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Sex has a strong influence on many aspects of life. welfare: one of our the most basic physiological needsIn addition, it nourishes our identity and is a central element of our social life.
But millions of people spend at least part of their adult lives without intercoursewhich can lead to emotional distress, shame, and low self-esteem as an avoidant sex as for the couple that got rejected.
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However, although our society is very sex-oriented, we know little about the fact that they are not.
As a researcher of human behavior, fascinated by how sex and gender interact, I have found that sexual avoidance affects many aspects of our well-being and that people avoid sex for a variety of reasons, some of which can be easily eliminated.
The more sex the better?
People who have more sex report higher self-esteem and quality of life. Conversely, less frequent sexual contact is associated with psychological stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship problems.
At your job Alfred Kinsey he discovered that up to 19 percent of adults do not have sex. This depends on gender and marital status, although almost no married man goes without sex for an extended period of time.
Other studies confirm that women are more likely to avoid sex These are men. In fact, up to 40 percent of women avoid sex at some point in their lives. Pain during intercourse and low libido are the main concerns.
Women are also more likely to avoid sexual contact due to child sexual abuse. Pregnant women fear miscarriage or harm to the fetus, and they may refuse intercourse due to lack of interest and exhaustion.
The most common reasons men avoid intercourse are: erectile disfunction, chronic diseases And lack of opportunity.
medical problems
However, it has been shown that for both men and women medical problems are the main reasons for not having sex.
For example, patients with heart diseases they often avoid intercourse because they are afraid of a heart attack. Other studies have shown the same in people with cerebrovascular disease such as stroke.
Chronic pain reduces the pleasure of sexual intercourse. and intervenes directly, limiting positions. Depression and the stress it causes, as well as some medications for chronic pain, can interfere.
metabolic states such as diabetes and obesity reduce sexual activity. Actually, diabetes accelerates sexual deterioration in men for up to 15 years. Large body mass and poor body image destroy intimacy, which is critical to being able to have sex.
personality disorders, addiction And alcohol or drug abuse And poor sleep quality they play an important role in sexual interest and ability.
A lot of medicinesHow antidepressants And anxiolyticsreduce libido and sexual activity and, as a result, increase the risk of sexual avoidance.
Finally, low testosterone in men And Low levels of dopamine and serotonin in both men and women may play a role.
For both sexes loneliness reduces the amount of time they spend with other people and the opportunity to interact with others and be intimate. Single people sometimes substitute pornography for real sex. This becomes important because pornography can adversely affect sexual activity over time.
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A lot of Older people don’t have sex out of shame and guilt, or simply because they think they are “too old to have sex.” However, it would be wrong to assume that older people are not interested in sex.
* Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Public Health, University of Michigan.