(581) How the Lack of Sex Can Kill You

Introduction It's well known that the popular scientific quotation “If you don’t use it, you lose it” clearly applies to cognitive function and the maintenance of our body’s motion, but the application to the genitourinary structures and functions is not clear at all. Repressive and restrictive sexual education is still a significant factor in many populations, often leading to a lack of sexual practice. While sex has been a vector for certain infectious diseases and complications of reproduction, the lack of its practice can also be lethal. Objective The objectives are to call attention to the high number of asexual perimenopausal and menopausal women, and to describe how the lack of sex contributes to the development of multiple sexual and systemic disorders. This study aims to propose a re-education program focused on eliminating multiple myths and promoting sexual activity, and to highlight how the asexual syndrome of Menopause increases women's morbid-mortality. Methods This is an observational and retrospective study analyzing patient charts managed over a twenty-year period. Asexuality was defined as the lack of partnered or unpartnered sexual activity, understood as the conscious exercise of sexual pleasure, including activity able to produce sexual arousal, penetration, and orgasm (coitus and masturbation). The study population consisted of hundreds of perimenopausal and menopausal women in a specialized clinical setting. Results The retrospective data analysis revealed a high prevalence of asexuality, defined as no coitus and/or masturbation with penetration, which increased significantly with age: 40% of women > 40 are asexual; 55% of women > 50 are asexual12; 75% of women > 60 are asexual; 85% of women > 70 are asexual; and 98% of women > 80 are asexual. All asexual women showed a significantly higher incidence of total or partial vulvovaginal obliteration, alongside severe genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). These complications led to secondary renal damage, total procidentia, uterine prolapse, cystocele, USI, and recurrent UTI. Recurrent UTI, when improperly managed, contributes to sepsis, pneumonia, and death. In contrast, sexually active subjects showed significantly less severe GSM and fewer complications. Being sexually active at least one or two times per month was superior in maintaining better genitourinary structures (GUS) than hormone replacement therapy (HRT) alone. The best results were seen in the small number of women who were sexually active over 60 and on HRT. Psychosocial and emotional lives were also significantly better in the sexually active group. Conclusions Sexual activity should be promoted as a vital mental and physical exercise. Arousal and orgasm increase the number of steroid hormone receptors in vital organs. Furthermore, orgasm serves as the best Kegel exercise for the pelvic floor, and penetration maintains the integrity, structure, and function of the vulvovaginal and pelvic area. The lack of sex drastically increases morbid-mortality risks in aging women due to severe genitourinary complications. Disclosure No