Don't come between your man and his friends

Is your male partner losing interest in sex? Well, this can be because of your friendliness with his close pals.

Researchers have found a potential new source for sexual problems among middle-aged and older men: The relationships between their female partners and the men's closest friends.

Cornell University and University of Chicago researchers examined the data from the National Social Life, Health and Aging Project (a comprehensive survey at the University of Chicago that included 3,005 people, from ages 57 to 85) and found a connection between erectile dysfunction and the social networks shared by heterosexual men and their partners. The researchers described the situation as "partner betweenness."

In such cases, a man's female partner has stronger relationships with his confidants than the man does. In effect; the romantic partner comes between the man and his friends.

"Men who experience partner betweenness in their joint relationships are more likely to have trouble getting or maintaining an erection and are also more likely to experience difficulty achieving orgasm during sex," said Benjamin Cornwell, Cornell professor of sociology and Edward Laumann, University of Chicago professor of sociology in the paper.

Cornwell and Laumann argued that partner betweenness undermines men's feelings of autonomy and privacy, which are central to traditional concepts of masculinity. This can lead to overt conflict or problems with partner satisfaction and attraction.

The research has been published in the American Journal of Sociology.