Married men who do household chores have less sex than those who shirk their fair share, international research suggests. But that doesn't wash with dish-scrubber Rick Lindsay, a Wellington father of three - or with his wife.

Mr Lindsay, a wine representative, of Titahi Bay, does the bulk of the dishes - his wife used to be a chef, so she looks after the cooking - and he insists he does his fair share of household chores.

"I've always helped around the house and we've always had a great sex life. Initiative goes a long way."

His wife of 10 years, Ana Priestley, said if he started doing less in the house, it would have a negative effect in the bedroom.

"I would have to resort to holding out or something."

The Washington University research studied 4500 American couples who reported spending a combined 34 hours a week on traditionally female chores and about 17 hours a week on tasks considered men's work.

Results showed husbands helped with about one-fifth of "pink jobs" and did about half of the tasks considered to fall in the men's category.

Husbands abstaining from women's chores got lucky almost twice a month more often than men who were happy to help.

The research showed couples who stuck to a traditional division of housework had more sex than those attempting a more modern approach.

Lindsay said he was handy with a tea towel, but despised folding and putting away the washing.

"We refer to it as the floor-drobe and Mt Washington. But I do clean the car because my wife hates doing it.

"It's about trying to split it evenly and any guy who thinks he can get away with doing nothing will probably have it blow up in his face."

STUDY RESULTS

Husbands who help in the house have sex less often than those who do very little.

Husbands performed on average about one-fifth of female chores and about half of male chores.

Wives helped out with men's chores more often than husbands helped with female tasks.

Couples reported having sex an average of about five times a month.

Where the wife did most of the female chores, couples reported having sex about 1.6 times more a month than if the husband did them.

- © Fairfax NZ News