In his landmark work, Alfred Kinsey, an American biologist, professor of entomology and zoology and sexologist, discovered that up to 19 percent of adults do not engage in sex.
Kinsey, who in 1947, founded the Institute for Sex Research at Indiana University, disclosed that science has identified about 20 reasons why more women tend to avoid sex than their male counterpart.
- Women more commonly avoid sex than men. In fact, up to 40 percent of women avoid sex some time in their lives. Pain during sex and low libido are big issues.
- More teenage females than teenage males abstain from sex.
- Women also are more likely to avoid sex because of childhood sexual abuse.
- Pregnant women fear miscarriage or harming the foetus – and can also refuse sex because of lack of interest and fatigue.
- The most common reasons for men avoiding sex are erectile dysfunction, chronic medical conditions and lack of opportunity.
- For both men and women, research shows that medical problems are the main reasons for sex avoidance.
- Heart disease patients often avoid sex because they are afraid of a heart attack.
- Individuals with cerebrovascular conditions, such as a stroke, likely to avoid sex.
- Chronic pain diminishes the pleasure of the sexual act and directly interferes by limiting positions.
- Metabolic conditions such as diabetes and obesity reduce sexual activity. In fact, diabetes hastens sexual decline in men by as much as 15 years.
- Being fat and having poor body image can ruin an individual’s desire for sex.
- Personality disorders, addiction and substance abuse and poor sleep quality affect desire for sex.
- Many medications, such as antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs, reduce libido and sexual activity, and, as a result, increase the risk of sexual avoidance.
- Low levels of testosterone for men and low levels of dopamine and serotonin in men and women can make people avoid sex.
- For bot genders, loneliness reduces the amount of time spent with other people and the opportunity for sex.
- Individuals who are lonely sometimes replace actual sexual relations with the use of pornography. Pornography may negatively affect sexual performance over time.
- Many older adults do not engage in sex because of shame and feelings of guilt or simply because they think they are ‘too old for sex.’
- It would be wrong to assume that older adults are not interested in engaging in sex.
- People who have more sex report higher self-esteem, life satisfaction and quality of life.
- Lower frequency of sex and avoiding sex are linked to psychological distress, anxiety, depression, and relationship problems.
• Married males don’t go without sex for a long duration.
