‘The Bachelor’: How Important Is Sex in a Relationship?

During The Bachelor Season 24, Episode 9, we saw Madison Prewett reveal her stance on sex before marriage. She told Peter Weber she has decided to abstain from sex before marriage and she would have a difficult time continuing the process if Weber has sex with the two remaining contestants (Hannah Ann Sluss and Victoria Fuller).

Prewett’s big reveal has us wondering about sex andrelationships. How important is sex in a relationship? We reached out to theexperts to get their take on the issue. Here’s what they had to say.

Intimacy is just as important as sex

The experts agree that it’s important to build intimacy. Sexalone isn’t enough to sustain a deep connection with your partner. AdinaMahalli, a certified relationship consultant and sexual health expert for Maple Holistics told Showbiz CheatSheet that sex isn’t as important as creating intimacy. “Sex is not vital in arelationship. However, intimacy is very important,” Mahalli told us. “There aremany ways to be intimate and people’s need for intimacy varies depending on theindividual. Finding someone whose need for intimacy matches well with yours isimportant when finding a partner. People often confuse this with being sexuallycompatible with someone, but this is a misconception.”

Sex encourages bonding in a relationship

Another point our experts made is that sex can help a couplebond. Conflicts about sex can also make or break a relationship. “Sex is veryimportant in a relationship,” Ingrid Sthare, relationshipcoach and founder of Relationship Coaching & Coupling, told Showbiz CheatSheet. “It’s so important, it’s one of the top two reasons for divorce. Theother is money. Sex is another form of communication and is good for you too!It’s healthy and helps bonding in your relationship.”

Sex helps nurture a relationship

Dating expert and Datingscout.com founder Chris Pleines, says sex is a great way to nurture a relationship. Although you can still nurture a relationship without sex, it can help move the process along. “Sex plays a crucial part in a relationship, especially for married couples,” says Pleines. “It’s beneficial not only for its physical or hedonistic benefits, but also it fosters and nurtures positive affect for the couple and it also creates a strong bond between them. In the long run, this means that both partners will have high satisfaction in their relationship.”

Madison Prewett waited almost two months to tell Peter Weber about her stance on sex before marriage

Some of our experts think Prewett should have spoken up sooner(it took her almost two months), while others think The Bachelorcontestant isn’t obligated to talk about her beliefs before she’s ready.

Mahalli says she understands Prewett’s reluctance, but shealso says some people might assume Prewett was leading Weber on.  “It’s understandable that she didn’t want totell him right away because it is a rather awkward subject to talk about,”Mahalli told us. “Nevertheless, some would [assume] she was leading him on bynot telling him. It’s not that he’s in it solely for the sex, but theircompatibility significantly drops if they’re not on the same page for this.”

Read more: ‘TheBachelor’: Should Madison Prewett Have Told Peter Weber About Her BeliefsSooner? The Experts Weigh In

Follow Sheiresa @SheiresaNgo

Source: Read Full Article