What are the side effects of being a virgin for too long? How are they affecting your well-being?
I strongly believe that you shouldn’t lose your virginity until you’re 100% ready. The last thing you need in life is to feel disappointed after intertwining your body with another human being – having sex for the first time.
A lot of people decide to wait for the right person because they want their first time to be special and with someone they truly love. Also, some people refuse to engage in sexual activity due to religious reasons.
There aren’t right or wrong reasons, but there are some things everyone in celibacy should know about. Below you’ll learn all about the side effects of being a virgin for too long!
What Are The Side Effects Of Being A Virgin For Too Long?
From accumulated stress and frustration to bladder weakening, here are all the side effects of being in celibacy for too long:
1. Your mental performance is slower
When you have less sexual intercourse or no sex at all, this affects your neuron function. To put it simply, it slows your thinking skills when it comes to problem-solving, making decisions, brainstorming, organizing data, and similar.
This is confirmed in a study by the University of Maryland:
“Researchers in Maryland and South Korea recently found that sexual activity in mice and rats improves mental performance and increases neurogenesis (the production of new neurons) in the hippocampus, where long-term memories are formed.”
2. Accumulated stress and frustration
After sex, your body releases the following happy hormones: endorphins, oxytocin, and serotonin. They’re called happy hormones because, obviously, they make you happy.
We could say that having sex releases a lot of frustration and stress that can accumulate in our minds and bodies. So, what happens when you don’t have sex at all?
Accumulated stress and frustration can take their toll on your well-being. If you plan on staying a virgin for some time, it’s important that you find other ways to release stress, like exercise or meditation.
(But if you ask me, a steamy sex session is far more fulfilling and less tiring than sweating your ass off at the gym.)
3. Your confidence is affected
Yup, one of the side effects of being a virgin for too long is related to decreased levels of confidence. When you have sex (read: when you really enjoy it and do it “right”), you experience a confidence boost.
When you don’t have sex, your reproductive organs lose their mojo, and you don’t feel as confident as people who are sexually active. You see, it’s not only about the physical act of sex, but it’s so much more than that.
It’s about feeling comfortable in your own skin, proudly showing your body, and learning what makes you climax. It’s about listening to your body, giving and receiving.
Not experiencing those things can affect your mental health and decrease your confidence.
4. Celibacy can cause bladder-weakening
Every muscle in our bodies requires constant use so that they don’t weaken or atrophy. The same applies to pelvic floor muscles that can weaken if you don’t have sex.
Pelvic floor muscles support the bowel and bladder (as well as the uterus and vagina in females). When these muscles weaken, you may experience bladder weakening and untimely dripping.
And yes, there is another way in which you can tighten those muscles (apart from having sex). There are plenty of Kegel exercises for men and women that you can repeat during the day.
The question is: Would you rather do Kegel exercises several times a day or just have sex once a day? Hmm… 🤔
5. Your immune system weakens
Having regular sex naturally boosts your immune system, which means you won’t be susceptible to diseases.
“Researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that college students who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of a certain antibody compared to students who had sex less often.”
Now think about what happens to people who don’t have sex at all. They are probably sick all the time, which is the actual reason why they can’t have sex. 😂
This is a complicated situation that requires further exploration. For now, let’s just say that less or no sex can weaken your immune system and decrease your ability to fight illness.
See also: How To Increase Sexual Energy And Improve Well-Being
6. Decreased pain tolerance
Regular sexual intercourse increases pain tolerance. I can’t help but mention the famous sentence that women usually utter: “I’m not in the mood for sex. I have a headache.”
Well, having sexual intercourse actually works as a natural pain killer, which means your headache would be a thing of the past after sex.
Those who suffer from chronic pain, or painful menstrual cramps (yuck!), can find relief through sex and orgasm because having sex helps alleviate pain.
Either that or you can choose standard medication. Would you rather choose a natural remedy or a synthetic one?
7. Your sleep is affected
Having regular sexual relationships can directly influence your sleep pattern in a positive way. After a good session of sex, you sleep like a baby (and eat A LOT).
Now, let’s compare this to celibacy. If you don’t have sex, this will surely affect the quality of your sleep. You feel more restless and tense, and sleeping pills become your best friend.
As you can see, sex is connected with lots of things. It affects the way we think, our ability to fight illnesses, and the quality of our sleep.
Having problems falling asleep is also one of the signs of being sexually frustrated.
8. Celibacy can cause sexual problems
Okay. So, you’ve chosen to stay a virgin for now until you’re ready to have sex. I won’t go into the reasons for that because it’s none of my business.
Let’s say that you decided to have sex after some time. Do you think your body will be in top form (sexually) and be ready to do everything the way you imagined? Maybe it will, but maybe it won’t.
Long periods of celibacy can cause sexual dysfunction problems in both males and females. This means that you may experience difficulty becoming sexually aroused and reaching orgasm.
Sexual experience teaches your body how to reach an orgasm and how to behave during sex. In other words, when you’re sexually active, there’s simply no way (or fewer possibilities) of experiencing sexual dysfunction.
See also: Should You Date A Virgin? (10 Pros And Cons + Tips)
What Are The Benefits Of Staying A Virgin?
Some evident benefits of staying a virgin include a lower risk of STIs, no fuss with birth control, and less shaving. Apart from the side effects of being a virgin for too long, there are also some benefits to staying a virgin, as listed below:
• Lower risk of sexually transmitted infections
Sexual health should always be a priority when it comes to sexual intercourse. Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can seriously interfere with your health and life in general.
Here’s what the WHO says about sexually transmitted infections:
“More than 30 different bacteria, viruses, and parasites are known to be transmitted through sexual contact, including vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Some STIs can also be transmitted from mother to child during pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding.”
I bet staying a virgin has never been more comforting after reading this.
• No stress with an unintended pregnancy
Unintended pregnancies can turn your life upside down and make you regret having sex. I’m not saying that babies aren’t cute and all, but they come with responsibilities.
If you’re not ready for that, you can ruin not only your life but also the life of your child.
No sex means no stress about unintended pregnancy because no contraceptive method is 100% reliable, and some can have side effects.
See also: How To Stop Being Horny: 10 Effective Ways To Control Your Sexual Urge
• No stress with birth control
Male condom, female condom, oral contraceptives, vaginal ring, implant… There are so many birth control methods, but no one can guarantee that you still won’t get pregnant or make someone pregnant.
Whenever my period was late after having sex, I immediately thought that I was pregnant, even though I always used protection. Such stressful situations can really mess you up.
Not to mention all those side effects that come with certain types of birth control. If you stay a virgin, you will definitely save lots of time and stress regarding all this.
• Less pressure
Will they pull away after I have sex with them? How long should I wait before having sex in a relationship? What if we’re not sexually compatible?
No sex = no pressure.
You will not have to worry about having sex too soon or too late when dating someone new. You will not have to worry about losing them because you slept with them too soon or too late.
You will not have to worry about sexual compatibility, faking orgasms, and having a headache when your partner is in the mood.
• Less shaving
Raise your hand if you’re sick and tired of shaving! I bet every lady raised their hand, including a few men as well.
Having regular sex means you have to prepare yourself for it, and the worst part of this preparation is shaving. 🙄
There have been times I’ve had to skip having sex just because I was too lazy to shave. Seriously. Being in a sexless marriage or staying a virgin is definitely a long-term solution to this problem.
• More anticipation
When you and your partner know that you won’t have sex anytime soon (read: until you’re both ready), this creates more anticipation.
It’s when the sexual tension between the two of you is so strong that you can’t breathe. Whenever you anticipate something, it feels ten times more enjoyable. The same thing applies to sex.
You can choose to have sex after marriage or after a few months of dating. I’m sure the anticipation will be at its peak, similar to those honeymoon sex stories from newlywed virgins.
Conclusion
Yes. There are some side effects of being a virgin for too long. However, there are also some benefits to being a virgin.
You can choose to have sexual intercourse with as many partners as you want or with just one (but make sure you practice safe sex). You can also choose to stay a virgin.
I don’t know your personal reasons for either of these choices, but I don’t even need to. The most important thing is that you do what you think is right and what feels right.
Also, if you’re still a virgin, don’t worry about dating someone who has had many partners. We all have our own unique paths when it comes to our sexuality and life in general.
Good luck, and have fun! 🎉