Pretty much everyone will have a dry spell in the bedroom from time to time, but the effects it can have on your body are quite significant.
Sex is a natural part of the human experience, but going for lengths of time not having it is just something people have to accept, while the body goes through some changes as it adapts to the new circumstances.
During this time, the body goes through a process experts have referred to as 'deconditioning', with Christine Rafe speaking for Womaniser to explain how the body changes to be less ready for sex.
She said: "In the same way we might experience a reduced confidence, muscle tightness and overall deconditioning from not exercising, people who haven’t had sex, or who stop having sex for prolonged periods may experience deconditioning to sexual activities and find that they have muscle tightness or soreness, difficulties in ejaculatory control and a loss of confidence in sexual activity."
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Fortunately, these aren't 'long-term biological changes', it's just the body winding down instead of being ready to go.
But there are some differences between how this affects women and men.
For women, there's likely to be vaginal dryness, as this can be triggered by periods of time without having had sex.
Dr Bhavini Shah from LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor told Metro that this could make sex more difficult if you started having it again, as it can result in a condition called dyspareunia.
For men going on a dry spell, there may be spontaneous erections which is entirely normal and is just your body doing what it needs to do to make sure everything is still working.
While your bits might have a bit of adjustment, there's plenty more going on in your noggin as well.
Your body releases hormones when you're having sex, and the loss of these things, like oxytocin and various endorphins, can leave you feeling more stressed.
It can also interrupt your sleep, too, since oxytocin can help you get into the land of nod, so you can end up being stressed out and getting less sleep, which is worse for your overall health.
The simple fact of the matter is that a healthy sex life is good for your mental and physical well-being. Having regular sex brings some significant benefits, and going through a dry spell means these boosts slip away for a while.
You can actually notice the difference in your immune system as regular sex can help your body be better at fighting disease, while it also boosts your powers of recollection.
What you lose from not having sex isn't catastrophic, but it's less good for you than having it.
Topics: Health, Sex and Relationships, Mental Health
Joe Harker