Healthier Scotland. Scottish Government

No sex

Do you feel under pressure for sex?

Modern culture surrounds us with images of sex so it's easy to feel we should be sexually active, whether we want to be or not.

More pressure can come from partners or others around us who feel we should be having sex.

The truth is that we should only ever have sex when we feel absolutely ready for sex.

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No sex – the benefits

Spending time being single and not having sex can give you the time and space to explore your own thoughts, feelings and desires. Being confident and sure about what you want will help you feel happy and secure, whether you stay single or not.

If you're in a new relationship, not having sex for a while will give you the time to get to know each other. This could mean better sex with fewer regrets when you do decide to try.

Even if you've been together for a while, choosing not to have sex can give both partners the time and space to develop the relationship and themselves in other ways.

Ultimately, there's more to life and relationships than just sex and there's nothing 'wrong' with choosing not to have sex.

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Couples not having sex – but wanting to

Sometimes couples can't have sex because of time constraints, children or periods of stress or illness. In situations like this, it's important that you talk about what's happening and maintain good communication.

If your feelings for each other have changed radically, it could help to get some relationship counselling.

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