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Highlights
- Abstinence and its medical effects are not well studied, but current research suggests there may be a connection between abstinence and ED.
- Abstinence can be voluntary or involuntary.
- For involuntary abstinence, sorting out the root cause will be more important than ending a dry spell.
Sexual abstinence has been around as long as sex itself. Yet, the physical and emotional effects of not having sex are poorly understood, leaving people with questions about whether abstinence causes erectile dysfunction or other sexual problems, if it affects your emotional health, and much more. In this article, we’ll look at the science and sort out fact from myth when it comes to abstinence.
What Is Sexual Abstinence?
Sexual abstinence is not having sex for a long period of time. It’s often confused with celibacy, which is when somebody engages in abstinence for religious or social reasons. Abstinence, however, can be caused by many things. For example, people with heart conditions are often abstinent because of the health risks.
The conflation of abstinence and celibacy has made understanding what happens to the body medically challenging, and the topic is understudied, particularly in men. That creates a lot of space that people turn to myths and rumors to fill.
Does Abstinence Cause Erectile Dysfunction?
The idea that abstinence causes erectile dysfunction (ED) is a good example. And it makes some intuitive sense. If you don’t use it, you eventually lose it, right? Current research does find that abstinence can result in physical effects. Some of these are also risk factors for ED.
These effects can include:
- Weaker pelvic floor muscles. Like any muscle, your pelvic floor needs exercise, and sex is good for the pelvic floor of men and women alike. Kegel exercises may be recommended to keep good muscle tone.
- Higher stress levels. While the question of chicken and egg remains, small studies have found that some types of sex can have positive impacts on some forms of stress response. That doesn’t mean, however, that sex is a magic cure for stress.
- Faster brain aging. A study of rats found that regular sex helped with age-related declines in neurological function. That said, whether this is true of humans remains largely unstudied.
- Relationship issues. Depending on the cause of the abstinence, relationships can become strained as partners can think they’re less sexually attractive.
- Immune system effects. A study of college students found higher levels of some immune system markers in their saliva, although what this means is still being studied.
- More emotional intensity. While there’s no direct connection between sex and long-term emotional state, there’s some evidence that a lack of sex can feed into your emotional state. However, it’s very dependent on your personal situation; one person may struggle with depression, while another may find themselves more engaged with other aspects of their lives.
Studies also exist that support the idea that abstinence can lead to ED. For example, a 2012 Chinese study found that men who have sex once or twice a week reported less ED than men who had sex less frequently, and a study in 2008 of Finnish men reported similar results.
While these studies suggest a link, ED resulting from a lack of regular sex is not a foregone conclusion. It’s always a good idea to apply a little critical thinking to research results.
Some questions you might ask yourself:
How Was The Study Designed?
The researchers gathered this sexual data by asking the men in the study how often they had sex. In fact, researchers of the Finnish study sent the participants a form to fill out through the mail. Since there’s no way of knowing whether they were telling the truth, the researchers have to take patients at their word.
Sex is a sensitive topic, particularly if you view it from a moral perspective, and our responses often depend on who’s asking. A conversation with your doctor is different from one with your closest friend, and we have to take that into account.
Which Came First, the Abstinence or the ED?
ED is a complicated topic, and every case of ED is different, with different causes and approaches. For example, ED is often an early sign of heart disease; in fact, one of the first steps you need to take if you’re experiencing ED is to make lifestyle changes that support your heart.
Technically, somebody with ED could qualify as abstinent, but it may not be the lack of sex that’s causing the problem.
Also, note that it doesn’t say the men in these studies weren’t having sex. Many were still sexually active, just less frequently.
Are They Abstinent Because of ED, or Something Else?
Would you define somebody as abstinent if they’re married to a person who can’t have sex and won’t hurt their partner’s feelings? What if a person is asexual, just not interested in sex? What if their marriage was in a complicated place emotionally?
Again, these studies can’t really take that into account. Sex is as much an emotional act as a physical one, and ED has an emotional component as well.
Bottom line? Consider these questions along with your personal situation when deciding how seriously to take the research results.
If I’m Becoming Abstinent, Should I Be Worried?
The short answer is you shouldn’t be worried about the abstinence itself. It’s the circumstances around it that you should consider.
For example, if you’re single, don’t worry about it. There are no major health impacts to abstinence in the medical literature, and it’s healthier for you to take your time and find a partner who’s a good fit for you emotionally.
If your abstinence is involuntary due to mental health or relationship issues, consider individual or couples counseling.
If you’re having physical concerns, share them with your doctor. There’s no reason to leave your ED untreated, and when you order from eDrugstore, erectile dysfunction treatment has never been easier. We’ll help you book a free telehealth appointment and ship medication discreetly to your door. Visit our erectile dysfunction page to learn more.
Dan is a long-time freelance writer focusing on technology, science, health, and medicine, with a lifelong interest in physics, biology, and medicine. His work has taken a particular focus on scientific studies “beyond the headlines,” reading the study to more closely examine the results.