Discover! >> Doctors Reveal What Happens To The Human Body When You Don’t Have Sex Or Masturbate For Months

Gen Z of legal age are having less sex than any generation in history – and experts warn it could lead to their genitalia shrinking.

Dr Tara Suwinyattichaiporn, a sex and relationship expert, told DailyMail.com that people who are sexually inactive can experience a very rare condition called penile atrophy or vaginal atrophy – where tissue can become less elastic causing it to shrink by one to two centimeters.

She also says that going a month or more without having sex may cause men and women to experience increased stress levels due to sexual frustration, anxiety, depression and anger issues.

And not masturbating has even more dire consequences for men.

One Harvard University study found that men who ejaculate at least 21 times a month slash their risk of prostate cancer by a third compared to those who pleasured themselves fewer than once a week.

Experts warned that not having sex over weeks, months or years can have harmful effects on the human body.

Most people need affection, touch and sexual connections with others and without it, your mental health could deteriorate, causing anxiety, depression and increased levels of stress, Suwinyattichaiporn said.

She explained that all people are different and depending on the person’s general mental health, the really extreme symptoms could develop within six months or take as long as five years.

Having sex releases feel-good hormones like oxytocin – also called the ‘love hormone – dopamine and serotonin which regulate your emotions and boost your mood.

Dopamine is a chemical that the brain releases to make you feel pleasure, but if your body doesn’t produce enough of it, you can develop insecurities and lower self-worth.

A 2021 study suggested that people with unmet sexual needs can develop frustration that may lead to an increase in aggressive behavior.

This frustration can arise from the unfulfilled desire to have sex, not having an available partner or engaging in unsatisfying sexual activities which can lead to heightened irritability and mood swings.

Suwinyattichaiporn warned that more extreme symptoms can arise from sex withdrawal including penile and vaginal atrophy, pain during sex, but added the caveat that this could take upwards of five years without sex to occur.

Men are at a higher risk of developing medical issues like penile atrophy and prostate cancer if they abstain from having sex for long time periods.

Researchers believe that carcinogens build up in the prostate over time, which increases the risk of cancer, but studies have found that ejaculation may prevent it because it flushes out the harmful chemicals that build up in the semen, according to the Urology Care Foundation.