There might be several reasons why you don’t have sex on a regular basis, if at all. Perhaps you’re abstaining until you marry or your relationship reaches a certain milestone. Maybe you want a sexual relationship but haven’t found the proper individual.

It’s conceivable that you’re in a relationship but are separated by long distance or social separation. It’s also conceivable that you’re in a relationship but have been experiencing a dry period due to disagreement or stress.

First and foremost, recognize that “there’s nothing wrong with not having sex,” Healthline said. “Nothing will ‘break’ or ‘get old’ just because you aren’t having sex.” So, if you’re on a sexual break, try not to worry.

Time spent without sexual activity may enable you to concentrate on self-care and self-love, develop emotional closeness without a physical connection, and/or improve your health, physical strength, and endurance. But what if curiosity is taking up space in your brain that those duties might be filling? Read on to learn what happens to your body when you stop having sex.

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Menstrual cramps might worsen when you stop having sex

More than 50% of women have unpleasant periods. If you are one of them, you most likely despise them more than the inconvenience of having a period in the first place. Menstrual cramps may be alleviated via several methods, including sex.

Why is that? Orgasms are reported to relieve cramps. According to Self, orgasms may alleviate pain and stress. And Dr. Kecia Gaither, OB-GYN and head of prenatal care at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, told Health Digest, “If you’re a woman who cramps during menstruation, frequent sexual encounters have been shown to reduce cramping. Endorphins are released during orgasms and help to soothe the body. Women may suffer cramps more often when they do not have intercourse.

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However, sex is not the only technique to alleviate unpleasant cramps. Other methods to increase endorphins include exercising, eating chocolate, and drinking wine.

Vaginal walls can weaken and thin when you stop having sex

If you’re fortunate enough to have an orgasm during sex, you’ll gain a variety of advantages, including increased blood flow to the vagina. This is fantastic news for older ladies. As women age, their estrogen levels diminish, causing the vaginal walls to shrink and become less lubricated.

According to Dr. Kecia Gaither, OB-GYN and director of perinatal services at NYC Health + Hospitals/Lincoln, “Increased blood flow to the pelvic region, as occurs with sexual arousal, helps to keep the vagina and vulva regions lubricated, supple, and elastic, by dousing the region with nutrient rich oxygenated blood.”

In contrast, a lack of intercourse, or the absence of the associated stimulation and blood flow, reduces its incidence. “So when sex does occur,” said Dr. Gaither, “it can be painful, due to the dryness, with an increased risk of vaginal tears due the thinned tissue.”

Prostate health declines when you stop having sex

The disadvantages of an absent sex life affect men as well as women. Men pay a bodily price for sexual hiatuses, and the consequences for them may be substantial, with their prostate health at stake.

According to Dr. Myles Spar, physician and chief medical officer of Vault Health, frequent ejaculation (at least 21 times a month) is associated with a decreased risk of prostate cancer compared to males who ejaculate 4-7 times per month. Men with the lowest ejaculation frequency (0-3 times per month) were also more likely to die from other medical conditions.

This physiology might be one of the reasons why males have higher sex desires than women. They think about it and seek it out more, maybe because their prostate health relies on it.With cancer on the table, this seems ominous. However, coupled sex is not the sole solution; solitary sex also works.

When you stop having sex, your risk of UTIs decreases

It should come as no surprise that stopping having sex reduces your chances of contracting sexually transmitted illnesses. However, it is less obvious that avoiding sexual activity reduces the incidence of urinary tract infections. Dr. Lauren Streicher, an OB-GYN and author of Sex Rx: Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever, explained to Reader’s Digest Best Health that intercourse might transfer germs.

“The general motion of sexual intercourse can transfer bacteria from the bowel or vaginal cavity further into the urethra (aka the tube that urine flows out of),” Dr. Kyra Williams, an OB-GYN at Penn Medicine, told Prevention. So, if you suffer from recurrent UTIs, you’ll be relieved to hear that this is one of the positive side effects of a sexual hiatus. You could find yourself suffering fewer of these illnesses, and so avoiding the unpleasant and uncomfortable symptoms that come with them.

Your immune response could weaken when you stop having sex

Move over, vitamin C; another performer in the immune support system has taken front stage. Weekly intercourse, according to WebMD, strengthens your immune system by increasing your levels of immunoglobulin A, often known as IgA. “IgA is the first line of defence against colds and flu,” Dr. Carl Charnetski, a professor at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, told New Scientist.

Unfortunately, if you are on a sexual sabbatical, you may be more vulnerable to the cold or flu. According to Men’s Health, persons in the aforementioned research who had sex once or twice a week had a 30% increase in IgA compared to those who seldom or never had sex.

Don’t be concerned if you haven’t had sex in the near future. To improve your immune system, consider classic methods such as eating nutrient-rich meals.

Aches and pains might seem more prevalent when you stop having sex

Have you ever had one of those days when your back hurts from the time you wake up? It’s difficult to focus about anything else when your muscles are misbehaving and giving you problems. And if you’re experiencing a sexual drought, you may notice that your ordinary aches and pains are exacerbated.

“Sex is a natural pain killer,” said Melissa Gentry, CEO of Healing the Love, a sex, relationship, and intimacy consultant. “Sex enhances our serotonin and dopamine levels (feel-good neurotransmitters that provide pleasure and happiness).

During sex, we produce endorphins (feel-good chemicals that activate opioid receptors in the brain), which may help us relieve pain and stress.” Gentry went on to explain, “Endorphins can also be referred to as the ‘body’s natural morphine,’ due to their natural pain-killing effects.”

Of course, sex isn’t the only method to increase endorphin levels. Exercise, for example, may certainly assist with certain aches and pains. You may always enhance your diet with natural pain relievers.

You may not sleep as well when you stop having sex

There is a substantial link between sexual activity and sleep. Fatigue may negatively impact a relationship by reducing desire and enthusiasm in sexual activity. And at least one research found that the longer a person sleeps, the stronger their sexual desire the following day. However, the link between sex and sleep is reciprocal. Sex may help you sleep and increase the quality of your sleep.

The Independent reports that lovemaking has a “sedative effect.” So, if you’re accustomed to that degree of rest, you may miss it after you stop having sex, since your body no longer receives the endorphins that provide deep slumber and relaxation. If you are tossing and turning more than normal, try to eliminate coffee, nicotine, and alcohol before sleep.

You should also avoid exercising late at night and instead try meditation to help you fall asleep and receive the rest you need. Are you worried that no matter what you do, you will be unable to fall asleep? Fortunately, there are applications for that!

When you stop having sex, your energy and motivation may drop

It may seem like people have lost their “get up and go” these days. But is it possible that your lack of energy and enthusiasm is due to a lack of sexual activity? It’s very possible, particularly if your degree of sexual activity has changed. Those who avoid sex may feel lethargic. It’s no surprise that individuals feel lethargic and less energetic after having sex since it releases mood-elevating endorphins.

Perhaps the solution is to increase your sexual activity level by adding a little morning glory to your regimen. Dr. Eva Cwynar, a California-based endocrinologist and metabolic expert, told Forbes that “if [women] start their day with [sex], they’ll be much more energetic from a hormonal standpoint.” “It energizes people.”

Looking for a different solution? Making dietary modifications might help you feel more energetic and motivated. Choose healthful, natural meals and limit your carbohydrate intake. You could discover that if you eat well, you’ll be compelled to go out there and exercise, which is another benefit to your health.

Your cardiovascular health could decline when you stop having sex

Melissa Gentry, CEO of Healing the Love and a sex, relationship, and intimacy coach, told Health Digest that sex may improve physical fitness, burn calories, and decrease blood pressure. While sex may range from modest cardiovascular activity to heavy sweating, it typically burns 5 calories per minute on average.

“This cardiovascular exercise can help keep both your physical and emotional heart healthy,” Gentry said. “Research studies show that people who have sex only once a month or less have heart disease complications more often than people that have sex twice a week or more.”

So, what should someone who is experiencing a sexual drought do when that specific boost is not accessible to them? Improve your cardiovascular health by following a healthy diet and exercising regularly. You are capable of getting your blood flowing in one manner or another.

When you stop having sex, your anxiety might increase

Dr. Jill McDevitt, a sexologist, sexuality educator, and sexual wellness coach, explained to Health Digest that if sex is desired and defined as partnered erotic activity, stopping can lead to decreased connection, intimacy, and anxiety in relationships. Dr. McDevitt further said, “For single people who are involuntarily not having sex, there can be feelings of distress, rejection, anger, and so on.” This may also cause greater anxiousness.

If you find yourself wishing things were different, whether it’s for a more active sexual life or a better sexual connection with your spouse, realize that your sentiments are natural and acceptable. If your anxiety has become difficult to control, consult with your doctor.

You may start becoming forgetful when you stop having sex

There is no questioning the mind-body link. An animal research found that sex may enhance brain function and cell growth. And when a withdrawal period was implemented, the cognitive gains were gone. Good thing this was a research on middle-aged rats, right? “This goes under the heading of ‘interesting preliminary research’, but proves nothing,” Dr. Lauren Streicher, OB-GYN and author of Sex Rx: Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever, told Business Insider.Other studies, however, have shown that those who have sex on a regular basis have greater recall and memory.

Resuming sex after stopping for a while may be challenging

Unless you’ve made a firm vow of celibacy, you’ll probably desire and/or be able to resume having sex at some point. However, it’s conceivable that your time away from sex has influenced your sex desire. According to Dr. Christine Greves, a board-certified OB-GYN in Florida, not having sex may lead to a decrease in libido. However, this situation has the potential to reverse itself. The doctor stated that after you’ve gotten back in the saddle, your sexual desire would most likely return to normal.

Women, on the other hand, may have natural lubrication issues after going without sex for extended periods of time. Vaginal dryness, a frequent menopausal symptom, is exacerbated by vaginal atrophy.This may make sex uncomfortable and unpleasant. Buy lubricant for alleviation.

For males, sexual inactivity has been linked to erectile dysfunction.However, “it’s premature to conclude that frequent sex can help men stave off ED, [urologists] say” (source: WebMD).

Your relationship’s health will be compromised if you stop having sex

When you quit having sex, you may sense physical, mental, and emotional changes in your own body, but you are not the only one impacted. If you’re in a relationship, a sexual sabbatical might have a negative impact. And it’s all connected: the health of a relationship may have an impact on one’s physical health.

Social psychologist and research scientist Amanda Gesselman of The Kinsey Institute told Vice that “we interpret that decline as a sign that something is wrong when our partner’s desire for sex begins to decline maybe because they’re stressed, depressed, or tired, or because the frequency of sex tends to decrease as relationships progress.”

Therefore, how can you guarantee that you don’t go down an unhealthy route if something else is interfering with your ability to have good sex or build back up to a healthy sexual connection in a genuine and pressure-free manner?When engaging in vaginally penetrating intercourse, In an interview with Health Digest, sexologist, sexuality educator, and sexual health coach Dr. Jill McDevitt said that “kissing, cuddling, and caressing with a long-term partner can keep the connection going.”