Doctor explains truth behind stereotype that men have higher sex drive than women

The argument that men have a higher sex drive and are ready to go at any given time of the day is a tale as old as time. But how accurate is it?

According to scientific research, things are a little less straightforward, with human interest in sex depending on numerous variables outside of biology, including personality traits, societal expectations and evolutionary factors.

For a long time, the dominant belief has been that a person's sex drive is linked solely to their testosterone levels, which is why men collectively were assumed to have a libido.

However, it's actually more complex, with marriage and family therapist Sarah Hunter Murray calling this argument an 'oversimplified notion' in her book Not Always in the Mood: The New Science of Men, Sex, and Relationships.

So, is there any truth behind the stereotype?

It's an age old question (Getty Stock Images)

Evolutionary factors

As The Bloodhound Gang infamously reminded us in their 1999 song 'The Bad Touch' - "You and me, baby, ain't nothin' but mammals" - humans at their core are animals, despite the fact that we all wear clothes, go to work and invented society.

However, we haven't totally been able to shake off our evolutionary instincts.

In a psychology article titled 'Is a Man's Sex Drive Really Much Stronger Than a Woman's?' David Ludden argues that the role of child-rearing plays a role in a person's sex drive.

For a person assigned female at birth, their ability to have children is limited by pregnancy, whereas a person assigned male at birth can have significantly more children with numerous sexual partners.

Evolutionary and biological factors such as childrearing can play a role (Getty Stock Images)

Human children also remain with their parents for longer than other animals, which he suggests could also play a factor in women wanting to find a stable partner before embarking on a sexual relationship.

Societal influences

Society has also played a crucial role in how sexuality is expressed, which in turn influences research.

Traditionally, it has been more socially acceptable for men to discuss sex and sexual desire than it has for women, and while this is now changing, it still impacts how people view gender and libido.

"Our social norms and the ways we’re raised to either lean into our sexuality or repress it have a huge impact on how we experience our sexuality and how we report it in studies," Hunter Murray explained to WebMD.

"People raised as men in our society have been typically given more permission to speak openly about wanting sex, while young women have often been told not to express their sexuality."

As can societal expectations (Getty Stock Images)

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Blanket statements such as 'biological men want to have intercourse more than biological women do' also don't take into account differences within the sexes. While studies may show that, on average, a man might have a higher sex drive than a woman, this doesn't discount men having particularly low sex drives or women having particularly high ones.

It's also important to note that there isn't a standardised way to measure a person's sex drive, and there has also been limited research regarding sexual desire in trans and non-binary people.

So, do men actually have a higher sex drive? I'm afraid it's one of those yes and no questions.