NEW YORK — K-Y has introduced K-Y Touch, described as a two-in-one massage creme and pleasure gel.

The Reckitt Benckiser (RB) sexual wellness brand said the touch-activated creme/gel is designed to magnify the skin’s sensitivity to deliver a gently warming sensation that “builds with every caress, so that couples can slow down and truly feel their partner’s touch.”

K-Y Touch is available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $14.99.

In announcing the new product, K-Y gave results of a national survey it conducted in tandem with sexual health researcher The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University.

The brand said the first-of-its-kind research aimed to better understand the touch habits of American couples and found a disconnect between couples’ desires to be touched and the amount of physical connection they actually experience through touching.

Nearly all (87%) men and women in committed relationships rated touch as very or extremely important to building intimacy. But more than a third (34%) said they are not touched often enough by their partner. The study also found that couples who touch more than once a day are 14% more satisfied with their relationship, compared with all couples.

The survey stemmed from the Touch Initiative, a partnership between the Kinsey Institute and K-Y. The brand said the study marked a first step toward achieving its vision to build intimacy in and out of the bedroom by creating special moments between couples.

“We’re very proud to partner with The Kinsey Institute on The Touch Initiative, which is committed to better understanding the power of touch and how it impacts couples’ connectivity and overall well-being,” stated Rachel Sexton, senior brand manager for K-Y. “We look forward to leveraging our collective heritage to understand how a little touch is all it takes can help inspire couples to gain more intimacy in their lives.”

Consumers can visit K-Y.com for content that includes intimacy tips, as well as see the new “His and Her” interactive video to experience “a little touch is all it takes” from the man’s and woman’s perspectives.