More Americans than ever are taking cues from celebrities and abstaining from sex with hopes of improving their mental and physical health.
Famous actors Julia Fox, Drew Barrymore, Meagan Good, Orlando Bloom, and Lenny Kravitz have all tried celibacy at some point and raved about the benefits.
Health experts told DailyMail.com that while temporarily abstaining from dating may be good for one’s career, focus and mental health, not having sex or masturbating for long periods of time may cause significant health problems.
For example, studies have shown the risk of cancer and of dying early by any cause are higher in people who don’t orgasm. Meanwhile, celibacy is also linked to heart problems.
Uncut Gems star Julia Fox said she was ‘de-centering men’ from her life as a means of self empowerment
Yet, Julia Fox, star of 2019’s Uncut Gems who dated Kanye West, said this year she hadn’t had sex in two-and-a-half years and had ‘never been better’.
For her part, Barrymore opened up about her decision to be celibate following her 2016 divorce, allowing her the ‘pleasure to actually work on myself and learn what parenting is.’
Musician Lenny Kravitz revealed this year that he has been celibate for nine years and plans on keeping it that way until he meets the right person, saying ‘It’s a spiritual thing.’
And actress Meagan Good decided to give celibacy a try after filming Jumping the Broom (2011).
She broke that vow in 2012, when she married the film’s director, DeVon Franklin.
She said: ‘When you take that out of the equation, you actually get to know the person across the board in every other way except the physical which, which comes later.’
Celibacy has become a common practice in the US, with an estimated one in six women and one in 10 men reporting a break from sex and dating.
Their reasons are wide-ranging, from adhering to their religious beliefs, staying safe from STDs, pursuing career goals, or healing from trauma.
The trends comes as casual sex has been on the decline for years.
And actress Meagan Good decided to give celibacy a try after filming Jumping the Broom (2011) until she married a year later
Actress and talk show host Drew Barrymore was celibate following the end of her marriage in 2016 to better deal with being a newly single parent
Celibacy has been shown to improve some people’s focus on career goals and school work, freeing them up from thinking about their next sexual encounter.
It can also enhance self-care by helping them prioritize their needs and personal development without worrying about a partner.
Abby Wilson, a licensed therapist based in Texas who specializes in relationships and trauma told DailyMail.com: ‘I think there’s a lot of value in taking a step back from something and really turning that energy inward, or building a solid foundation of like having a stronger sense of self and understanding yourself on a deeper level, and also understanding what brings meaning and fulfillment to your life outside of romance or sexual relationships.’
A 2017 report found that the percentage of adults aged 20 to 24 who had abstained from sex the previous year they were surveyed rose from slightly less than 12 percent from 2000 to 2009 to more than 15 percent from 2010 to 2014.
A 2020 study then found that sexually inactive men aged 18 to 24 increased from about 19 percent in 2000 to 2002 to nearly 31 percent from 2016 to 2018, while the percentage for young women rose from 15 percent to 19 percent.
Still, completely swearing off sex has its downsides.
Celibacy may lead to some amount of atrophy of pelvic floor muscles as well as sexual organs such as the clitoris, which can shrink and lose sensation.
Sex is also heart healthy. Raising your heart rate during sex to 140 to 160 beats per minute is equivalent to walking a mile in 20 minutes and then climbing two flights of stairs.
The sweeping Massachusetts Male Aging study found that men who have sex twice a week have a lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those who have it less than that.
It also relieves stress and anxiety by triggering oxytocin, a feel-good bonding hormone, and dopamine, the reward chemical in the brain while decreasing levels of cortisol and adrenaline (stress hormones).
Researchers in Switzerland surveyed 370 women on how often they masturbate and the reasons behind it: 64 per cent reported they masturbated to relax, 55 per cent said it evoked joy and 12 per cent said they did it to relieve stress, reported the International Journal of Sexual Health.
Lenny Kravitz revealed in 2024 that he had been celibate for nine years since his last serious romantic relationship
Sex can also be protective against cancer. Harvard scientists reported in 2015 that men in the 40 to 49 age bracket who ejaculate 21 or more times a month reduced their risk of prostate cancer by 22 per cent.
And new review of existing studies dating back 30 years found men who climaxed 21 or more times a month had a 31 percent lower risk of prostate cancer than those who did so just four to seven times a month.
The celebrity backers of celibacy have contributed to a growing movement of people taking extended breaks from intimacy for the sake of personal growth.
Olivia Reynolds explained her motivation in a video that two million people have now viewed. She dated casually but refrained from sex until entering a serious relationship for about a year.
Ms Reynolds said: ‘I had no grasp on what I wanted my standards to actually be. But spending more time with myself, focusing on my mental and physical wellbeing, focusing on my goals, my ambitions, it really solidified my standards for me.
‘And when my standards were more solidified and I realized the worth I have, it kind of just dropped my anxious attachment style.’
Meanwhile, TikTok user kingmeel93 has been celibate for about six years, and for him, it benefits his mental health and protects his health.
‘Everything is so sexual these days, [we] skip conversations, skip getting to know you, let’s just go skin to skin… and my whole thing is, STD rates are going out the roof. I’m good. I’m good getting my coffee. My skin is good. I don’t need all that.’
It has spawned a movement online called #BoySober launched by Gen Z to swear off dating apps, texting exes, and situationships (a portmanteau referring to a sexual relationship without commitment) to free themselves emotionally from the trials of exhausting cycle of dating, obsessively checking one’s phone, dating a bit more, getting ghosted, and all over again.
With around 30 million videos attached to the BoySober tag, predominantly by women, the movement aims to break that cycle of dating and disappointment by swearing off completely, much like quitting alcohol cold turkey.
