When a couple stops having sex , it doesnt just affect things in the bedroom it often puts a strain on the entire relationship.

If both partners are content with little to no sex , then those dry spells (which are quite common , by the way) may not pose a problem. But in relationships in which one or both partners value their sex lives, a dead bedroom can bring up painful emotions, fears and resentments that just push them further and further apart.

Couples collude in silence, sex therapist Kimberly Resnick Anderson told HuffPost in 2018 . They decide it is easier to have no sex at all than to deal with the hurt feelings and unpredictable emotions, such as guilt or anger.

A number of factors can give way to a period of sexlessness: physical or mental health conditions , having kids , stress , mismatched libidos and communication issues , to name a few.

We asked women who have lived through sexless marriages to reveal what the experience was like for them and how it affected their relationships.

For privacy reasons, some respondents last names have been withheld or a pseudonym has been used. Interviews have been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

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