What happens to your body if you don’t have sex for a long time – Liverpool Echo

There are a range of side effects

Source: What happens to your body if you don’t have sex for a long time – Liverpool Echo

No one wants to go through a dry spell in the bedroom and it might be having a big impact on your body.

 

The truth behind what happens to our bodies when we don’t have sex for a considerable length of time has been revealed in a study.

The body can go through some changes, such as greater stress, risk of heart disease and slower brain growth.

Research suggests that having less sex could even stop you getting aroused in the future or put you at risk of getting ill more often, reports Mirror Online.

Of course, there are risks to having sex too – and you can read about some of them here.

Here’s a list of possible side effects from lack on sex from website HackSpirit.

More stress

A landmark study in 2005 suggested intercourse is far more effective than masturbation for relieving stress.

The research, which was published in the journal Biological Psychology, showed how sex increases the levels of endorphins and the hormone oxytocin.

Oxytocin has been shown in studies to offset the effects of stress-causing hormone cortisol.

You get sick more often
Studies show sex makes the human body produce more Immunoglobin A, the antibody which fights off illnesses.

Wilkes University in Pennsylvania says people who have sex twice a week produce 30% more Immunoglobin A than those who abstain.

Higher risk of heart disease

Some scientific studies have found that having sex twice a week halves a man’s chances of getting clogged arteries compared to those who indulge less than once a month.

It’s believed that men getting regular sex often have better circulation and healthier blood vessels.

Slower brain growth

Sex could actually make you smarter in your old age.

Studies by Oxford and Coventry universities found people who had regular sex scored higher on tests for fluent speech and ability to perceive objects visually.

Another study found middle-aged rats produced new brain cells after mating.

It’s harder to get an erection

A 2008 American study showed men who had sex less than once a week were actually twice as likely to develop erectile dysfunction in later life as those who performed more regularly.

Higher risk of developing prostate cancer

Research published in the US shows men who ejaculate 21 or more times a year had a 33% lower risk of developing prostate cancer.

It has been speculated that orgasms lessen the risk by lowering stress and regulating the metabolism of cells.

But if you’ve lost your libido, regular exercise, quitting smoking and eating will help with this.

You’ll be less stimulated

Women’s bodies can react adversely to a lack of sex.

No sex for a long time can lead to problems getting aroused or reaching an orgasm in the future.

Less lubrication

After a break from sexual activity, the vagina can fail to lubricate properly.

The cause is said to be a lack of the hormone oestrogen, which makes older women particularly susceptible.

Younger women in their 20s and 30s are far less at risk from the side effect because they already produce plenty of the hormones.

Porn can be a problem

Experts say frequent watching of pornography can de-sensitise men and make them less likely to get aroused in the bedroom.

Males in their late teens and early 20s who watch explicit material could suffer the kind of problems middle-aged men suffer.