Research study: men who are engaged citizens may get more sex

The Northfield Center for Civic Engagement and Volunteerism (NCCEV) released a statement yesterday, echoing the results of a research study published earlier this week that men who do housework may get more sex (StarTribune/AP story). 

Early results from the Center’s ongoing research indicate that men who take time each week to volunteer in their communities or who are ‘civically engaged’ have sex significantly more often than uninvolved men. Moreover, the sex is of a higher quality as well, though researchers declined to reveal how this was defined.

“It’s more than just not being a couch potato,” said Ava Gina, Executive Director of the NCCEV.  “There’s something about seeing a man involved in community affairs that turns women on. It activates the same part of a woman’s brain as when she sees a man with a vacuum cleaner or a toilet brush.”

Northfield’s 5th Bridge has changed its marketing strategy in recent months as it became aware of the early research. Board member Renata Tampaks said that while they still tout the psychic rewards of volunteering, “we tend to use that marketing approach on women and youth. For men, it’s all about image – pumping up the size of your civic organ, so to speak.”

Tampaks grabbed a 5th Bridge brochure and pointed to a photo of two older men in tool belts, volunteering their time to repair a deck at a neighbor’s house. “Look at their faces. Those aren’t smiles of satisfaction. Those are cat-who-ate-the-canary smiles. Them boys is a gettin’ laid tonight!”

The research also indicates that men who engage in civic-oriented blogging and commenting score at slightly higher rate than even the community volunteers.  Hugh G. Rection, board member for Northfield Citizens Online, said the topic came up at this year’s annual meeting. “We’re not sure how to take advantage of this finding. We’re considering commissioning a local singer/songwriter to create the equivalent of Househusband Macho only with a blogger/podcaster-as-stud theme.”