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A sexless marriage is a marriage in which little or no sex occurs between the two partners. The US National Health and Social Life Survey in 1994 (Laumann et al. 1994) found that 2 percent of the married respondents reported no sexual intimacy in the past year. The definition of a nonsexual marriage is often broadened to include those where sexual intimacy occurs less than ten times per year, in which case 20 percent of the couples in the NHSLS would be in the category.

Causes

Sexless marriages generally develop over time and are gradual. Love and intimacy generally existed in a relationship but sex starts to become increasingly infrequent. The following are possible causes:

• Marriage solely done for legal purposes, tax benefits or acquiring resident status (for example, in USA a spouse is entitled to Green Card if married to an American citizen or a permanent resident)
• Different work schedules/busy lives.
• Sexual aversion or 'a low level of sexual desire' including a lack of sexual vitality due to age, past trauma, or partners' incompatible sexual orientation.
• Sexual dysfunction or difficulty during any stage of the sexual act, including severe vaginismus or erectile dysfunction
• Asexuality
• Deliberately sexless marriages, due to religious principles, avoidance of sexually transmitted diseases, or avoiding conception.
• Illness of one or both partners that affects physical or psychological sexuality
• Combinations of the above. Sexual desire, for example, can be closely tied to sexual difficulties.
• Power imbalance. One partner refuses to have sex with their spouse for personal reasons.