A viral claim suggesting that people need sex every week for good mental health echoes real research, but goes further than the evidence allows. A 2025 study of 15,794 US adults found that people reporting sex once or twice a week had the lowest odds of depressive symptoms, but did not establish that everyone needs weekly sex.
Importantly, the study did not measure 'good mental health' as a whole. Its main outcome was depressive symptoms, so it cannot establish a recommended sexual frequency for overall psychological wellbeing.
