Keeping it Together: Sexless marriages are a big problem

Sex is an important part of a relationship. It bonds couples, and it's an intimate way of expressing love and desire.

However, a serious problem for those in long-term relationships can be a lack of sex or sexual desire entirely. This even goes for relationships that began with a powerful spark.

Hello! My name's Charlie, and I'm a wellness reporter. This week, I looked into sexless marriages − and what couples in these relationships can do to revitalize their sexual chemistry.

According to research, many couples struggle with lack of sex in their marriages. Independent market research company Gitnux found that about 15% of marriages in the U.S. are sexless and about a third of divorces are caused by sexless marriages.

But a relationship doesn't have to stay sexless. Mental health experts say it's certainly possible to revitalize sex in any relationship, no matter how long it's been missing − but it takes effort and intentionality.

"Sexless relationships, sex ruts, mismatched libidos − I think that's the number-one problem that couples therapists deal with, especially when dealing specifically with sexuality," says Ian Kerner, a therapist and sex and relationship specialist. "I think in long-term relationships, it's very natural for this to happen. One thing that I've noticed in these relationships is that sometimes it's not even that couples want sex. What they're missing is being desired."

You can find advice from Kerner and other experts here as well as more reads from our team below.