People who have good communication skills and understand the emotions of others also have satisfying sex lives, new research shows. Personal qualities such as self-esteem and independence also play a role in the level of sexual health and pleasure. Scientists have come to the conclusion that the way people interact, their ability to listen to each other and consider each point of view, actually affects the sexual relations in a relationship. “Sexual health includes sexual well-being, and sexual pleasure is an important part of it,” said Adena Galinsky of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and an author of the study. The study included about 3,200 college students, ages 18-26. Scientists surveyed participants to assess their level of self-esteem, independence, empathy, as well as their sexual health and satisfaction. Men are more likely than women to report having orgasms during sex, with 87% of men and 47% of women in the study saying so. According to the data, the stronger sex enjoys practicing oral sex more than the ladies. NEWS_MORE_BOX The truth is, men really like being active in activities that are meant to please their partner, says the study’s author. The researchers compared the participants’ personality traits with three measures of sexual satisfaction — frequency of orgasms, level of pleasure, and receipt of oral sex. They found that higher levels of self-esteem, independence and empathy were associated with greater sexual pleasure in women. In this respect, only empathy affects men. In the stronger sex, independence is positively correlated with the frequency of orgasms, and higher self-esteem is related to the pleasure of practicing oral sex. According to the scientists’ hypothesis, empaths are more responsive to the partner’s needs, thus creating an opportunity for feedback. This development in the relationship makes it possible to break the barriers in sexual communication and the desire to experiment in the bedroom, Adena Galinski believes.