How many sexual encounters in four weeks would it take to feel good? The French CSF-2023 survey does not specify a target number. However, it shows that sexual dissatisfaction—reported by 21.6% of men and 17.3% of women—goes hand in hand with more health problems. To understand this finding, it is important to distinguish between the number of sexual encounters over a four-week period, masturbation reported over a twelve-month period, and the level of satisfaction experienced.
What the Survey Measures, and Over What Time Period
The analysis of the CSF-2023 survey covers 19,192 adults aged 18 to 89 living in mainland France who have had sexual experience and provided complete responses regarding their perceived health. For depressive and anxiety symptoms, the sample sizes are smaller: 11,904 and 11,947 people, respectively. These three results are therefore not based on exactly the same respondents.
The survey asks three distinct questions: Have you had sexual intercourse in the past twelve months? How many times in the past four weeks? Has there been masturbation in the past twelve months? It also gathers data on sexual satisfaction, experiences of sexual violence, and sexual difficulties accompanied by distress. The four-week count applies to individuals who reported sexual activity within the past year; they may therefore have had zero sexual encounters during those four weeks. In this group, the average was 5.3 sexual encounters over four weeks, a descriptive finding that does not constitute a recommendation.
For men, too, satisfaction is linked to health
In responses regarding mental health, the proportion of people exhibiting depressive symptoms varies significantly depending on reported sexual satisfaction:
| Sexual satisfaction | Men with depressive symptoms | Women with depressive symptoms |
|---|---|---|
| Very satisfied | 9.8% | 18.4% |
| Dissatisfied | 25.6% | 34.3% |
These percentages are weighted, but they do not, on their own, account for differences in age, health, or social status between the groups. The disparity is marked among men: 25.6% of those who are dissatisfied exhibit depressive symptoms, compared with 9.8% of those who are very satisfied. Among women, the proportions are 34.3% and 18.4%. In the study’s adjusted models, the association persists: the odds of depressive symptoms are 3.0 times higher among dissatisfied men and 2.3 times higher among dissatisfied women, compared with highly satisfied individuals. These odds ratios are not individual probabilities multiplied by three or 2.3.
The link extends beyond depressive symptoms. Among highly satisfied men, 17.6% rate their health as fair or poor, compared with 39.8% of dissatisfied men; among women, these proportions are 24.2% and 40.8%. After adjustment, dissatisfaction remains associated with perceived health as well as anxiety symptoms in both groups. Among the sexual dimensions studied, this association is the most consistently observed across the three health indicators.
Sexual Activity Over Four Weeks: Figures for Men and Women
Among those who had been sexually active during the year, the study divided the number of sexual encounters in the previous four weeks into three categories. Here is the proportion reporting depressive symptoms in each category:
| Sexual encounters in the past four weeks | Men with depressive symptoms | Women with depressive symptoms |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 4 | 15.0% | 21.8% |
| 5 to 8 | 8.2% | 18.2% |
| More than 8 | 10.8% | 20.8% |
Among men, the proportion is highest in the “0 to 4” group, then rises slightly beyond eight sexual encounters: the relationship is not a downward trend. Among women, the authors did not find a statistically significant association between this frequency and depressive symptoms. These comparisons are descriptive and do not account for other differences between the groups.
Frequency is not included in the adjusted models, which examine sexual satisfaction, among other factors. Therefore, one cannot directly compare frequency and satisfaction “all else being equal,” nor can one conclude that five sexual encounters in four weeks constitute a protective threshold: five is merely the cutoff for a category chosen to analyze the responses.
Masturbation Is Also Part of the Study
The survey asks whether respondents have masturbated in the past twelve months, without measuring how often. In this sample, 64.9% of men and 44.5% of women answered yes. This is therefore an indicator of practice over the course of a year, distinct from the number of sexual encounters counted over four weeks.
In the adjusted models, reported masturbation is associated with lower odds of perceived poor or fair health among both men and women: an odds ratio of 0.7 in both groups. It is also associated with lower odds of anxiety symptoms among women (0.6). The study does not show a comparable decrease in anxiety symptoms among men. These associations do not prove that masturbation improves health, and the survey does not allow for a comparison of the effects of a masturbation session with those of sexual intercourse.
Health and Satisfaction: The Order of Causes Remains Unknown
CSF-2023 is a cross-sectional survey: it compares responses on health and sexuality without tracking their changes over time. It does not indicate whether health issues preceded dissatisfaction, whether sexual life affected health, or whether the two change in tandem. The observed associations do not prove either a cause or an effect of a change in frequency or satisfaction.
The response rate for the first part of the survey was 34%. Weighting corrects for certain known discrepancies; other differences between respondents and non-respondents may remain.
In a few words
The key finding of CSF-2023 is clear: among both men and women, sexual dissatisfaction is associated with poorer perceived health and more depressive and anxiety symptoms, even after adjustment. For depressive symptoms, the odds are 3.0 times higher among dissatisfied men and 2.3 times higher among dissatisfied women, compared to those who are very satisfied. The frequency of sexual intercourse over four weeks tells a less consistent story: among men, depressive symptoms are more frequent in the “0 to 4” group, without decreasing steadily thereafter; among women, this association is not significant. Masturbation over a 12-month period is also associated with perceived health in both groups. These links do not prove causation, but they raise a more useful question than a simple quota: Is one’s sex life satisfying, or a source of distress?
