Things That Happen When You Stop Having Regular Sex

Breakups, work, travel, work-related travel: There are a lot of reasons your sex life may be stalled. And surprisingly, your dry spell in the sack can affect more than the number of times you wash your sheets.

Here are five things that can happen when you go on a sexy-time hiatus:

1. You’ll Feel More Anxious: Fact: Sex helps people blow off steam. Scottish researchers found that people who abstained from sex struggled to cope with stressful situations like public speaking—more than those who had intercourse at least once over a two-week period. (Check out these five weird signs you're way too anxious .) Weird, right?

Here's how it works: During sex, the brain releases feel-good chemicals, such as endorphins and oxytocin, which help you feel more at ease. Try to make up for that relaxing roll in the hay by rolling out your yoga mat.

2. You’re More Susceptible to Colds and Flu: Less sex may reduce your exposure to germs, and unfortunately, you’ll also miss out on the immune-boosting benefits of a weekly bump and grind. Researchers at Wilkes-Barre University in Pennsylvania found that people who had sex once or twice a week enjoyed a 30 percent boost in an antibody that serves as the body’s first line of defense against viruses, compared with those who had sex rarely or never, according to the study.

3. Your Risk for a UTI Drops: Nearly 80 percent of urinary tract infections occur within 24 hours of intercourse, according to a study published in the journal American Family Physician.

During sex, bacteria in the vagina can end up pushed into the urethra, where it causes an infection. So on the bright side, when you stop having sex, your risk for the painful peeing condition plummets, which is a huge bonus. (Here are 12 more ways to never get another UTI .)

4. If You’re in a Relationship, It Might Get Weird: Not having sex can take a toll on your relationship security, say experts. "Going without sex in a relationship can impact your self-esteem and decrease levels of oxytocin or other bonding hormones," says Les Parrott, Ph.D., a psychologist and author of Saving Your Marriage Before It Starts. It can also increase fears that one of you will look to others for your sexual needs.

However, Parrott points out that a sex-free period in a relationship doesn’t mean you can’t be happy. Since sex is just one expression of intimacy for couples, kissing, handholding, and giving compliments can help you feel connected with your partner emotionally—even if you’re not spending time connecting physically. (Check out these 10 little things connected couples do. )

5. You May Feel Down in the Dumps, But Not for the Reason You Think: According to a study in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior , women feel more depressed the longer they go without having sex. But it may not be the lack of sex that got them down. (Take our quiz to find out if you're depressed or just bummed out.) The study team found that women whose partners wore condoms felt just as blue. The researchers say some compounds found in semen—including melatonin, serotonin, and oxytocin—may have mood-boosting benefits for women who have unprotected intercourse. Of course, there are plenty of drawbacks to unprotected sex, too. (Call it a double-edged penis?)