Sex can help women beat the blues, study finds

An intimate relationship with their partner gives a sense of well-being

IF YOU are a South African woman and depressed, it could be because of a lack of sexual intimacy.

This is according to Antidepressant pharmaceutical firm Pharma Dynamics. The company conducted a study among more than 700 women who were in a committed relationship and found that the mental well-being of women between the ages of 18 and 55 was affected by sex – or the lack thereof.

“More than 70 percent of women surveyed said the absence of sexual intimacy in their relationships made them feel depressed and led to doubts about self-worth,” said Pharma Dynamics spokeswoman Tumi Motsei.

She added that “as many as 64 percent (of women) measured their self-esteem, femininity and desirability directly to how their partner responded to them sexually”.

The survey showed that although eight in 10 women considered themselves to have a healthy sex drive, 15 percent said their partner’s lack of interest was one of the main reasons for not having sex as often as they would like to.

“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 selfesteem and feelings of attractiveness. Women who measure their self-esteem by how men respond to their sexuality are particularly vulnerable to fears of rejection,” said Motsei.

Because of their partner’s physical withdrawal, 54 percent of the women said they felt less attractive, 44 percent felt less self-confident, while 34 percent felt emotions of alienation and abandonment.

Of the surveyed women, 22 percent were less trusting of their partner while 21 percent were concerned that their partner might be cheating on them.

“There is no doubt that a healthy sex life is one of the most important factors in a happy and thriving relationship, but when your partner isn’t sexually responsive, it is easy to assume the worst,” Motsei said.

“Try to bear with him during any sexual lulls, which could be caused by a number of factors. These could range from an emotional disconnect in the relationship; stress or simply exhaustion; body image issues; lack of non-sexual affection; sexual performance issues such as erectile dysfunction; infertility and hormone levels.”

She said the best solution to determine a partner’s sex drive was to communicate with him about the factors he thinks may be at play and what you can do to help make sex more fulfilling.