Cake

Is monogamy hot or not? For many women, the answer is “yeah, baby!”

Women of all ages say they’re enjoying sex with their partner more now than they used to, according to results of the new ELLE/MSNBC.com Sex and Love Survey. For many men, however, giving up the thrill of the chase means giving up some thrills in the bedroom as well.

A record 77,895 adults took the online reader survey over two weeks in February, answering more than two dozen questions about what works and what doesn't in their sex lives. Nine out of 10 reported being in monogamous relationships.

Almost two-thirds of women participants, ranging from ages 18 up to 85, said they are satisfied or very satisfied with their sex life. They feel less sexually inhibited than they did early in their relationship and are having more multiple orgasms.

And despite the cliché of the elusive female Big O, two-thirds of women respondents said they usually or always climax during love-making. Adding to their pleasure, they’re enjoying cuddles and kisses along with plenty of “I love you’s” from their partners, the survey found.

A key finding was that 97 percent of men and women who reported being very satisfied with their sex lives said they are happy with their partner overall.

Couples who reported good sexual communication and were open to trying new bedroom tricks reported being quite satisfied even decades after they met. Of couples who have been together six years or more, 34 percent said their passion is as strong as in the early days. Even after up to 20 years, one in three couples is still having a fabulous sex life.

"Overall, the people who take their sex life seriously are the people who have the best sex," says Leiblum. "People who do the same old, same old are the ones who report that sex is boring."

The new survey’s positive picture of women’s sex lives seems to contradict the stereotype of the “hurried woman syndrome,” where overworked, stressed-out females collapse in bed on a regular basis, too tired to muster up an orgasm. Even still, 42 percent of women cited stress or being too busy as reasons why they didn't have sex at one point or another in the prior month.

One exception to the overall positive picture for women is the large group — nearly 25 percent — whose negative body image prevents them from feeling sexy. Only one in 20 guys said they felt that way, the survey found.

"It's not just that women feel bad about their bodies," says Lever. "It has a distinct carryover into their sex lives. Even if their partner finds them beautiful, the women still don’t feel attractive enough to take off their clothes and have sex."

For the complete MSNBC Story