What risks does sexual abstinence have?

Sexual abstinence is a practice that many people can experience, either involuntarily or voluntarily, however, carrying it out can entail risks for the body as well as for the mind of the person who is experiencing it. The lack of sexual relations can lead to much more serious problems than we can imagine and that is why we are going to tell you what the negative effects of sexual abstinence are.

What is sexual abstinence?

Sexual abstinence occurs in adults when they do not want to have sexual relations with anyone, even if we are talking about self-exploration. This can be due to many factors or causes, which can be involuntary and arise due to a cultural or even religious belief, through sexual problems at the physical level of the couple or the body itself, which makes this practice impossible, as well as voluntary, in which it is the person themselves who wishes not to have sexual relations with anyone, nor to masturbate, the most common cases being widowhood or even a breakup, thinking that the best option is physical mourning. Although it may seem like something that is not important to us, sexual abstinence can cause many problems on an emotional and physical level and that is why below we will explain the main risks it has for your health.

Most common risks of sexual abstinence

Generalized anxiety and stress

For many, stress and anxiety are considered the disease of the new century, and they are present in the majority of human beings, at least during part of their lives. It has been proven that a person who has sexual relations frequently, whether with their partner or even alone, is capable of causing the hormones oxytocin and endorphins to be discharged in their brain, which are responsible for well-being in the body, also achieving an analgesic effect and this is why people feel much better once they have had sex. It is worth noting that sex as a couple must be consensual and free of pressure of any kind, because this would trigger more stress and even discomfort that will add to the initial anxiety, which is why sexual relations should be enjoyed in both cases, because it could be negative if used and this action generates stress. If the person has suffered a trauma or is in sexual abstinence, the partner must be understanding and treat them with all the affection and love in the world so that everything returns to normal in the shortest possible time.

Self-esteem problems in the couple

Another potential risk of sexual abstinence is the damage it can cause to the self-esteem of both the person who is experiencing this period without sexual relations, as well as their partner, since they see this low sexual appetite towards them as something negative and that it can be caused by their own fault. That is why sometimes it can happen that both members of the couple distance themselves from each other, precisely because they do not feel loved and the image they have of themselves is negative, causing self-esteem to drop considerably and which can have repercussions, as we have mentioned previously, on anxiety, depression or generalized stress.

Can decrease sexual appetite

There are many specialists in sexology who speak of sexual desire as a need that human beings have that must be nourished so that it continues to be enjoyable. Some people think that, by not having sexual relations, the sexual desire can grow and become more visible, however, the exact opposite usually happens, the less you practice, the less you want to practice, also entailing the emotional and psychological problems that we have mentioned above. This is why to have good sexual quality, it is necessary that the person, whether man or woman, have sexual relations regularly and if it is not possible with a partner, that they can satisfy their body in another way.

Other problems caused by sexual abstinence

Erectile dysfunction

You may think, as we mentioned previously in the sexual appetite section, that the longer you go without sexual relations, the more intense they will be, as well as enjoying a more intense erection. This is all false, since it has been proven with different studies carried out on men of all ages that, if a prolonged period of time goes by without enjoying sexual relations, it may happen that the first sessions you have are not as enjoyable, mainly because the man, by not having that initial desire, may find that the attraction is reduced considerably, together with a drop in self-esteem and other factors.

Prostate cancer

Another problem that can trigger sexual abstinence is the risk of prostate cancer. When this organ is used more, it is healthier and that is why it is recommended that men have an active sexual life, either having sexual relations with their partner or in private when masturbating. According to different studies, the risk of suffering from this type of cancer is drastically reduced by having sex several times a week.

Vaginal atrophy in women

On the opposite side, in women, we find that the woman begins to lose muscle tone in the area surrounding the vagina, so her relationships will begin to be less pleasant because there is atrophy, something that can be solved as long as she begins to enjoy this practice again. It may happen that many women suffer from this problem for a long time and it is for this reason that they continue to have sexual abstinence, which is why it joins with the rest of the risks and, as they say, it forms a ball that grows and grows. In many cases, surgery may even be required to alleviate this problem.