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There are many reasons why a person can lose interest in sex — boredom, poor health, relationship problems, and lack of communication are just a few.

But it turns out, women are twice as likely as men to lose interest in having sex with their partner — and far faster, too.

According to a recent study published in the British Medical Journal Open, which collected data from 4,839 men and 6,669 women aged 16 to 74, while both men and women get tired of sex with time, women lose interest in having sex with their partner after an average of just 12 months of being a couple.

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When looking at the data, researchers found that many of women's sexual turn-offs included having children under five years old, and having given birth in the last year.

"This may be due to fatigue associated with a primary caring role, the fact that daily stress appears to affect sexual functioning in women more than men or possibly a shift in focus of attention attendant on bringing up small children," explained the study's authors.

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Other reasons why both women and men lost their sex drive included lack of emotional closeness, communications issues, poor health, having STIs and past experiences of forced intercourse.

In total, 15 per cent of men and 34 per cent of women surveyed said they had lost interest in sex for three months or more in the previous year. Women between the ages of 55 and 64 were the biggest age group to report having lost an interest in sex, whereas for men, it was between the ages of 35 to 44.

Other reasons why both women and men lost their sex drive included lack of emotional closeness, communications issues, poor health, having STIs and past experiences of forced intercourse.

Ammanda Major, a sex therapist, told the BBC that losing interest in sex isn't abnormal, and that there are many reasons why this happens.

"For some, it is a natural and normal place to be, but for others it causes pain and misery," she said.

It's normal for desire to wax and wane when you're in a relationship, but if you feel like you're stuck in a sexual rut and you want to rock your world beneath the sheets, there are ways to get that sexual spark back.

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"To be more sexual, first requires being more present," Dr. Jennifer Pearlman wrote in a HuffPost blog. "Forever the multi-taskers, women tend to be less able than men to set aside their worries and the endless mental 'to-do' list and simply be in the moment. To be sexual we must think sexually too. Clearing your mental slate prior to sex can allow a more mindful experience."

To be more sexual, first requires being more present.

Pearlman also advises that couples take more time with foreplay.

"There is no one right way to engage in erotic touching. For women, the erotic regions are not related to their sexual organs. Whether it is on the lips, the ear, the scalp or the mons (pubic bone) — women want and need to be touched for proper sexual function. Couples can help each other by sharing the 'roadmap' to their erogenous zones," she writes.

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Other ways to reignite that sexual passion in your relationship can include trying new experiences together, telling your partner how sexy or hot you find them, kissing on the mouth regularly, having a date night, and going on vacations alone — leave the kids behind.