Almost half of men have no idea how often their wives achieve orgasm during sex.

A damning new survey of more than 3,200 newly-weds found a quarter of husbands over-estimate how often their wife reaches climax.

This presents a huge problem for couples, scientists said, as women whose husbands are clueless about their partner's orgasms tend to be unhappier in their sex lives and relationships.

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Almost half of husbands have no idea how often their wives orgasm during sex. A damning new survey of more than 1,600 newly-wedded couples found that 43 per cent of husbands don't know how often they satisfy their partners (stock image)

The study, from researchers at Brigham Young University in Utah, used results from a survey of 1,683 heterosexual couples.

Respondents, all aged between 18 and 36 and within their first year of marriage, were asked how often they and their partner climaxed.

They answered on a scale of one to five, with a score of one signifying a range from never to 20 per cent of the time.

A top score of five meant women climaxed from 80 per cent to all of the time.

Men were asked to provide the same score for their wives, but got it wrong in 43 per cent of cases.

They were more likely to overestimate the answer, suggesting that almost three decades after Meg Ryan famously faked an orgasm at a diner table in When Harry Met Sally, women often still do this.

As many as nine-in-ten men reported experiencing regular orgasms, while under half of women said the same (stock image)

Commenting on the research, Ammanda Major, head of clinical practice at relationship counselling service Relate, said: 'When it comes to couples' love lives there can be a lot of misunderstandings.

'It is a problem if men are misperceiving how often women orgasm because this can lead to disappointment, over-expectation and frustration for both partners, and affect self-esteem.

'Not all women need to climax during sex to have had a good experience so understanding that and finding out what you each need from each other sexually is usually the best way of making sure everyone is happy.'

More than one in five women achieve orgasm less than four in ten of their sexual encounters, the study results show.

Just three per cent of men have a 'happy ending' this infrequently.

WHAT ARE THE FIVE STAGES OF A RELATIONSHIP AND HOW DO THEY AFFECT THE BODY? Psychologists suggest there are five stages of love - butterflies, building, assimilation, honesty and stability. Each of these stages has a different impact on our psyche and health, researchers at eHarmony found in a 2014 survey. 1) Butterflies Marked by intense infatuation and sexual attraction, symptoms noted by couples included weight loss (30 per cent) and a lack of productivity (39 per cent). Biologically, it's reported that during this early stage of dating, both men and women create more of the sex hormones testosterone and oestrogen. As a result more than half - 56 per cent - noted an increase in their libido. Psychologists suggest there are five stages of love - butterflies, building, assimilation, honesty and stability 2) Building As the initial attraction gives way to learning more about one another, the honeymoon stage subsides and a couple begin to build their relationship. eHarmony's study estimated around three per cent of Britons in relationship are currently at stage two. The body releases neurochemicals called monoamines, which speed up heart rate, trigger rushes of intense pleasure and replicate the effects of Class A drugs. The biological effect culminates in a feeling of 'happy anxiety', where people can think of little else than their blossoming relationship. Forty-four per cent of the study participants noted a lack of sleep while 29 per cent reported a their attention span had been adversely affected. 3) Assimilation Having established whether the other person is 'right', stage three forces a couple to question whether the 'relationship' itself is right. Questions over the future of the union and forming boundaries in the relationship can lead to a rise in stress levels, reported by 27 per cent of those taking part in the study. Each of the five stages of a relationship has a different impact on our psyche and health, researchers at eHarmony found in a 2014 survey (stock image) 4) Honesty Stage three combines with stage four, where people open up showing the 'real you' sees the first real rise in stress levels and anxiety. 'This stage deals with the concept behind how we all put on our best faces, through social media we edit our lives as well as our pictures to make it appear as though everything is fine,' psychologist Dr Linda Papadopoulos, who assisted with the study, told MailOnline. Opening up completely triggered feelings of doubt and increased vulnerability in 15 per cent of participants. 5) Stability If a couple can weather the emotional rollercoaster of the first four stages, the fifth and final stage, stability, brings with it increased levels of trust and intimacy. eHarmony found 50 per cent of respondents had reached this stage, and 23 per cent reported feeling happier as a result. Biologically, vasopressin - a powerful hormone released by men and women during orgasm - strengthens feelings of attachment. Meanwhile oxytocin - released during childbirth - deepens feelings of attachment. 'This is where we see a real level of contentness,' Dr Papadopolous told MailOnline. 'We found the body releases wonderful hormones which helps couples bond. We noted a real sense of attachment, and a sense of "you have got my back and I've got yours".' Advertisement

While 25 per cent of men overestimated how often their wife climaxed, 17 per cent of those in the study underestimated the figure and had a better love life than they realised.

Unsurprisingly, women were far more aware of what was happening in the bedroom, with only one in seven misjudging how often their husband climaxed.

Couples also answered questions on how satisfied they were with the relationship and their sex lives, as well as how openly they talked to one another about sex.

Both sexes were happier in the bedroom and their relationship if they talked about sex.