Sexual well-being, happiness, and satisfaction, in women: the case for a new conceptual paradigm.

Based on results of large-scale survey studies, there is evidence of an association between sexual activity and satisfaction, on the one hand, and aspects of emotional well-being, partner satisfaction, and overall quality of life on the other. Although the nature of the casual relationship is unclear, women with more active and satisfying sexual relationships report consistently higher ratings of emotional and relationship satisfaction. This heightened sense of well-being potentially contributes to improved subjective health and other positive outcomes. In this commentary article, we review recent findings and propose a new conceptual model for addressing these effects in controlled studies.