If some people use sex to buy peace, forgiveness, keep faithfulness or to obtain favours (such as a weekend spent in the country or dinner at a restaurant), others may be tempted to use sexual starvation to tell a message or to blackmail their partner.

On this point, interviewed specialists sing a different tune. When there's a problem in the relationship, it's normal that there is no sex until the conflict is settled. "Even though many men can still have sexual relations with their spouse when they're going through hard times, women tend to lose sexual desire when they're mad. It's an essential difference between both genders," Saulnier says.

Dubé adds, "Women will often say: 'If you think I want to make love now, you've got another think coming!'. But these statements are usually expressed spontaneously and they usually have nothing to do with blackmail."

Still, the words are out there. What must be understood is that women cannot get rid of their conflicts simply by entering the bedroom. "If there's dissension between partners and the woman doesn't want to make love, it shouldn't be seen as she's taking sex away from the husband. Quite often, during conflicts, women don't have strong sexual urges. That's just common sense," insists Saulnier.