KEY POINTS:
The effects of the recession are starting to hit where it hurts - the heart.
One in four women spoken to in a K-Y Brand intimacy survey reported that the economic downturn was having a detrimental effect on their relationship.
Of the 500 people surveyed in a random telephone sample, a quarter of the women in committed relationships said the fallout from the global recession had reduced intimacy levels, while nearly a fifth (19 per cent) of the men surveyed agreed that financial stress had put a dampener on romance.
However, the good news for romantics was that most New Zealand blokes wanted to rediscover their inner Prince Charming, with more than three-quarters of them saying, despite tougher times, they would not be cutting back on Valentine's Day spending.
More than a quarter of men (27 per cent) said the thing they want most for Valentine's Day was more intimacy, followed by a card (25 per cent) and chocolates and flowers (20 per cent).
However, when it came to the ultimate Valentine's Day treat for women, "greater intimacy" came in second to chocolates and flowers (26 per cent) and equal to a card (13 per cent).
- NZPA
