PRAHRAN, Australia – According to a recent study at an Australian medical school, women who feel fulfilled in their sex lives feel fulfilled in other life areas as well. However, frequent intercourse does not always provide women with the sexual satisfaction they need to experience better health overall.The study, led by Dr Sonia Davison, a faculty member in the Women’s Health Program at Monash University’s Alfred Hospital, surveyed 295 women between the ages of 20 and 65 who said they have sex at least twice a month.

“We wanted to explore the links between sexual satisfaction and wellbeing in women … and to see if there was any difference between pre- and postmenopausal women,” Davison said in a formal statement about the research. “We found that women who were sexually dissatisfied had lower wellbeing and lower vitality. This finding highlights the importance of addressing these areas as an essential part of women’s health care, because women may be uncomfortable discussing these issues with their doctor.”

Perhaps not surprisingly, the research subjects who reported being unfulfilled sexually were not always the same ones who reported having the least sex.

That result “reinforces the fact that frequency of sexual activity in women cannot be employed as a reliable indicator of sexual wellbeing,” according to Susan Davis, a professor at the medical school.

The study’s results were published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Dr. Irwin Goldstein, editor-in-chief of the professional journal, told the British newspaper Telegraph, “This large study, performed in the community, emphasizes the role and importance of women’s sexual health in women’s overall health and wellbeing.”