Unconsummated Marriage or Relationship

This means a couple are unable to have sexual intercourse because of fear or inability to have penetrative sex. Sometimes they are completely mystified as to why this is happening to them.

Non-consummation is frequently thought of as a women’s issue but this is not always so. It can be a shaming and difficult for couples to talk about. It can become a heavy secret, which can weigh upon a couple for many years.

Non-consummation has many causes. These may include fear of sex, inappropriate advice or information from friends and family, Vaginismus, (painful spasm at the entrance of the vagina, which makes penetration impossible), Erection Problems or Impotence , fear of pregnancy, childhood Sexual Abuse, incest and/or rape in both men and women; feelings of contamination, and many others.

With non-consummation the body and mind may both be saying ‘no’, or there may be a conflict between these two parts of ourselves. These are issues which can be explored and understood through the process of Sex Therapy.