Lack of sex contributes to depression in women, study reveals

culled from:pulse.ng

A new study has shown that the lack of sex negatively affects the mental health of women in South Africa.

The poll which was carried out by a pharmaceutical company, Pharma Dynamics, on 700 women (between ages 18 - 55) from different walks of life, reveals the effects that sex or the lack of it, have on their mental well-being.

Pharma Dynamics spokesperson, Tumi Motsei said: "More than 70% of women surveyed, said the absence of sexual intimacy in their relationships made them feel depressed and led to doubts about self-worth. As many as 64% measured their self-esteem, femininity and desirability directly to how their partner responds to them sexually.

"When a man starts to withdraw physically, it is natural for a woman to believe that her partner is losing interest in her, thereby impacting self-esteem and feelings of attractiveness. Women who measure their self-esteem by how men respond to their sexuality are particularly vulnerable to fears of rejection".

Motsei also offers the following coping mechanisms to aid women in dealing with sexual rejection:

• Don't take it personally – remind yourself that your partner's lack of interest in sex may not be about you.
• Focus on what makes you happy, for example, spending time with friends, starting a new hobby, joining a sport or dance club etc. If he sees you focusing on yourself rather than your sex life, he might want to become more involved in 'every' aspect of your life.
• Examine your relationship and ask yourself what was different about the times when your partner was more interested in sex and try to somehow recreate those conditions.
• Try a new approach. Don't initiate sex for a while and see what happens.