WOMEN crave sex nearly as often as men, according to a survey that also suggests the art of seduction has vanished from modern romance.

Almost 10,000 Australian men and women, aged between 25 and 45, took part in an online survey of what they think about sex.

The results, published in tomorrows Mens Health and Womens Health magazines, show that when it comes to love, lust and good old-fashioned romance, the genders arent that different.

A study by researchers and nurses in Vancouver sheds some light on why it's so difficult to convince young men to seek out sexual health services. The city's Evergreen Youth Clinic says just 6 per cent of its clients are men, and male patients are especially reluctant to see doctors when it comes to sexual health.

When it comes to dating, social psychologists have an unfair advantage. Theres a wealth of research out there showing what works, and what doesn't, when it comes to attracting members of the opposite sex. In the interests of leveling the playing field, heres five signs to look out for any of which might indicate that your potential paramour has been reading up on social psychology in their attempts to ensnare you in their sticky web of love...

You notice the hair first a look-at-me-now shade of foxy red. Then, the expertly applied make-up and the stylish, headmistress-type clothes. And, hold on, does that wonderfully smooth forehead owe more than a little to Botox?

Catherine Hakim pauses before confessing that, without the odd jab, her husband reckons she looks grumpy. So, "just a little here", she says, pointing to her brow. "Just a drop and problem solved."