10 Ways Your Body Reacts to a Long Period of Sexual Absence (+ Bonus)

Everyone knows sex is healthy and enjoyable.
But have you ever wondered what happens to your body when you’re away from it for a long time? What happens to your libido? Your health? And the most terrifying question: does it get worse if you haven’t had sex in a while?

These are exactly the questions that Science of everything is going to answer in today’s article. Scroll to the end for the bonus.

Over the past week, we’ve reviewed numerous scientific studies to determine exactly what happens to the human body when it goes through abstinence (whether voluntary or not).

Check if you’re experiencing similar reactions, as abstinence can have profound effects on your body, health, mood, and even productivity.

1. Rapid Infection

Believe it or not, sex can be beneficial in the literal sense of the word. Besides being pleasurable, it also stimulates the body to create antibodies that help our immune system fight common colds and flu.

When you’re abstinent, your chances of getting infected increase compared to those who have sex regularly.

2. A Rapid Decline in Self-Esteem

A lack of sex can play a cruel trick on your brain – you’ll start to think you’ve become unattractive. Or even worse – ugly.

And when such thoughts accumulate, self-esteem plummets, further reducing your chances of having healthy, fulfilling sex.

That’s why couples who have sex at least twice a week feel more confident and argue less. Regular lovemaking helps create a sense of security and confidence in both yourself and your partner.

3. Difficulty Bladder Control

Sex is a great way to exercise your pelvic floor.

If you don’t exercise at the gym and target these specific areas at least once a week, you may experience more frequent urination and difficulty going to the bathroom.

4. Potential Blood Pressure Problems

Let’s face it: sex is pretty good exercise. In fact, it’s such a good form of cardio that abstaining from it can raise your blood pressure, especially if that’s the only form of exercise you’ve been getting.

Alternatively, you can start running or swimming a few times a week to prevent blood pressure problems while abstaining.

5. The Body’s Response to Daily Stress

Sex is a pleasurable experience not only for the body but also for the brain. Making love increases the production of chemicals in the brain that are responsible for our mood and feelings of happiness.

This means a much better response to stress and a higher level of psychological composure in stressful situations. Without sex, you need to find other ways to produce serotonin, endorphins, and other chemicals that induce positive feelings. People often unknowingly become addicted to sweets, trying to get a pleasant sensation, but they’re actually harming themselves by increasing their insulin levels.

6. A Much Slower Fall into Sleep

Have you ever wondered why it’s so easy to fall asleep? After making love? Of course, pleasant exhaustion plays a role, but it’s also because after sex, the body releases a special hormone, prolactin, which induces sleep.

This chemical «puts the body to sleep,» relaxing muscles and creating a wave of relief in the brain, making sleep happen much faster.

7. Heart Attack Risk Increases

Since we’ve already established that sex is a fantastic form of exercise, it’s worth remembering that it increases muscular endurance and improves cardiovascular fitness. It’s a two-in-one exercise that also helps lower blood pressure.

An elevated heart rate plays a significant role in preventing heart attacks, so much so that regular sex can reduce your chances of developing any heart condition by 50%.

8. Weakened Memory

Sex not only makes you healthier, but also smarter.

Making love at least twice a day helps the body create new cells in the memory center of the brain. If you’ve ever wondered why you’re so quick to learn after a wild night, it’s because tiny neurons are being born in your brain with every beat of that wild night.

9. Painful sensations during subsequent sex

And this isn’t because your partner’s vaginal walls have tightened since the last time. Tightening of the muscles after a long period of abstinence is one of the biggest myths in sex and cannot be the cause of pain. It’s simply impossible for vaginal walls to tighten without surgical intervention.

In fact, a decrease in libido occurs, which alters the body’s response to sexual stimuli. This means that women aren’t getting enough lubrication, which explains the pain after a long period of abstinence.

10. Temporary erectile dysfunction occurs

While girls experience less lubrication, boys may experience temporary erectile dysfunction due to prolonged abstinence.

Like women, their bodies begin to react differently to sexual stimuli, given the slower «response» time.

The best way to resolve all these issues is to make consistent and quality love. This will allow your body to activate all the necessary response functions, normalize your rhythm, and restore order to your relationships.

And for the most inquisitive readers who read to the end, here’s a bonus. A useful infographic that will further reveal 8 ways the body shows a lack of regular sex.

Graphic designer: Vita Kotvitskaya

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