A healthy sex life
What is a healthy sex life?
Sexual health in a relationship is about more than avoiding sexually transmitted infections (STIs) or preventing an unplanned pregnancy.
A healthy sex life starts with open and honest communication. Partners should feel comfortable talking about their needs, likes and boundaries. Trust helps both partners relax and enjoy being close.
Respect is also very important. Each person has different feelings about sex, and those feelings can change over time. Partners should never pressure each other. Instead, they should check in and make sure both feel ready and comfortable.
Spending quality time together outside the bedroom also helps. Simple things like going for a walk, cooking dinner, or watching a movie can build emotional closeness. When partners feel connected emotionally, physical intimacy often feels more natural and enjoyable.
Taking care of your health matters, too. Regular exercise, enough sleep and managing stress can improve energy and mood.
This website has lots of information and resources to support you.
You can also get advice and support about sex and relationships from any of the contraception and sexual health services in Norfolk.
If you think you have a sexually transmitted infection (STI), but aren’t showing any symptoms:
Aged 16 and over, go to iCaSH Express Test to get an STI postal testing kit to test yourself at home.
Aged between 16 and 24, pick up a postal testing kit for chlamydia and gonorrhoea from a chlamydia screening outlet.
If you have symptoms, contact your local iCaSH Norfolk clinic to get tested and treated.
All testing, treatments, advice and information are free for everyone, although if you use your GP and need medication, you may have to pay a prescription charge.
Tip
Sexually active people should generally test once a year. Always test every time you change partners or notice any symptoms.
Some people have sexually transmitted infections (STIs) that cannot be cured, for example, HIV, or that they live with long-term, such as hepatitis B or hepatitis C.
It is still possible to have a normal, healthy sexual relationship if these infections have been diagnosed. It is important that you are open and honest with your partner and that you are receiving treatment for the infection. Consider using protection such as condoms.
Your sex drive, or libido, can be affected by changes in your life and health. For example, stress might make you less likely to want sex.
Common reasons for a reduced sex drive include:
- going through the menopause
- having problems in your relationship
- feeling anxious or depressed
- being busy with work or caring for children
- lacking confidence in yourself
There is no set amount of sex that a couple should have. You might assume that you are having sex less often than other couples, but this is not always the case.
A healthy amount of sex is whatever works best for you, your partner and your relationship.
A reduction in your appetite for sex could be a symptom of the menopause, which usually affects women between the ages of 45 and 55, although it can happen earlier. Other symptoms include vaginal dryness, which can make sex uncomfortable. There are medications which help to reduce these symptoms, so you should speak to your GP for help and advice.
This is when you have problems getting an erection or you can’t keep an erection for long enough to have sex. If you experience this, you can speak to your GP or pharmacist to discuss treatment options.
This can affect all aspects of your life, including your sex drive. It is important to speak to your GP if you feel you are struggling with your mental health.
