36 Comments
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Sara's avatar

The comments from angry men here are very triggering. They do not want to have a lively discourse. They want to rage women into acquiescence.

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Untrickled by Michelle Teheux's avatar

I don’t understand why anyone would commit to someone they didn’t want to make love with regularly. I also doubt the “men always want it but women have to be coaxed” narrative. I can recall sitting with a group of young moms — all of us met at a parenting group and were nursing and/or pregnant— and complaining that our husbands weren’t as keen for sex as we were.

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Cindy DiTiberio's avatar

When you say why would you commit to someone you didn’t want to make love to regularly, I don’t think people do. The question is, are people allowed to change in their sexual desire and habits throughout a marriage. And if the answer is no, then does that require divorce? So much has changed in our understanding of what sex is for and the whole concept of consent and yet the expectations of marital sex haven’t caught up with the times. And thus we find ourselves at a loss and no real path through

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SaltyCorpsman's avatar

A fair question. This is just my preliminary thought. At lest you released him back into the world. Question though, let’s say you didn’t, and remained a sexual desert, how would you feel if he satisfied his needs with another woman?

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Cindy DiTiberio's avatar

I think polyamory is a genius concept for this problem. I wish we had the knowledge to consider this as an option but at the time we didn’t and now it is too late. I love the idea of us not expecting one person to fulfill all our needs. As long as it is entered into with both people consenting I think polyamory can help those in marriages where there is a mismatch in desire.

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ML's avatar

Providing your wife with a house and security is not your duty.

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AM Moon's avatar

As a woman who absolutely loves sex and as a teacher of g-spot awakening, I want to let women and men both know that there is hope. There are ways for women/mothers to reclaim their bodies and their pleasure, and men truly need more education about how women’s sexuality works. It’s about taking responsibility for your own temple (body). When you are willing to do that, willing to invest your time, energy, and money into educating yourself about sex, to act like it matters as much (so much more even) than so many others things that we pour ourselves into—that’s when things shift and open into a whole other dimension of experience.

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Rebecca Ferguson's avatar

Agree wholeheartedly, AM. I love sex so much but it wasn’t like this in my marriage. It’s such a vexed issue that I see many couples struggling with.

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Sara's avatar

Thanks for the encouragement. I do invest in myself quite a lot and find myself feeling quite disillusioned by modern Dating.

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Caroline Calcote's avatar

Love reading this so much. At 55, married 31 years, I have realized so many things about the choices I made as a young woman and throughout my life regarding sex. I am attempting to course correct now and the men in my life can barely keep up. I am also finding that I have to forgive my younger self for systematically giving away most of my autonomy. I was so heavily influenced by my parent’s dynamic and the advice from my mom was that sex was THE most important thing in a marriage, namely being sexually satisfying to your husband. I really internalized that.

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Julie Dusold Culbertson's avatar

This discussion of responsive desire is so important. A couple years ago, I remember hearing the term “demisexual” to describe folks who only want to have sex with those with whom they have a strong emotional connection, and was completely perplexed as to how that would be on the spectrum of queer/asexual. The sexual standard for modern humans is people who want to bone anyone and everyone??? It would seem that some discretion as to whether someone actually cares about you as a person is a smart evolutionary adaptation. The concept of responsive desire seems like a more interesting/helpful distinction. Let’s stop “conditionizing” normal human behavior that doesn't correspond with patriarchal ideals.

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swiley's avatar

Women can opt out of sex the way men can opt out of marriage.

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Amber Evans's avatar

Good read! I think for myself and many women like me, it’s missing the role that religion has played into shaping the narrative that women cannot and should not refuse their husbands sexual desires under any circumstances. I’m not even sure it’s biblical, but widely accepted to be true.

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theben's avatar

1 Corinthians 7:5

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Amber Evans's avatar

Yeah that’s vague and appears open for interpretation. Also seems mutual in nature and not a demand upon the wife. I’m also not Christian so thanks, but not the evidence sufficient for proof.

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SSssss's avatar

Sex is a duty. Sex expressed love. We love men

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Amber Evans's avatar

So why do so many people have sex outside of love? Again, another individual who could have tried to gain anything from reading this but chose archaism.

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Sara's avatar

I’m in the process of writing a piece on dating, sex, consent and agency, and touched on a lot of what you wrote here.

I especially love the part on responsive desire. I have a very high sex drive, but can almost feel like I am asexual at times because I have a responsive desire.

Thanks for linking all the other articles and resources. I haven’t looked into them yet, but I will take the time to do so.

This article is gold for women, and hopefully men too.

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Rebecca Ferguson's avatar

I look forward to reading your piece, Sara.

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Lindsey Melden's avatar

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

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Rose's avatar

Reading the article: “Yes, obviously no one should have sex unless they want to.”

Reading some of the comments: 😳🤢

——

In other news… y’all really need kink 🖤

Specifically, the ladies, and the gentlemen who are actually interested in pleasing a woman, would benefit greatly from experiencing the type of sexual relationship where the woman’s pleasure is centered, she is worshipped, adored, and her wishes and fantasies come alive.

And for the male individuals in the comments who are upset about the concept of consent - I wonder how you would feel about your beliefs if someone said you had to get pegged in the mouth and ass every day as a duty to your partner? Or fucked by a man even if you’re straight? Use your imagination to think of a scenario in which you would not want to have sex, and then use that thought to explore some new concepts for you: empathy, consent, and care for another human being.

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Cephalo Monk's avatar

Some people believe you can rationalize away biological urges. Some people do not believe. Please everyone stop fighting. Who can ever know which one is really right or wrong 🤷. Can't we all just get along? No? Why not!?

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Dec 23, 2024
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Karma's avatar

A+ comment but it will go over their heads.

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Dec 20, 2024
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Amber Evans's avatar

Seems like you’re living up to your comment. You could have come here to learn something. Instead you choose to continue to be a rock.

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Dec 19, 2024
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Cindy DiTiberio's avatar

Ha ha. I did divorce him and I am infinitely happier.

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