Here's why you shouldn't gift sex to your partner this Christmas, according to a sexologist

Australian sexologist Dr Nikki Goldstein suggests against gifting sex to your partner for Christmas.

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You may feel the merry occasion is just perfect for sex with your partner, but offering it as a gift may turn the passion into obligation, according to Goldstein.

She explained that sex would be more fun and relaxing if it was done spontaneously. Planning to do it on special occasions would make the act more of a chore for partners.

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"In long-term relationships, we should be having sex for healthier reasons," Goldstein was quoted as saying by bodyandsoul.com.au.

"These include to bond, to feel close to our partners, to feel in a better mood with them, to connect, to be intimate, to feel pleasure and to enjoy something together. These are not things you achieve necessarily from giving sex as a gift or using it to celebrate. These are things a relationship needs to thrive 365 days of the year," she explained.

Goldstein advised couples not to fret about having sex every day, but also said they shouldn't stick to particular occasions like birthday or festivals only to get intimate. Sex should be initiated by partners more often.

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"While I do suggest having sex this Christmas, I also suggest having sex on lots of others day too. This is not about a gift on December 25, but taking some time to reconnect with each other during this busy season," she said.

According to a revelation made by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), it has been observed that Australian couples struggle more to conceive during the holiday season. Stress plays a major role in hindering conception.

Statistics of last three years show more number of births happening in March instead of October, which used to be the month when more number of births used to take place previously.

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All the births taking place in October were an outcome of conception at Christmas, whereas all the births taking place in March reveals that the conception took place in June.

The statistics recorded by ABS portrayed a drop in the number of births taking place in October.

ABS recorded 26,600 births in October and 26,174 births in March in 2012. In the statistics of year 2016, a significant gap could be seen in the number of births, 20,640 babies were born in October, while 26,301 babies were born in March.

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Even health insurance company Medibank, which is aligned with the ABS, found claims of 2,455 births taking place in October of 2013 while 2,356 claims were made for March births.

In 2016 the insurance company found a decline in the number of births in October, when 2,144 births took place, while 2,258 births took place in March.

According to the Australian Medical Association's president Michael Gannon, the depletion that took place in the number of births in October was linked to stress experienced by couples during the holiday season.

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"The reality is that for a lot of people, Christmas is an extremely busy time with interstate or international travel, a variety of functions, and maybe it is increasingly becoming a stressful time," Gannon was quoted as saying by the Herald Sun.

"There is no question that psychological stress can reduce the chances of ovulation and it might reduce the chances of conceiving," he concluded.