Sex is widely recognized as beneficial to physical and mental health — but what happens when it stops? Research and health experts point to a range of documented effects on the body and mind that can emerge during extended periods of sexual abstinence, from hormonal shifts to changes in pelvic health.
In brief
- —Stress rises as cortisol levels go unchecked
- —Men who have sex less than weekly face double the erectile dysfunction risk
- —Vaginal atrophy is real — but the ‘tightening’ myth is false
Stress, mood and the hormones that go missing
Sex plays a measurable role in regulating stress. It lowers cortisol levels — the hormone the body releases under pressure — which in turn helps keep blood pressure and heart rate in check. A study cited in the American Journal of Medicine found that good sex had a protective effect on women’s hearts later in life.
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