Well, now this is be an interesting question don’t you think? I’ll bet the opinions from the two sexes differ exponentially. In my experience, 24 hours is too long to go without sex from a man’s point of view, and that’s stretching it. We women can hold out longer, at least that’s what we like to tell ourselves, right ladies? I held out for two weeks once! That’s a record in my relationship, but let’s see what the rest of the world thinks. Hang onto your keyboards because this could be a bumpy ride.
First, keep in mind that there are many reasons why couples or even singles might go without sex for a long or short period of time. Here are some of the reasons I can think of off the top of my head.
- Menstrual cycle
- Depression
- Deployment
- Arguments
- Low sex drive
- NO sex drive
- Pregnancy
- Childbirth and children
- Boredom
- No sexual attraction to anyone
- Asexual
- Married to the job
- Endometriosis
- Painful intercourse
- Sexual trauma
The reasons are vast and variable, but if you’re in a normal, sexual relationship with the person you love, going without sex for short periods of time is expected. Life, kids, sleep, etc. can all get in the way of intimacy. Longer periods of no sex should be talked about, do not ignore the issues that could be causing the problem. By the way, did you know that not having sex can actually lead to problems, including medical ones? According to my research, prolonged periods of abstaining or going without sex can cause:
- Irritation and mood changes
- Increase your chance of heart disease
- Lose your sense of smell
- Cause weight gain
- Cause depression
- Messes with your immune system causing colds, and flu’s more often
- Increase your menstrual cramps
- Increase the risk of prostate cancer
- Lower your sex drive
Some of these I was surprised by, but not others. These are just some of the side effects of not having sex often enough. I kid you not, there are studies to back up all of them and more.
So really, there is no solid answer for how long is too long to go without sex, because unlike robots we are all made differently. Should you go without sex for so long and your body starts to do things it normally does not do, maybe it’s time to stop abstaining and get back to business. If there are any other health issues you find are beginning to affect you with or without having sex, contact your physician immediately.
I hope this gave you some valuable insight into the question, I know I learned a few things in my research. Enjoy!
