The Economics of Married Sex: Is Your Sexual Relationship Worth More Than $13,260 per year?

Most people know that when a person is injured in a car accident they are entitled to compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, etc.  But what is not commonly known is that if the injured party is married or in a domestic partnership their spouse may be entitled to compensation for what is known as “loss of consortium”. 

 

Loss of consortium is a term used in tort law that refers to the deprivation of the benefits of a family relationship due to injuries caused by an individual, company, or entity that is found to have committed negligence or wrongdoing.  If the injured party can no longer provide the same relationship, his or her spouse, child, or parent can recover damages for the loss of consortium.

 

It is very difficult to assign a dollar figure to loss of consortium.  Many think it is nearly impossible.  In fact, some personal injury attorneys won't bring a loss of consortium claim for their client's spouse---they just think it is too difficult to quantify.    

 

In terms of a married couple (or domestic partnership) loss of consortium specifically refers to the loss of love, companionship, affection, society, comfort, support, solace, and sexual relationship.  How do you put a price tag on any of those things?

 

For this article we decided to conduct a deep examination of the sexual relationship component of loss of consortium.  We wondered if it is possible to use existing research into the sexual relationships of married couples and studies of the sex industry to actually quantify the potential monetary value of a couple’s sexual relationship.  

 

To answer to the question “what is a married couple’s sex life worth in dollars and cents?” we looked for scholarly research that answered the following fundamental questions:

First lets look at whether or not a common injury accident, such as an automobile collision, can damage a couple’s sexual relationship.

 

Of course, there are accidents that cause paralysis or in which the victim suffers injuries to their genitals.  Those are obvious.  But do other types of car accident injuries impact sex drive or sexual performance?

 

According to a January 2017 Psychology Today article, automobile accidents are the leading cause of concussions and mild traumatic brain injury in the US.  One out of four accident victims sustain a concussion without even realizing it.  And sexual dysfunction or loss of sex drive are common physical issues related to post-concussion syndrome.

 

But what about moderate back, neck or other injuries sustained in an automobile accident?  Do they impact a couple’s sex life?  If the injured person is taking pain killers then the answer is “yes”.  

 

A Spine Universe national survey of back pain patients found that back pain resulted in less sex, less satisfying sex, and increased relational difficulties with partners 72% of the time.

 

According to a January 2019 article which appeared in Medical News Today, certain conditions and medications can impact sexual desire, the ability to become physically aroused or cause erectile dysfunction. An unfortunate side effect of opioid painkillers such as morphine or OxyContin (oxycodone) is that the drugs can also reduce the production of testosterone and other hormones that help drive sexual desire in both men and women.

 

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that "long-term use of opioids may be associated with decreased sex hormone levels and symptoms such as reduced interest in sex, impotence, or infertility."

 

And a 2013 study, published in the journal Spine, found that males who used opioids over long periods were significantly more likely than other males to use treatments for erectile dysfunction and hormone replacement therapies. The study included 11,327 adult male participants who had received a diagnosis for back pain. The researchers found that 909 of the men also received medications for erectile dysfunction or testosterone replacement.

According to a March 2017 Swiss study, “...sex seems not only beneficial because of its physiological or hedonic effects … but because it promotes a stronger and more positive connection with the partner”.  It went on to say, "Our findings underscore the importance of affection and positive affect for understanding how sex promotes well-being and has long-term relational benefits."

According to a San Diego State University study entitled Declines in Sexual Frequency among American Adults, 1989–2014 which appeared in the Archives of Sexual Behavior in November 2017, married couples living under the same roof have sex about 51 times each year, or about once a week. 

 

Another study conducted by researchers at the University of Chicago entitled The Social Organization of Sexuality found that only about one third of couples have sex two or three times per week.  

 

In November 2015 the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science published a study which indicated that sexual frequency predicts greater well-being but does not necessarily make couples happier.  Researchers surveyed over 30,000 participants over the course of 40 years.  They found that married couples that had sex once per week seemed to reach the basic standard for overall sexual health & wellness and marital sexual happiness.  However, couples who had sex more than once a week did not report being any happier than the once-per-week couples.  

A 2004 Dartmouth College study estimated that married couples that increased intercourse from once a month to once a week generated and increased level of happiness that was equivalent to adding an additional $50,000 in yearly income. They went on to say that a healthy marriage depends on a loving sexual connection and that a lasting marriage equates to happiness generated by getting an extra $100,000 per year.

 

But the Dartmouth study valuation of sex was qualitative.  Is it possible to put a quantitative value on sex?

 

Here is where things get tricky.  Unfortunately, the only data that exists that puts any sort of monetary value on sexual intercourse comes from studies of sex workers.  Of course, we do not want to suggest that a marital partner is anything like a sex worker---it’s just the only financial measure available for examination.

 

Currently, Nevada is the only state in the US to allow legal prostitution.  A May 2018 article in The Nevada Independent stated that most prostitutes charge between $300 and $400 per hour, although some can charge as much as $1,000.  

 

In 2014, The Economist analyzed 190,000 profiles of female sex workers on websites that post customer reviews.  According to study, the average price of an hour of sex with a female prostitute was $260.

Before we get to calculating what all the above data points may mean, we should address “for better or worse”. 

 

Many people ascribe to the notion that a spouse signs on "for better or worse, in sickness and in health" and therefore is not entitled to make a loss of consortium claim.  Some juries simply do not comprehend loss of consortium and come to the conclusion that you marry "for better or worse" and award little or nothing on the loss of consortium claim.

 

The traditional marriage vows which includes "… for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health..." first appeared in The Book of Common Prayer in 1549 and appears in both religious and civil wedding ceremonies around the world today.  

 

Although we take our spouses "for better or worse" that does not mean that a negligent, careless, or reckless driver should be able to wreak havoc on a marriage with impunity.  The civil courts have determined that a marriage vow between two people does not supersede tort law. 

 

The law provides for compensation for the loss of the relationship---loss of consortium.  In Washington State, the term “consortium” means the fellowship of husband/wife or domestic partner and the right of a spouse to the company, cooperation, and aid of the other in the relationship. It includes emotional support, love, affection, care, services, companionship, including sexual companionship, as well as assistance from one spouse to the other.

If you accept the Dartmouth study's valuation of marital sex the answer is between $50,000 to $100,000 annually, assuming that the couple had a healthy sex life before the accident that impacted their sexual relationship.

 

Or, if you want to be a bit more analytical, you can take the data points we have collected regarding frequency of marital sex and combine them with information about the average cost of paid sex and extrapolate from there.  Just to recap the data:

What is your sex life worth to you?  Only you you can be the judge.  Use the comment section at the bottom of this page to tell us what you think.

 

But if you or your partner is injured in an accident; your sex life suffers; and there is a loss of consortium claim then a jury may decide.  

 

###

 

---

Glossary of Terms

Tort law is the area of law that protects people from bad acts of others. When a person commits a tort, they violate civil law. If a person is damaged by someone else's wrongful act, they can bring a claim for compensation against the person who commits the tort.

 

Loss of consortium is a claim for damages suffered by the spouse or family member of a person who has been injured or killed as a result of the defendant's negligent or intentional, or otherwise wrongful acts. Also known as "loss of affection" or "loss of companionship".  In Washington State, loss of consortium must be listed as a noneconomic damage.  “For actions in which loss of spousal or state registered domestic partner consortium is claimed in an injury case, this phrase is to be inserted in the noneconomic damages section of the damage instruction (WPI 30.01.01, WPI 30.02.01, or WPI 30.03.01) when the evidence justifies its use.”

Qualitative Research is primarily exploratory research. It is used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations.

 

Quantitative Research is used to quantify the problem by way of generating numerical data or data that can be transformed into usable statistics.

• Stoler, Diane Roberts. “Extreme Weather = Auto Accidents = Concussion.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 11 Jan. 2017, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-resilient-brain/201701/extreme-weather-auto-accidents-concussion.
• Ammerman, Joshua M. “Back Pain and Its Impact on Sexual Satisfaction.” SpineUniverse, www.spineuniverse.com/conditions/back-pain/back-pain-its-impact-sexual-satisfaction.
• Bloom, Linda, and Charlie Bloom. “How Important Is Sex? Part 1.” Psychology Today, 9 Dec. 2016.
• D, J. “Why the Price of Commercial Sex Is Falling.” The Economist, 12 Aug. 2014. https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2014/08/11/why-the-price-of-commercial-sex-is-falling
• Laumann, Edward O, et al. The Social Organization of Sexuality. University of Chicago Press Books, 2000. ISBN: 9780226470207
• “More Than Just Sex: Affection Mediates the Association Between Sexual Activity and Well-Being.” Personal Social Psychology Bulletin, 9 Jan. 2017, doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f. Pers Soc Psychol Bull. 2017 Mar;43(3):287-299. doi: 10.1177/0146167216684124. Epub 2017 Jan 9.
• Prescription Opioids for Back Pain and Use of Medications for Erectile Dysfunction.” Spine, 14 May 2014, doi:10.3897/bdj.4.e7720.figure2f.
• Railton, David. “Sexual Dysfunction and Long-Term Opioid Use: Research and Links.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 22 Jan. 2019, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/260580.php.
• Rindels, Michelle. “The Indy Explains: How Legal Prostitution Works in Nevada.” The Nevada Independent, 27 May 2017. https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/the-indy-explains-how-legal-prostitution-works-in-nevada
• Twenge, Jean M., et al. “Declines in Sexual Frequency among American Adults, 1989–2014.” Archives of Sexual Behavior, vol. 46, no. 8, 2017, pp. 2389–2401., doi:10.1007/s10508-017-0953-1.