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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Sexless Marriage: Divorce husband or put up with it?

38 replies

Td935 · 19/07/2023 11:28

My husband & I are a perfect team. We both work hard, care for our children and each other and almost every aspect is perfect. Except sex which we’ve had a big blowout about recently which has left me wondering whether or not we can keep doing this. It’s been an issue for our entire 10yr relationship.
He almost never wants to have sex and has always seemed uncomfortable with even the idea of it (except when it came to having a family). Occasionally he’s not completely against it and I can persuade him into it but there’s no pull, it’s always me pushing. A number of times we’ve had arguments and he’s got deeply upset - for me it’s a critical part of a healthy relationship and for my own self esteem. He’s got so uncomfortable there have been tears when we’ve been doing it and we’ve stopped and argued. I can’t understand why he’s so disinterested in me and feel sad and hopeless that I always have to be the one who brings it up as something we need to work on (by doing). He’s accused me of being coercive, manipulative and abusive, because he’s felt pressured because I’m annoyed and upset when we don’t do it, because it feels like total rejection which I obviously find difficult emotionally to process and handle.
In time maybe we’ll have marriage counselling but for now I’m at my wits end - it’s clearly never going to be a priority for him and I’m sure he’s just going to dig in deeper with his position that even if we have a sexless marriage, I shouldn’t have a right to talk to him about this if it’s going to make him feel pressured or uncomfortable. It feels incompatible in a very fundamental way, is it time for me to think about finding a healthier relationship?

OP posts:
PaterPower · 19/07/2023 11:42

He has the absolute right not to have sex when he doesn’t want it. You have the absolute right to decide that the infrequency is a deal breaker for you.

If it was a blip in your sex life then there’d be some mileage in sticking it out for a bit and seeing if anything changed over time, ideally with him seeing the GP to check for health-related causes. This doesn’t apply to you though; it’s a continuous pattern of behaviour which he’s extremely unlikely to alter.

Assuming you don’t want to have affairs on the side and/or he wouldn’t countenance an open relationship… it comes down to whether there’s enough benefit FOR YOU in keeping the status quo.

RatherBeRiding · 19/07/2023 11:48

If it's a deal-breaker for you then, yes, get out now before you waste more of your life on a relationship that is fundamentally lacking for you. It is interesting that he has always been like this and his discomfort with sex makes me wonder if he is gay but suppressing this for whatever reason?

But whatever, if it something he is happy to live with, and you are not. He makes you feel rejected, unwanted, undesired and then refuses to talk about it.

It's NOT a perfect relationship make no mistake about that and you can still co-parent effectively when no longer together. I think you know in your own mind that your marriage is, as you say, unhealthy and it's time for a re-think.

Weightlosstipsneeded · 19/07/2023 11:49

None of you are wrong here. He has a right, you have a rightly. Sadly, if you choose to put up with it without any resolution you're going to deeply resent him.
Nobody should be in tears during sex, it is wrong.
I would give him an ultimatum in the sense you both go to marriage counselling, nothing in the interim is going to resolve it otherwise.

WagyuBeef · 19/07/2023 11:52

Maybe go to a Foxden or KK party, it might be OK if you don't make a big deal of it and much cheaper than a divorce.

itsmyp4rty · 19/07/2023 12:01

Why did you marry him if this has always been an issue? Why are you angry with him when he hasn't changed? It sounds like he's probably asexual and it's your fault that you choose to marry someone you were sexually incompatible with. No t only that but you have coerced him and manipulated him to the point where he has sex even though he doesn't want to and ends up crying during it. Could you imagine if this was the other way round and a woman was being treated like this because of a man's 'self esteem'.

You need to leave him because you are emotionally and sexually abusive and he deserves much, much better even if his self esteem has been so destroyed by you that he doesn't realise it. Go find your 'self esteem' elsewhere, this makes for very grim reading.

Suchab · 19/07/2023 12:07

Unless he gets counselling for whatever it is that is bothering him, nothing will change so I’d recommending ending things as they won’t change.

mimi912 · 19/07/2023 12:08

You're incompatible so you need to have a frank discussion about the future. Are you going to satisfy your sexual needs outside of the marriage and would your partner agree to this? If your partner refuses this option, ask them what they think you should do. It seems cruel to force you to remain in a sexless marriage when this wasn't agreed upon when you got married.

Cocoalover · 19/07/2023 12:15

Is there a possibility that he's gay?
Just a thought... it happens, unfortunately.

chocobaby · 19/07/2023 12:33

Without rehashing what anyone has said, you shouldn’t have gone on to get married but you did. Now you can see that it’s not working- please ask for a divorce. There’s no one in the right or wrong here, but it’s unfair to both of you to continue in this when it’s a source of pain and frustration.
I can’t survive that long without sex. You’re not being manipulative, you’re just being you. This is such a fundamental mismatch. The only way you can both truly be happy is to go your separate ways.

user95438847 · 19/07/2023 14:01

For some reason I'm getting a strong inclination that he's gay.

How did you remain together in the beginning with such different sexual desires?

SunflowerTed · 19/07/2023 18:58

In the kindest way - did you think things would change after you married him?

myNewName21 · 19/07/2023 19:10

You are clearly NOT a perfect team if he has been in tears about this issue, just imagine if a woman posted the her male partner had reduced her to tears over sex, every response would be LTB, which is exactly what he should do

WellThisWentWell · 19/07/2023 19:17

Poor guy.
I really do not understand how people push and force anyone to have sex with them, but people who do it to their partners and then claim to ’love’ them is beyond, BEYOND, my understanding.
They have to be ice cold people, with absolutely no care for the other person.

GentlemanJay · 19/07/2023 19:58

It will never get better. I know from experience. You either.

Put up with it.

Have an affair and wreck your marriage.

Leave.

YRGAM · 19/07/2023 20:12

Are you doing enough of the housework?

Cloud992 · 19/07/2023 21:47

Completely agree that it’s not nice that husband feels pressured into having sex, however , I also agree that sex plays a big role in keeping a relationship going.

Have you suggested marriage counselling because there must be a reason why it brings him to tears? The good thing is you stop when this happens but arguing about it just makes things worse- you need to try and talk to him non- accusatory tone and empathise.

Everyone on here is quick to make out you’re the devil, when all you’re trying to do is reconnect and feel intimidate with your husband.
I can imagine that being rejected by your hubby is heartbreaking and damaging to your self esteem. It makes you feel
un-sexy and question whether he’s still attracted to you/ love you. You may even be paranoid whether he’s cheating?

it’s a two way street , he needs to try and make an effort and give you some attention/ reconnect with you in one way or another just like you need to stop pressuring him into having sex.
Reconnecting doesn’t have to be sexual- maybe he just needs to give you a long kiss or hug , or even just snuggle up infront of the TV.

If the problem is down to you having a much higher sex drive- then maybe you can explore some toys and go solo?

I do think there more to this than just him “not being in the mood” so counselling is something I would seriously consider.

BHRK · 19/07/2023 21:54

I could not live in a sexless marriage. I don’t want to live with my best friend.
I would have to end it and look elsewhere.
you are not abusive for wanting sex in a marriage.
he cannot give you what you want and it won’t change

DinaFox · 19/07/2023 22:05

Please do not push someone into having sex if it makes them cry, and it seems to me that he did not hide his lack of interest in sex in the beginning as you say this has always been an issue. You should not have continued with the relationship then and I don't think you should continue with it now. He is clearly distressed at having sex for whatever reason and you cannot keep pushing him.

BunnyBettChetwynd · 19/07/2023 22:12

In time maybe we’ll have marriage counselling but for now I’m at my wits end -

Why not have counselling now? This isn't going to go away after 10 years without it. Trying to solve it yourselves is only causing you both pain. If not now, when?

Counselling or the three options presented above by @GentlemanJay are the only options really.

Blueberry40 · 19/07/2023 22:27

I would suggest relationship counselling if he’s willing to engage with it. Otherwise you have two options: divorce him or spend the rest of your life feeling frustrated and unwanted.

FrancisSeaton · 19/07/2023 22:42

He's gay
Sorry

ashley221 · 20/07/2023 07:57

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

PaterPower · 20/07/2023 08:52

I don’t think anyone’s mentioned it yet, (and I’m not a therapist) but the almost complete lack of interest and especially the crying… would there be any possibility of childhood trauma / sexual abuse that he hasn’t told you about?

I think some sort of counselling is needed - on his own first, before you got near couples sessions.

Dullardmullard · 20/07/2023 09:37

He needs counselling on his own to work out his trauma from the past.

Then counselling for you both to see if the marriage can be saved

AttilaTheMeerkat · 20/07/2023 09:42

I am also wondering if he was also abused in childhood. There are reasons why he acts as he does around sex and this elephant in the room needs addressing by him
in therapy and on his own initially.

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