survey, for which 9,850 interviews were carried out, showed that approximately 90 per cent of men and women claimed to be very satisfied or quite satisfied with their sex life in general, and that 95 per cent were satisfied with the sexual relations they had had during the previous year. Furthermore, people claimed to be more satisfied with sexual relations they had with a stable partner (97 per cent of men and 96 per cent of women) than with a casual partner (88 per cent of men and 80 per cent of women). With the new study, the experts confirmed that socioeconomic factors affect sexual satisfaction. 'People of a lower socioeconomic status claim to be less satisfied sexually, which especially applies to women, who seem to be more influenced by these factors,' explains Dolores Ruiz, the main author of the study, to SINC, a Spanish scientific site. People that have a more disadvantaged socioeconomic status tend to have less satisfying and less safe sexual relations, as well as suffering more experiences of sexual abuse. The higher your socioeconomic status the more likely you are to be satisfied with your sex life (and practice safe sex) 'Furthermore, women usually suffer more experiences of sexual abuse than men and they claim to have less sexual gratification during their first sexual intercourse,' she states. Those with a higher socioeconomic status seem to have a better awareness of their own needs and a greater capacity for developing their sexuality in a way which is satisfying for them. What is 'sexual health'? According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), sexual health 'is a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. Socioeconomic standing was also found to affect how much people practice safe sex, with those at the lower end using less contraception. In relation to experiences of sexual abuse, more than 4 per cent of men and 6.5 per cent of women claimed to have had some kind of sexual relation against their will during their life, and 1.6 per cent of men and 6.1 per cent of women claimed to have been sexually abused or raped at some time in their life. 'Once again, it's particularly women of a lower socioeconomic status who suffer more experiences of sexual abuse. It's important to bear in mind that these women also might have more problems when it comes to contacting the various organisations that can provide help for them,' the ASPB researcher points out. 'There is a need to introduce public policies which aim to reduce socioeconomic and gender inequalities that we have found in sexual satisfaction, in the use of contraceptives and in abusive sexual relations,' Ruiz concludes.