# Your longest bout of celibacy... **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 6, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303 "2003-02-06T20:53:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/41 "2003-02-07T09:18:41Z")
One year, after graduating from college, followed by another six months. Since then, I think the longest dry spell has been about a month. ---
**Author:** ![butter\_pie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aca169/32.png) [@butter\_pie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butter_pie)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/42 "2003-02-07T12:32:11Z")
6 months (like someone else posted, it was during a long distance relationship.) ---
**Author:** ![Washte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Washte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washte)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/43 "2003-02-07T12:40:34Z")
4 years. It didn’t bother me. Yes I missed the intimacy and such but, after my horrible first marriage, didn’t want to get into another relationship any time soon. ---
**Author:** ![dusty\_bin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bb73d2/32.png) [@dusty\_bin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dusty_bin)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/44 "2003-02-07T13:28:48Z")
Why so long? Are you ill or something? Sex is healthy, intimacy os good? Find someone to love, or just shag! Please! ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/45 "2003-02-07T13:37:12Z")
**Why so long?** Because that’s how long it’s been. **Are you ill or something?** Nope. **Sex is healthy, intimacy os good?** I don’t know that anyone of us would deny that sex is healthy. But perhaps some have found that it’s not _always_ healthy - depending on each person’s past, mental hang-ups and so on. \*\*Find someone to love, or just shag! \*\* Love, sure. But I know that I don’t want someone to "just shag’. Not my style, and it wouldn’t be healthy _for me_. Yes, I said it had been almost 8 years. To clarify, I’ve had the opportunity to “just shag” in that time. Not something I want to do. Love? It’ll come when it does, and I’m not going to go out of my way to avoid it, but neither is it my main focus in life. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/46 "2003-02-07T14:11:38Z")
> [@](#): > > Love, sure. But I know that I don’t want someone to "just shag’. Not my style, and it wouldn’t be healthy for _me_. Well said. An old friend of mine, whom I’ll call “BeelzeBob”, will screw any woman he can. Every one I’ve seen is a real loser. Once, he asked to crash at my place. When I got up in the morning, he was asleep on the living room floor with someone he’d picked up. Somehow they’d clogged the bathtub and broke my dental pick. I wasn’t pleased. Besides, I don’t like strangers in my place (I have some things that can be tempting for people who might want to take them). I told him that bringing her over was a breach of etiquette and that he’d have to take her home. She slept all Saturday and woke up Sunday morning. She asked, “What tam it is?” I told her 9:30. She said, “But what _tam_ it is?” I told her 9:30. When she kept asking, BeelzeBob told her that she’d slept through Saturday and that it was now Sunday morning. This is typical of the kind of woman he has sex with. If all I can get is a strung-out crack-ho’ with the brain capacity of a gnat, I’d rather do without. Now, I have had sex with women who were intelligent but there was no emotional connection between us. It was kinda fun, but also kinda boring. Maybe I’m naive, but I think there should be some sort of emotional connection with a sex partner. I don’t want to be like BeelzeBob. ---
**Author:** ![Siemsi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Siemsi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siemsi)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/47 "2003-02-07T14:20:24Z")
I think it was about 1.5 months. I’ve been pretty luck. _ **Grins bearing teeth** _\*\*\*\*\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/48 "2003-02-07T14:39:26Z")
I can’t imagine this with people who say it’s been years since they’ve had sex. Especially 18 years and such. Are you just not into sex? I have a friend like that, she doesn’t seem terribly concerned with it. I am currently obsessed with sex because it’s been a long cold winter with no love. Sucks, because I’m attractive and I could have sex if I wanted to, there’s just no one worth it right now. If I wait much longer I’m going to end up putting on beer goggles and making a bad decision. ---
**Author:** ![skot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@skot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skot)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/49 "2003-02-07T14:42:16Z")
Let’s see, I’ve been married for 17 months now… ---
**Author:** ![jeevmon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@jeevmon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevmon)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/50 "2003-02-07T14:52:47Z")
After the initial bout (28 years, 3 months, 15 days), the longest gap has been 14 months. I’m not sure which was worse, being involuntarily celibate and virginal, or being involuntarily celibate and nonvirginal. I’m leaning towards the latter, since you actually know what you’re missing. ---
**Author:** ![eunoia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eunoia/32/97_2.png) [@eunoia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eunoia)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/51 "2003-02-07T14:54:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Robot Arm \* > \*\*Sorry, Baker; thirty-seven years, here. \*\* Big deal! I’m sure I could go that long if _I_ had a robot arm… ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/52 "2003-02-07T14:57:45Z")
8 and a half years here. Happily. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/53 "2003-02-07T16:31:36Z")
8.5 years here, as well. Also happily. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/54 "2003-02-07T16:37:35Z")
So, Vanilla and ybeayf, do you just not like sex? I’m curious as to why you would be happy about not getting any. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/55 "2003-02-07T16:52:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by eunoia \* > I’m sure I could go that long if _I_ had a robot arm… All the threads about the Space Shuttle, and “Futurama”, and _now_ somebody notices my user name. ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/56 "2003-02-07T17:09:06Z")
**Indygrrl** , I do indeed have a hearty dislike for sex in all its forms. I can honestly say I’ve never really had much desire for it. I’ve experienced it a few times, if only to see what everybody else was going on about, but I don’t see it as anything special, and can think of a million things I’d rather be doing than going through the enormous expenditures of time and energy that people put forth to experience sex. ---
**Author:** ![Indygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@Indygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indygrrl)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/57 "2003-02-07T18:32:08Z")
Wow. ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Mighty\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Girl)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/58 "2003-02-07T19:08:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by **Indygrrl** \* > Wow. Ditto! ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/59 "2003-02-07T19:43:54Z")
CELIBACY SUCKS. I have been celibate for 5 months now, but only had sex 3 times in the last year (long distance relationship). At first, it was a relief not to have sex b/c the relationship was in the toilet and I couldn’t get it up for the guy anymore. Now that I’m free, and also over him totally, I am ready but haven’t had any good offers lately. After 4 years in a relationship, the pool of single men I know is, well, ZERO. Going out on the prowl is not as fun as it used to be when I was in my 20s. Don’t want to waste time with losers, don’t want to have lame sex just to have sex. Also, I like a very specific type of guy, lookswise, and I’m like Pavlov’s horndog-- that look makes me drool, but nothing else will do. Sigh. This too shall pass. I’ve promised myself to appreciate it more next time I get it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303/60 "2003-02-07T20:51:36Z")
Erm… Did I mention there’s a DopeFest in L.A. on March 8th? 😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-longest-bout-of-celibacy/153303.md?page=4)