Legal age Gen Zers are having less sex than any generation in history – and experts warn this could lead to their genitals shrinking.
Dr. Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, a sex and relationship expert, told DailyMail.com that men who are sexually inactive can experience a very rare condition called penile atrophy, in which the penile tissue can become less elastic, causing it to shrink by one to two centimeters.
While that’s the more extreme end, going a month or more without sex can cause men and women to experience increased stress due to sexual frustration, increased anxiety, depression, and anger issues.
People can suffer from various other psychological consequences and are more prone to infidelity.
Withholding sex can cause temporary and long-term problems, from developing anxiety and anger problems to serious medical conditions and relationship problems
Despite the positive attachment to sex, a 2021 University of California study found that 38 percent of young people between the ages of 18 and 30 reported having had no sexual partners in the past year.
Experts warned that not having sex for weeks, months or years can have harmful effects on the human body.
Most people need affection, touch, and sexual relationships with others. Without it, your mental health could deteriorate, causing anxiety, depression and increased levels of stress, Suwinyattichaiporn said.
She explained that all people are different and that depending on the person’s overall mental health, really extreme symptoms can develop within six months or take as long as five years.
When you have sex, you release feel-good hormones such as oxytocin – also known as the ‘love hormone’ – dopamine and serotonin, which regulate your emotions and improve your mood.
Dopamine is a chemical released by the brain to make you feel pleasurable, but if your body doesn’t produce enough of it, you can develop insecurities and lower your self-esteem.
Couples who stop having sex can experience marital problems such as relationship dissatisfaction, which can lead to resentment, sexual infidelity and divorce.
A 2021 study suggested that people with unmet sexual needs may develop frustration that can lead to an increase in aggressive behavior.
This frustration can stem from an unfulfilled desire to have sex, not having an available partner, or engaging in unsatisfactory sexual activities, which can lead to increased irritability and mood swings.
It has led to an increase in “the risks of aggression, violence and crime associated with seeking help, seeking power, seeking revenge and the frustration of displaced people,” the study said.
When couples experience a sex drought in their relationship, “they don’t approach their partner with softness, vulnerability and requests for compromise,” sex therapist Sari Cooper told DailyMail.com.
“They also lack the technology to resolve conflict and instead blame each other, persecute the other with constant criticism, or provoke a guilty response to get their needs met.”
Going through a “dry spell” is normal, Cooper added, but going too long without sex can cause major problems with your partner.
“Sometimes a partner may ask to open up the relationship so their needs can be met in an ethical way, and other partners may simply have outside sexual infidelity to get the needs met,” Cooper explained.
A 2021 California Health Interview Survey found that the number of young people abstaining from sex reached an all-time high, with 38 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 30 saying they had had no sexual partners in the past year.
This is compared to 22 percent of people who reported not having sex within a year, compared to ten years earlier LA times reported.
Suwinyattichaiporn warned that more extreme symptoms can result from sex withdrawal, including penile and vaginal atrophy and pain during sex, but added that this can last up to five years without sex.
Men are at greater risk of developing medical problems such as penile atrophy and prostate cancer if they abstain from sex for long periods of time.
Researchers believe that carcinogens build up in the prostate over time, increasing the risk of cancer, but studies have shown that ejaculation can prevent this because it flushes away the harmful chemicals that build up in semen, the researchers said. Urology Care Foundation.
Suwinyattichaiporn’s warning that an inactive sex life can cause penile atrophy was echoed by Tobias Kohler and assistant professor of urology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, who told WebMD that without regular erections, the penis will become elastic and shrink.
The science behind how long it takes for penile atrophy to develop still seems to be up for debate.
A 2016 study thought that men who who ejaculated at least 21 times a month had a lower risk of developing prostate cancer than those who ejaculated only four to seven times a month.
In the same way, wIf a woman doesn’t have sex for months, it can cause vaginal atrophy, making intercourse uncomfortable and sometimes painful.
Sexual activity increases blood flow, lubrication and elasticity of the vaginal tissue, but without it a woman can develop vaginal atrophy – when the tissue becomes thin and dry – which can shorten the vaginal canal, making penetration more difficult.
Cooper advised people experiencing prolonged sexual silence to first address their stress levels, as this affects your ability to notice if “someone is stimulating our neurotic nerve endings.”
“Stressed people do not have the ability to enjoy sex,” Suwinyattichaiporn added.
People can use methods to de-stress such as practicing yoga or tai-chi, meditating, and planning regular date nights with your partner.
Cooper also suggested thinking about what has caused your “erotic desires” in the past — which don’t always have to be physical.
“For example, someone may be very sound-oriented and, in a relaxed state, become really excited when listening to or dancing to some type of music,” Cooper said.
For couples who feel like they’re stuck in a sexless relationship and communicating isn’t an option, Cooper recommended they find a certified sex therapist to help them “address these barriers with professional guidance.”