Can a marriage survive more than a year without sex?
Being a couple who has gone more than a year without sex I can openly say that it is possible. Furthermore, would you believe it if I told you that it comes from a guy?
Yes. I’m a man who married a beautiful Italian girl, who soon after our wedding began to experience terrible symptoms of extremely painful periods, heavier than ever, filled with blood clots, which led her to anemia, chronic fatigue, and nearly cost her life.
In the meantime, she also experienced painful intercourse. And I remember my wife
It took 5 long years to find out what she was going through. She went through diagnostic laparoscopy that was supposed to take an hour. But after a 4,5-hour operation, I knew something wasn’t right. My M was diagnosed with stage IV deep infiltrating endometriosis, the worst type.
I swore to “take M to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part…” what I didn’t quite know, was that our marriage would be completely different to the one we both imagined.
Our marriage was put to an extreme test more than once, more than anything I could have ever expected.
Can a marriage survive more than a year without sex?
The truth is, it’s different for every couple. But sexless marriage can definitely survive. My wife and I are real examples of that. Despite my wife having two chronic conditions, her pleas to divorce me, and her suicidal attempts, our marriage blossoms.
In every romantic relationship, sex plays an important role.
It’s an intimate way of connecting, but sometimes, an illness can change the course of a marriage and the terms of quality and frequency of sexual intimacy.
So how can a marriage survive more than a year without sex if a chronic condition enters your relationship?
Not having sex is only a problem if it’s a problem.
Even though my wife has multiple chronic conditions, of which one causes her to have an extremely painful penetration, I haven’t given up on sex. I’m a very patient man. Our endometriosis sexless marriage doesn’t lack intimacy.
As someone here once said, “Foreplay should be redefined as the art of making someone feel wanted far more often than you could ever actually have sex – hugs, brief touches, praise, appreciation, saying thank you, giving your time, mending stuff – it all feeds into eventual closeness.”
The endometriosis divorce rate.
It can be incredibly tough and at times it feels like neither of you can take it anymore. But stay strong. Even though the endometriosis divorce rate is as high as 75 percent, my wife and I, managed to overcome our endometriosis sexless marriage.
The endometriosis divorce rate is high because of the changes that come with endometriosis, and sexless marriage is one of the biggest challenges. After that, there’s worry about infertility, and what follows, is a small chance of not being able to have kids, become parents, and have a normal family.
Having endometriosis can be a lonely experience. As a woman, it can be incredibly difficult to find others who understand what you’re going through on a day-to-day basis. For the guys, when you take away from your relationship physical intimacy, to men, it becomes unbearable
You can overcome these feelings and can lower the chances of belonging to the 75% high endometriosis divorce rate by realizing, that intimacy is more than a simple penetration, and that just because endo came into your life, it doesn’t mean that you definitely won’t be able to have children.
Endometriosis sexless marriage is one thing, but the emotional impact of having to deal with the new normal can be overwhelming.
This is why I wrote a book, to help you accept the new normal…
A guide for male partners of chronically ill women.
The “Supporting a Chronically Ill Partner” eBook is available in my shop, but I have a better offer for you. If you are willing to receive a few helpful emails, by joining my email list (full disclaimer), you can get a FREE Chapter of the book.
The first chapter alone contains a lot of information for both of you about acknowledging the struggles, including:
- A word to your partner.
- A word to you.
- Stepping on eggshells.
- Understanding her needs.
- How to acknowledge having a chronically ill partner?
- Acknowledging can be hard.
- 15 tips on how to do it!
And if you join in, I will even give you a whopping 33% discount on the whole eBook.
This book is a guide for male partners who want to support their chronically ill women. With the information and tools provided in the book, he can develop the skills needed to create a supportive and loving partnership with his chronically ill partner.
Get the 1st Chapter FREE!
Chronic Illness for Partners
A guide for male partners of women with endometriosis.
If you want to lower even the high endometriosis divorce rate, I have written another book dedicated to male partners of women with endometriosis.
As well as my first book, you get the same deal. You can either buy it in the shop for the full price or sign up for my list to get some really helpful endometriosis content. And if you do, you will also get a 33% discount on the whole book, and a freebie in the form of 1st Chapter.
“Endo-Tool” is an essential guide to understanding and supporting your partner.
What’s inside the FREE Chapter?
- What is endometriosis?
- What are the symptoms?
- What causes endometriosis?
- What does endometriosis look like?
- What are the stages?
- What are the types?
- What is adenomyosis and how is it related to endometriosis?
- Why do some women develop severe endo and others don’t?
- Does endometriosis cause infertility?
- How is endometriosis diagnosed?
- Do types and stages affect the treatment?
- Recurrence of endometriosis after excision surgery.
FREE Chapter of “Endo-Tool”
Endometriosis e-Book for Men
Intimacy isn’t about penetration.
Can a marriage survive more than a year without sex?
Yes, it definitely can. Endometriosis erased our sex life for over three years. We were both devastated. I felt like less of a woman, my husband felt like he was being deprived and our marriage was under immense pressure.
The thing is, we both still loved each other deeply. We had to find a way to keep our relationship alive without sex.
It wasn’t easy, but we did it. We found other ways to be intimate with each other. And our marriage is stronger than ever because of it.
Remember that intimacy doesn’t equal penetration. There are so many other ways to be intimate with your partner.
If you’re in a sexless marriage because of endometriosis, don’t give up hope. It is possible to find other ways to be close to each other and keep your relationship strong. All you have to do is communicate. Discuss with each other what you’re comfortable with and find a way to make it work for both of you.
Endometriosis can put a lot of strain on a marriage, but it doesn’t have to be the end. With some understanding and communication, you can overcome anything.
If you are in a sexless marriage because of endometriosis and need more help and support, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I am more than happy to help in any way I can. We were once in your position. My M also asked me on multiple occasions to divorce her.
She thought I wasn’t happy, and felt like a burden to me and the family. But even though her family couldn’t comprehend what she was going through, I did.
Something it’s enough.
To be there, to listen, to give comfort and reassurance. Being present for each other always does the trick. It’s so simple, but effective. We avoided the endometriosis divorce rate by a mile. As I write this, we’ve been married together 10,5 years.
More than a year without sex.
Endometriosis is a chronic illness that can destroy even the strongest of relationships. It can be hard to find the energy to be intimate when you’re in pain all the time.
It’s even harder when your partner doesn’t understand what you’re going through.
I used to be that partner…
After three years of not having physical intimacy with my wife, I felt unfulfilled, forgotten, and unimportant. I didn’t want to feel unattracted to her but I felt like our relationship was suffering. It wasn’t until she asked me to divorce her for the sake of my happiness that I realized that I didn’t want to fail in our marriage.
Since my wife did her very best to minimize the impact of her illness, she could do only so much.
Trying to stay well when you are chronically ill is a full-time job, let alone having to work, be a wife, and keep a social life. And if you add to it another chronic condition, it seems like there is no way out.
After a year of her endometriosis diagnosis, my wife was additionally diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a disorder that is characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep, mood, and memory issues.
This second diagnosis was a confirmation for us both that we needed to find a way to cope with her chronic conditions, pain, and fatigue, so we could finally rebuild our physical intimacy.
The decision to remain in our marriage was not an easy one, but it was the best decision for us. We decided to put our relationship first and find ways to be intimate without having sex. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it.
My research…
I started doing my own research on endometriosis that I realized what my wife was going through. Endometriosis has taken a toll on our relationship, but we’re determined to get through it.
My wife and I have been married for ten years, and we’ve been together for thirteen. We were a couple who’d gone more than a year without physical intimacy. We didn’t have sex for over three years, which for any “healthy couple” may seem unthinkable!
But if you knew what endometriosis is, it could help you understand our situation better.
Endometriosis is a chronic illness that can cause pelvic pain, fatigue, and other symptoms. It can have a major impact on your life and relationship. Endometriosis is a chronic illness that can cause severe pain and other symptoms.
For many women, the only thing that offers relief is complete rest. This can be difficult to achieve when you have a job, a family, and other responsibilities.
Endometriosis can also cause fatigue and other symptoms that can make it difficult to enjoy physical intimacy. Many women with endometriosis find that they can’t have sex without pain medication. This can make it difficult to be intimate with your partner.
Endometriosis can also cause fertility problems. This can be a major source of stress for couples who are trying to have a baby. For us, having kids is never going to happen.
We will not experience parenthood, and that is supposed to be a huge blow to both of us. But true love can triumph over anything.
My wife and I are still together, and we’re working on our relationship. We’ve found other ways to be intimate, and we’re determined to get through this.
Tips for making intimacy possible!
Endometriosis can make physical intimacy painful, but there are ways to make it more comfortable.
If you’re in a relationship with someone with endometriosis, it’s important to be understanding and supportive. You can also do things to make physical intimacy more comfortable, such as using lubrication, trying different positions, and taking breaks during sex.
I give you 10 ways how to make physical intimacy with endometriosis possible:
- Use lubrication to reduce friction during intercourse.
- Try different positions that put less pressure on the pelvic area.
- Avoid deep penetration.
- Use a heating pad or take a warm bath before sex to help relax the muscles.
- Try over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen or naproxen.
- Talk to your partner about what you’re experiencing and be honest about your pain levels.
- Try to have sex when you’re feeling your best, whether that’s in the morning or at night.
- Have pleasure first, as pleasure can help reduce pain during intercourse.
- Focus on enjoying the physical closeness and intimacy of sex, even if penetration is not possible.
- Use toys or your fingers for clitoral stimulation during intercourse.
I hope this helps couples out there. Endometriosis is a difficult condition to live with, but being the partner who shares the struggles can be very isolating and stressful too. Endometriosis is a chronic, progressive illness that can have a major impact on relationships, both romantic and platonic.
More on endometriosis and painful sex…
The chronic pain and other symptoms associated with endometriosis can make sex difficult or impossible, and even just day-to-day activities can be a struggle. As a result, many couples who suffer from endometriosis find themselves in a sexless marriage.
This can be an incredibly isolating experience, as it can be difficult to find understanding and support from partners who don’t educate themselves about the condition.
Endometriosis can also put a strain on romantic relationships, as the constant pain can make it difficult to feel close to one’s partner. relationships, especially when it comes to sex. For me and my wife, it’s been more than a year since we’ve had sex.
Endometriosis can cause chronic pain and other issues that make sex difficult or impossible. It’s also a very isolating illness, and the lack of sexual intimacy can be hard on both partners. However, we’ve found ways to keep our relationship strong, and we’re determined to overcome this challenge together.
We know that our relationship is much more than just sex, and we’re committed to supporting each other through whatever endometriosis throws our way.
The symptoms of endometriosis, which include pain and other issues with sex, can make it difficult for couples to maintain a healthy sexual relationship. In addition, the chronic pain and fatigue associated with endometriosis can make it difficult for sufferers to maintain other close relationships.
Endometriosis can also cause financial strain on relationships, as the cost of treatment can be significant.
However, it is important to remember that endometriosis does not have to be a death sentence for relationships. There are many couples (including my us) who have successfully navigated the challenges of endometriosis and come out stronger on the other side. If you or your partner is struggling with endometriosis, don’t hesitate to reach out for help.
There are many resources available to support couples dealing with this chronic illness. With the right support, you can have a healthy sex life too.
Wishing you all the very best!
About Me
Hi, I’m Lucjan! The reason why I decided to create this blog was my beautiful wife, who experienced a lot of pain in life, but also the lack of information about endometriosis and fibromyalgia for men…