The 73-year-old German actress Marianne Sägebrecht recently admitted in an interview that she has not had sex for the past 43 years — a decision she says she made voluntarily.
What happens to a woman’s body when she does not have sex for a long period of time? — writes the German outlet Bild.
According to the publication, prolonged sexual inactivity may lead to a condition known in medicine as “vaginal atrophy.”
Sexologist Beatrice Wagner, speaking to Bild, explains the psychological and physical effects that a lack of sexual activity can have on the human body.
“If women do not engage in intimate relationships for a long time, itching, burning sensations, and severe pain may develop in the genital area.
What may initially appear to be vaginal candidiasis can, in reality, turn out to be vaginal atrophy.
Another symptom of this condition is intense pain during sexual intercourse, especially if there has been no sexual activity for an extended period beforehand,” the therapist explains.
According to the doctor, due to prolonged sexual abstinence, the vagina becomes extremely sensitive, which can result in pain during the first sexual encounter after a long break.
This also occurs during menopause, when a woman’s body no longer produces sufficient amounts of estrogen.
