The study surprised many with its finding that in couples where the man did many of the chores that are considered to be feminine – ironing, cooking and vacuuming, for example – they reported less frequent and less satisfying sex. Housework does not make a man sexier. Esther Perel, a couples therapist, puts it bluntly: ‘Most of us are turned on at night by the very things that we’ll protest about during the day.’
