In the pandemic we are currently living in, social distancing guidelines have negatively impacted most people's sex lives. Lack of sex can have health consequences, and this is because sex has a number of health benefits, such as reducing stress, facilitating sleep and improving heart health.
But what actually happens to your body when you stop having sex, whether it's a deliberate break or a coincidence? Experts explain what can happen to the body when you go through a period without sex.
Your libido could be affected
According to Dr. Christina Greves, a gynecologist in Florida, it is possible that your libido will decrease slightly during the period of abstinence. If you don't have sex, you probably don't feel as sexual as you do when you have regular sex, and that can affect your sex drive. The good news is that once you're back in action, you'll likely start to feel different, which will boost your libido, Health writes.
Anxiety or depression may occur
Sex releases the feel-good and mood-enhancing chemicals in the brain, oxytocin and serotonin, says Dr. Gail Saltz, associate professor of psychiatry at NY Presbyterian Hospital Weill-Cornell School of Medicine. When your system doesn't produce these brain chemicals in the same amounts, it can affect your mental health.
"But don't worry if you don't have enough sex with your partner, experiencing an orgasm through masturbation can give you the oxytocin and serotonin you need to ward off depression and anxiety," says Dr. Saltz.
The importance of touch
There's a reason doctors encourage people to have as much skin-to-skin contact with loved ones as possible. The direct touch of your own skin to your partner's skin conveys emotions.
"Skin-to-skin contact can reduce stress and improve self-confidence, potentially even boosting our immune systems," Dr. med. Rachel Nazarian, a dermatologist in New York.
Our skin interprets positive touch, and what is sex if not a form of positive touch, as an incentive to increase serotonin levels, so it is more likely that you will feel happy and healthy, explains Dr. Nazarian.
It may take you longer to get excited
"After a break, you may need more time to fully relax," points out dr. Greves.
When you have regular sex, the vagina automatically goes into the arousal phase. However, when you have a long break, it takes more 'warming up' to relax. The same applies to the penis, erection problems are not uncommon after a 'dry' period.
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