Healthy sexual life; It is a physical interaction between two adult individuals in which mutual approval, equal say, active participation and mutual satisfaction are experienced. However, sometimes problems may occur in sexual intercourse. This can cause problems in relationships. Yeditepe University Hospitals Psychiatry Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Naz Berfu AKBAŞ answered questions about the impact of sexuality in relationships, problems that may arise and more.

What is the Importance of Sexuality in Relationships?

Sexuality starts with knowing herself/himself first. Only a person who loves himself/herself, is at peace with himself/herself and trusts himself/herself can turn to the other person with these positive emotions. For a healthy relationship, spouses must first feel love, trust and closeness towards each other. In the presence of these conditions, sexual life is the situation where spouses are closest to each other. If every individual feels happy, safe, respected and loved in sexuality, this will be a factor that further strengthens the relationship.

Why Do We Need Sexual Intercourse?

Sexual drive is one of the most basic drives we have from birth in terms of reproduction and continuation of the lineage. Especially with puberty, our sex hormones, called estrogen and testosterone, begin to direct us to have sexual intercourse with the interaction of many other hormones. However, how each individual wants to experience sexuality varies.

How Should a Quality Sexual Relationship Be? What are their contributions to the relationship?

The first condition for happy and satisfying sexuality is mutual respect and effective communication and sharing between partners. A happy sexual life should be based on mutual trust, honesty, openness, sharing and respect. Spouses should be able to clearly and openly share their expectations about sexuality, what they like and what they do not like. Because every person has different expectations regarding sexuality. Since couples who can experience sexuality in this way have already established a sufficient relationship of trust and closeness, the quality of their relationships will increase linearly.

What should be the frequency of sexual intercourse for a happy relationship? Or is it correct to make such a generalization?

It is not right to make such a generalization. Each individual's need for frequency of sexual intercourse is different. Although the common view is that men are more willing than women, such social impositions may prevent individuals from experiencing their sexuality as they wish. The important thing is that the couple is compatible in terms of the frequency of sexual intercourse. Some couples may choose to be together a few times a week, others have sex every few months, but that doesn't mean they love each other less or share less about life.

Why is Sexuality Important in Marriage?

Sexual life is one of the important parts of marriage. It is the situation where spouses are closest to each other spiritually and physically. These are the moments when mutual love, trust, and feeling loved and loved are experienced most intensely. Therefore, couples should pay attention to their sexual lives. Some periods during married life (such as pregnancy, birth, baby care, busy work life, diseases, menopause) may challenge couples to live their sexual lives in a healthy way. In such periods, it becomes especially important to maintain closeness without neglecting mutual interest and communication, to add innovations to sexual life and to be flexible. At the same time, healthy and satisfying sexuality can also be considered as a time when conflicts and tensions that occur from time to time in married life are resolved.

Why is it important to get therapeutic support for sexuality-related problems?

One of the topics we work on most in sexual therapy is sexual myths. Since sexuality is always a difficult subject to talk about, misinformation is quite common in society. Many sexual problems can be solved with correct information and counseling by a therapist who is an expert in this field. On the other hand, inadequate communication skills, which are also an important cause of sexual problems, are improved through therapy. The therapist often acts as a catalyst in communication, helping the couple to share their distress in a healthy way without hurting the other party. Many sexual dysfunctions that occur due to stress caused by false information or ignorance are solved by the therapy method we call cognitive behavioral method. The competence of the sexual therapist is very important here. Unfortunately, the majority of the couples we receive therapy consist of couples who have previously been exposed to wrong therapies.

What Does a Healthy Sexual Life Mean?

Healthy sexual life is a physical interaction between two adult individuals in which mutual approval, equal say, active participation and mutual satisfaction are experienced.

What Benefits Does Regular Sex Provide to the Body and Spirit?

A regular and healthy sexual life provides significant benefits both mentally and for our other organs by causing the release of many neurotransmitters. Scientific studies have shown that regular sexual intercourse has many benefits for both men and women. First of all, seeing that you can give pleasure to the other party as well as enjoying it increases a person's self-confidence. A satisfying sexuality reduces physical tension and stress and has benefits for the cardiovascular system. It lowers blood pressure and reduces the risk of stroke. It improves sleep quality. It strengthens the immune system, making it more resistant to microbes. It strengthens pelvic blood circulation and pelvic floor muscles in women. It reduces menstrual pains. It has a protective effect against the risks of urinary incontinence, uterine and intestinal prolapse. It reduces vaginal atrophy and dryness during menopause. There are studies showing that it has a protective effect against prostate cancer in men.