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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

Husband wants more sex, I don’t, complains about it so much

306 replies

acrossit · 06/07/2025 18:40

We Have two young kids (4 and 1) I’m overweight, woken multiple times in the night still, have two children demanding things every second of the day and I really I am starting to resent the bit of adult time I have to myself being taken over with husband wanting sex

That makes it sound like it’s all the time. It’s generally once a week. I don’t know if there are answers here, I can’t expect him to be celibate but equally I dread it.

OP posts:
2024onwardsandup · 14/07/2025 12:53

Memely · 14/07/2025 12:45

I didn't say that.

Google 'strawman'.

That is exactly what you are saying when you say that a relationship would never start if someone wasn’t obligated to be intimate/have sex

LouiseMadetheBestBroccoliPasta · 14/07/2025 16:34

Memely · 14/07/2025 12:12

Google it. The common understanding is to be intimate with your spouse.

How do you understand that phrase?

On a side note, I don't think the vows are that relevant, as my views are the same in any romantic relationship. When you agree to go exclusive, there's an implicit understanding that you'll actually be intimate with your partner.

Imagine if a woman (or man, but it's more often the woman) would tell her potential romantic partner: 'I wish for us to be exclusive. That means from now on you won't sleep with anyone, except with me a couple of times a year, and perhaps not even that.'

Does anyone think the relationship would actually start?

"When you agree to go exclusive, there's an implicit understanding that you'll actually be intimate with your partner."

FREE enthusiastic consent to sex must be obtained before EVERY sexual encounter. It doesn't matter whether you're married, whether you're deeply religious, whether you once exchanged the words "to have and to hold", whether you would like the world to go back to the horrific days where marital rape of women was legal, whether you've fucked this person thousands of times, whether she once promised she'd have sex whenever you wanted it.

If your partner says no, then it's NO. The ONLY thing left to you is to accept it.

Pushing, pouting, getting angry, punishing with bad moods, talking about obligation, hammering about wedding vows, doggedly insisting you are right - if your partner has sex with you under these conditions, then you are a RAPIST. You are a complete criminal.

Boomer55 · 14/07/2025 16:44

MounjaroNewb · 06/07/2025 19:31

Does your husband know you feel this way?

If my partner felt this way about having sex with me I'd be devastated.

I am a woman and have been in this situation from the other side, it's soul destroying being rejected constantly and not communicated with. Do you want to repair this side of your relationship with your husband? Or are you just looking for tips on how to make him stop bothering you?

As someone said above, yes no one is "entitled" to sex in a marriage. But they are entitled to have open communication and a happy, equal relationship with someone who they are spending their life with. You will see time and time again on these boards relationships crumbling and a lot of the time it stems from something like this. Don't let this fester and go on for years (I see you say it's been nearly 2 years already) as once it goes too far it's so hard to claw your way back

This. It’s awful to feel rejected. Best sort out the issue or the marriage will collapse.

Memely · 14/07/2025 16:59

LouiseMadetheBestBroccoliPasta · 14/07/2025 16:34

"When you agree to go exclusive, there's an implicit understanding that you'll actually be intimate with your partner."

FREE enthusiastic consent to sex must be obtained before EVERY sexual encounter. It doesn't matter whether you're married, whether you're deeply religious, whether you once exchanged the words "to have and to hold", whether you would like the world to go back to the horrific days where marital rape of women was legal, whether you've fucked this person thousands of times, whether she once promised she'd have sex whenever you wanted it.

If your partner says no, then it's NO. The ONLY thing left to you is to accept it.

Pushing, pouting, getting angry, punishing with bad moods, talking about obligation, hammering about wedding vows, doggedly insisting you are right - if your partner has sex with you under these conditions, then you are a RAPIST. You are a complete criminal.

Sure. And autonomy over one's body and with whom they have sex is sacrosanct. So if a husband has sex outside of the marriage and the wife sulks, calls him names, or worse - demands he leaves - she's being abusive. Right?

Marriage is commitment. You commit to being there for your spouse. This isn't a legally binding commitment, and you can pull out at any time without recourse for the spouse, but let's not pretend it's not a commitment in the first place.

Getting married is committing to meeting the needs of your spouse. If you decide not 5o honour that commitment, there's nothing the spouse can do other than file for divorce, but let's at least acknowledge an injustice has been committed.

Memely · 14/07/2025 17:31

Let me put it in simple terms with an example. Jack and Jill get married, both vowing to love and cherish each other, to have and to hold, forsaking all other etc etc.

Six months later you find out the last time they had sex was the wedding night. Nothing wrong with him, he's not abusive or selfish in bed, Jill just isn't into sex. She doesn't need it, nor does she see the need to go to a doctor or therapist. This is who she is and she doesn't need to be 'fixed'.

You would say, well her body her choice, she doesn't owe her husband any sex, and even asking for it too much makes him a sex pest.

Now imagine a different scenario where six months after the wedding Jack has sex with a coworker. No fights, no abuse, he'd been having steady sex at home, but just fancied something on the side. No issues of stds as the coworker had a clean test and they'd used condoms.

Do you now also agree his body his choice, he doesn't owe his wife anything and he can do what he wants. And of she even complains loudly or sulks she's being abusive?

I highly doubt it. We'd probably both agree that Jack was a cheating bastard. But why the double standard? You either have obligations to your spouse or you don't, but it's not a one way street.

LouiseMadetheBestBroccoliPasta · 14/07/2025 17:32

"Getting married is committing to meeting the needs of your spouse."

It doesn't matter whether you're married or not. You have neither legal nor moral right to your partner's body.

Memely · 14/07/2025 17:33

LouiseMadetheBestBroccoliPasta · 14/07/2025 17:32

"Getting married is committing to meeting the needs of your spouse."

It doesn't matter whether you're married or not. You have neither legal nor moral right to your partner's body.

Is marriage a commitment or not?

LouiseMadetheBestBroccoliPasta · 14/07/2025 17:35

It doesn't matter what marriage means to you or anyone else. It is a criminal act to coerce or force your partner into sex.

cloudyblueglass · 14/07/2025 17:39

Memely · 14/07/2025 17:31

Let me put it in simple terms with an example. Jack and Jill get married, both vowing to love and cherish each other, to have and to hold, forsaking all other etc etc.

Six months later you find out the last time they had sex was the wedding night. Nothing wrong with him, he's not abusive or selfish in bed, Jill just isn't into sex. She doesn't need it, nor does she see the need to go to a doctor or therapist. This is who she is and she doesn't need to be 'fixed'.

You would say, well her body her choice, she doesn't owe her husband any sex, and even asking for it too much makes him a sex pest.

Now imagine a different scenario where six months after the wedding Jack has sex with a coworker. No fights, no abuse, he'd been having steady sex at home, but just fancied something on the side. No issues of stds as the coworker had a clean test and they'd used condoms.

Do you now also agree his body his choice, he doesn't owe his wife anything and he can do what he wants. And of she even complains loudly or sulks she's being abusive?

I highly doubt it. We'd probably both agree that Jack was a cheating bastard. But why the double standard? You either have obligations to your spouse or you don't, but it's not a one way street.

Cheating isn’t the same as not being attracted/not wanting sex.

If there’s a sexual mid-match, this is what divorce is for.

Coercing in any form is rape. And any person who thinks this is ok is disgusting

Memely · 14/07/2025 17:59

LouiseMadetheBestBroccoliPasta · 14/07/2025 17:35

It doesn't matter what marriage means to you or anyone else. It is a criminal act to coerce or force your partner into sex.

Which is why I'm thankful my DH has lots of sex with me of his own free will. That wasn't my point.

Is marriage a commitment or not?

LouiseMadetheBestBroccoliPasta · 14/07/2025 18:01

Again: it doesn't matter what marriage means to you or anyone else. It is a criminal act to coerce or force your partner into sex.

Memely · 14/07/2025 18:01

cloudyblueglass · 14/07/2025 17:39

Cheating isn’t the same as not being attracted/not wanting sex.

If there’s a sexual mid-match, this is what divorce is for.

Coercing in any form is rape. And any person who thinks this is ok is disgusting

Great. Now please try to address my actual point.

Is marriage a commitment or not? Should one feel any obligation to their spouse or do they not owe them anything?

Memely · 14/07/2025 18:02

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

LouiseMadetheBestBroccoliPasta · 14/07/2025 18:03

"Is marriage a commitment or not? Should one feel any obligation to their spouse or do they not owe them anything?"

You have had your answer many times: It doesn't matter what marriage means to you or anyone else. It is a criminal act to coerce or force your partner into sex.

cloudyblueglass · 14/07/2025 18:03

Memely · 14/07/2025 18:01

Great. Now please try to address my actual point.

Is marriage a commitment or not? Should one feel any obligation to their spouse or do they not owe them anything?

It’s not a commitment to rape and sexual abuse, no.

No person ever owes someone else access to their body.

Memely · 14/07/2025 18:08

LouiseMadetheBestBroccoliPasta · 14/07/2025 18:03

"Is marriage a commitment or not? Should one feel any obligation to their spouse or do they not owe them anything?"

You have had your answer many times: It doesn't matter what marriage means to you or anyone else. It is a criminal act to coerce or force your partner into sex.

No your answer was something entirely different.

Is the sky blue? The earth is brown.

Great, now how about answering the actual question.

I've answered it already, the earth is brown.

Memely · 14/07/2025 18:08

cloudyblueglass · 14/07/2025 18:03

It’s not a commitment to rape and sexual abuse, no.

No person ever owes someone else access to their body.

Edited

Is marriage a commitment or not? If yes, commitment to what?

cloudyblueglass · 14/07/2025 18:11

Memely · 14/07/2025 18:08

Is marriage a commitment or not? If yes, commitment to what?

No one has ever a right to someone else’s body without their consent.

Rape and sexual assault is a criminal offence, including in marriage, in most civilised countries.

You are proposing committing a criminal offence.

i will say it again - is not a commitment to rape and sexual abuse.

Memely · 14/07/2025 18:14

cloudyblueglass · 14/07/2025 18:11

No one has ever a right to someone else’s body without their consent.

Rape and sexual assault is a criminal offence, including in marriage, in most civilised countries.

You are proposing committing a criminal offence.

i will say it again - is not a commitment to rape and sexual abuse.

Edited

You're dodging the question, a fairly simple one. Is marriage a commitment or not? If yes, commitment to what?

And I'm not proposing anything so kindly don't put words in my mouth.

cloudyblueglass · 14/07/2025 18:25

Memely · 14/07/2025 18:14

You're dodging the question, a fairly simple one. Is marriage a commitment or not? If yes, commitment to what?

And I'm not proposing anything so kindly don't put words in my mouth.

Edited

I’m not dodging at all.

It’s not a commitment to being raped and sexually abused. Full stop.

If that isn’t what you are proposing, then clarify what exactly you are proposing.

Because your posts suggest this is exactly what you are proposing. Guilting someone is coercion which is

cloudyblueglass · 14/07/2025 18:28

Memely · 14/07/2025 18:01

Great. Now please try to address my actual point.

Is marriage a commitment or not? Should one feel any obligation to their spouse or do they not owe them anything?

‘Should one feel any obligation….’

cloudyblueglass · 14/07/2025 18:34

Memely · 14/07/2025 16:59

Sure. And autonomy over one's body and with whom they have sex is sacrosanct. So if a husband has sex outside of the marriage and the wife sulks, calls him names, or worse - demands he leaves - she's being abusive. Right?

Marriage is commitment. You commit to being there for your spouse. This isn't a legally binding commitment, and you can pull out at any time without recourse for the spouse, but let's not pretend it's not a commitment in the first place.

Getting married is committing to meeting the needs of your spouse. If you decide not 5o honour that commitment, there's nothing the spouse can do other than file for divorce, but let's at least acknowledge an injustice has been committed.

‘…committing to the needs of your spouse’

So you view sex as an obligation, whether or not the person wants to.

You are making an argument to legitimise rape snd sexual abuse.

Everyone can see you are.

You put the words into your own mouth.

You are trying to make rape and sexual abuse an acceptable act.

cloudyblueglass · 14/07/2025 18:46

Memely · 14/07/2025 16:59

Sure. And autonomy over one's body and with whom they have sex is sacrosanct. So if a husband has sex outside of the marriage and the wife sulks, calls him names, or worse - demands he leaves - she's being abusive. Right?

Marriage is commitment. You commit to being there for your spouse. This isn't a legally binding commitment, and you can pull out at any time without recourse for the spouse, but let's not pretend it's not a commitment in the first place.

Getting married is committing to meeting the needs of your spouse. If you decide not 5o honour that commitment, there's nothing the spouse can do other than file for divorce, but let's at least acknowledge an injustice has been committed.

Imagind being the person who thinks being denied sex is an injustice.

Mischance · 14/07/2025 18:51

Marriage is a commitment .... of course.

To what is it a commitment? .... it is a commitment to share your life with someone, which includes making a home together, being there through good and bad times, in sickness and in health, sharing fun and interests, supporting each other's interests .... being a partnership thst has live and depth.

It may or may not include sexual intimacy at times when BOTH want that.

It is not a commitment to sexual intimacy that only one person wants.

Mischance · 14/07/2025 18:51

Love, not live