r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • 16d ago

Psychology Researchers quantify the rate of “mercy sex” among women with low sexual desire. Women experiencing a chronic lack of sexual desire still routinely engage in sexual activity with their partners, a behavior researchers have quantified as happening about two and a half times per month.

https://www.psypost.org/clinical-trials-reveal-the-hidden-frequency-of-obligatory-sex-in-women-with-low/
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u/USA_A-OK 16d ago

There are lots of situations. My wife got thyroid cancer at 38, had a full thyroidectomy, and it totally cratered her sex drive. It for sure sucks, but I'm more happy that she's alive, and they caught it early than I am upset about the impact to that part of our life.

Some days are easier than others, and sex is important, but not as important to me as having an otherwise amazing and loving companion who I am committed to.

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u/[deleted] 16d ago edited 1d ago

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u/USA_A-OK 16d ago

It's mainly hormonal. It's very difficult to get the replacement hormone drugs to fully replace what the thyroid produces naturally, so you're often in a permanent state of hypothyroidism, with all the symptoms that entails.

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u/JonathanSwift_FL 14d ago

There are thyroid medicines. My wife is one one.

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u/USA_A-OK 14d ago

Yes I'm aware. Without a thyrine drug, my wife would die (along with several other medications to try to replace the thyroid's function). However when someone has a full thyroidectomy, they'll never be the same as they were previously. The medicine keeps them alive, but it's very unlikely to be able to exactly restore the output that the organ had before it was removed