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Girlfriend does not seem interested in sexual things at all

Hi, im in a long-term relationship with my girlfriend, we have been together for 10 months, both 21 both virgins.

The problem is, she isnt interested at all in the sexual side of the relationship. WE have done sexual stuff, but only when I initiate it. Its very frustrating, because I have to ask if I can go down on here, and I have to ask if she can give me a blowjob, because she simply wouldnt.

It seems she is just more than happy just cuddling/sleeping naked and thats it.

She told me 2 months ago the reason why she wanted to wait for actual sex is because she was sexually abused when she was younger. I understood this. However i was not happy that she told me this by email , and she didnt tell this to me the numerous times i 've been round hers. On that topic, there was little communication on her end to speak to me face-to-face about it.

In my last relationship, i was with a girl for 4 months and she was really really horny, and she had no problem initiating sexual stuff (as i had no problem as well). However then i was not ready for sex. I am now though. And also i almost had a one-nighter with another girl and we got on really well under the sheets.

I find it strange that i have to ask my girlfriend if we can do things sexually. I dont think its right in a long-term relationship, even though i understand her past - it shoudltn stop her. If i dont ask, or initiate something then nothing happens :frown:

Ive asked some of my friends and they say its weird that i have to ask her to do stuff, because it should naturally happen when the mood is set.


So is there any advice to solve this. Why does she not want to initiate anything, because this is a problem, becausse i feel extremely awkward asking her if i can do something. And these things sohuld not be happening in a relationship.

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Hmm this is very tough. I can see your point of view but I can also vaguely see hers though I am guessing a little bit as I obviously havent spoken to her personally however, I do have experience with people who were sexually abused. There are two points I want to make really so here goes

1) Does she seem to enjoy the sexual stuff you both get up to? She may just be very shy around anything sexual (not just because of the abuse) and therefore not like trying to initiate things because of this. I have experience of this and had to initiate things myself most of the time in my last relationship as the other person was very shy about starting things but enjoyed it when it was happening. I felt awkward having to ask/just start things but once I knew it was just that the other person was shy then I felt a little better

2) I understand how hurt you were about being told through an email but she may have felt that this was the only way she could tell you as telling you face to face would hurt her more? As for telling you earlier on in the relationship, well it must have been difficult for her to bring it all up again if she's trying to leave it in the past and maybe she didn't want to tell you until she felt totally sure that you'd be ok about it all - it can be very scary telling anyone about things like that. Being sexually abused at any age can leave the victim very wary about sexual things in the future but as the confidence grows then things should become easier, its not that its necessarily stopping her but maybe she is very scared and worried about it all (memories flooding back that upset her?)

As I said I'm guessing a little as I'm just using knowledge from the experiences I've had. I understand how frustated you must feel :hugs: but be patient and maybe try talking to her? Just offer your support as much as you can and dont try to push at having sex asap as this will probably only make her feel even worse. Hope some of this helps
Reply 2
Maybe suggest she go to some kind of counselling? Did she deal with these abuse issues when they happened?
Reply 3
Anonymous
Hi, im in a long-term relationship with my girlfriend, we have been together for 10 months, both 21 both virgins.

The problem is, she isnt interested at all in the sexual side of the relationship. WE have done sexual stuff, but only when I initiate it. Its very frustrating, because I have to ask if I can go down on here, and I have to ask if she can give me a blowjob, because she simply wouldnt.

It seems she is just more than happy just cuddling/sleeping naked and thats it.

She told me 2 months ago the reason why she wanted to wait for actual sex is because she was sexually abused when she was younger. I understood this. However i was not happy that she told me this by email , and she didnt tell this to me the numerous times i 've been round hers. On that topic, there was little communication on her end to speak to me face-to-face about it.

In my last relationship, i was with a girl for 4 months and she was really really horny, and she had no problem initiating sexual stuff (as i had no problem as well). However then i was not ready for sex. I am now though. And also i almost had a one-nighter with another girl and we got on really well under the sheets.

I find it strange that i have to ask my girlfriend if we can do things sexually. I dont think its right in a long-term relationship, even though i understand her past - it shoudltn stop her. If i dont ask, or initiate something then nothing happens :frown:

Ive asked some of my friends and they say its weird that i have to ask her to do stuff, because it should naturally happen when the mood is set.


So is there any advice to solve this. Why does she not want to initiate anything, because this is a problem, becausse i feel extremely awkward asking her if i can do something. And these things sohuld not be happening in a relationship.


You say you understand her past but you obviously dont- otherwise you would understand that this sexual abuse has affected her immensely. Shes obviously really traumatised, the reason she most likely told you by email is that she doesnt feel confident enough to talk to you about it face to face, she might even be embarassed/humiliated about it, which is totally understandable- and you must not hold this against her in anyway. You should be grateful that she confided in you, as she could have carried on and not said anything to you at all.

You just need to be patient with her, shes obviously not ready yet. Also I would ignore what your friends say; they obviously have no idea whats going on.

You should speak to her and perhaps recommend that she does undergo some sort of counselling, but if she doesnt want to then you cant force her to. Tell her how you feel but dont force the issue. At the end of the day you just have to wait until she is ready, until she is theres not much you can do, apart from support and respect her decision
Reply 4
Anonymous

Ive asked some of my friends and they say its weird that i have to ask her to do stuff, because it should naturally happen when the mood is set.


Your friends are morons. Sexual abuse isnt natural and so the consequences of it arnt going to be normal.. are they?

Maybe you should worry less about what your friends consider to be a normal relationship and instead go with what your girlfriend is comfortable with.
So you told your friends that she was sexually abused? Did she tell them first or are you just a complete s***?
Anonymous

She told me 2 months ago the reason why she wanted to wait for actual sex is because she was sexually abused when she was younger. I understood this. However i was not happy that she told me this by email , and she didnt tell this to me the numerous times i 've been round hers. On that topic, there was little communication on her end to speak to me face-to-face about it.


You should just be glad she told you, it must be really hard to open up to someone about stuff like that let alone face to face. You clearly don't understand this reason if you're still not happy with the lack of sexual activity. You should be more supportive.

Anonymous

And also i almost had a one-nighter with another girl and we got on really well under the sheets.


When was this? If it was recently then to be honest you don't sound like a very supportive boyfriend. Fair enough you've waited until your 21 and 10 months with your girlfriend but you don't seem to realise that there are problems there surrounding her past and if this almost one night stand was recent then that's really horrid on your part.
Reply 7
Sexual confidence will grow when you can talk about these things.
Reply 8
Anonymous
She told me 2 months ago the reason why she wanted to wait for actual sex is because she was sexually abused when she was younger. I understood this. However i was not happy that she told me this by email , and she didnt tell this to me the numerous times i 've been round hers.Telling you was probably a difficult step for her to take. You seem to be totally insensitive to the fact that this is a really difficult thing for her to speak about. It's likely she e-mailed you about it because she couldn't talk to you about it face to face. It's a hugely traumatic experience that she has been through and you seem to think that because it was a few years ago she should just get over it. Rather than whining that she didn't tell you sooner you should be supporting her.
Anonymous
In my last relationship, i was with a girl for 4 months and she was really really horny, and she had no problem initiating sexual stuffYes but she hadn't suffered sexual abuse. Stop comparing your girlfriend to other girls you've dated and making out that she's abnormal for not wanting to initiate sex with you.
Anonymous
I find it strange that i have to ask my girlfriend if we can do things sexually. I dont think its right in a long-term relationship, even though i understand her past - it shoudltn stop her.It is perfectly clear from your post that you don't understand. It's not something which happened years ago and is over and forgotten about. It sounds like it is something which still affects the way she views men and sex and it may last for her entire life. She probably hasn't properly dealt with what happened before and having you pressuring her for sexual contact is not going to be helping the matter.

All this 'my mates say it's not normal' and 'this isn't how a relationship should be' shows a complete lack of emotional maturity on your part. Unless your friends have dealt with girlfriends or women who have been abused I'd hardly say they are any authority on the matter. The fact that you told them about her being abused is a horrible breach of trust.

You need to grow up and stop whinging about wanting sex and instead focus on helping her start to deal with what happened. She chose to confide in you and is probably wanting emotional support and understanding from you rather than you going "OK I understand you need time..but can we have sex now?". She has told you what she wants, if you aren't prepared to give her time, space and support then maybe you aren't the type of guy she needs to have around.
Reply 9
She told me 2 months ago the reason why she wanted to wait for actual sex is because she was sexually abused when she was younger. I understood this. However i was not happy that she told me this by email , and she didnt tell this to me the numerous times i 've been round hers.


Telling someone that you have been sexually abused is a very difficult thing to do. If you haven't experienced it, it's almost impossible to imagine how difficult it must have been. Maybe it would have been better for you if she told you face to face, but it might have been that little bit easier for her to tell you through an email. Just be thankful that she told you about it. Put it this way, would you rather hear it through an email or not at all? I know which one I would choose.

In my last relationship, i was with a girl for 4 months and she was really really horny, and she had no problem initiating sexual stuff (as i had no problem as well). However then i was not ready for sex. I am now though. And also i almost had a one-nighter with another girl and we got on really well under the sheets.


That's fantastic, but you aren't in a relationship with her anymore. You have a new girlfriend now, so leave her out of it. Your ex girlfriend was not sexually abused, this means that being intimate with someone would possibly have been easier for her. It's an unfair comparrison, even if your ex was sexually abused, it would still be unfair because everyone is different.

I find it strange that i have to ask my girlfriend if we can do things sexually. I dont think its right in a long-term relationship, even though i understand her past - it shoudltn stop her. If i dont ask, or initiate something then nothing happens


You find it strange? Why? You know that your girlfriend was sexually abused and you claim to know how difficult it is for her. It's obvious from what you say that you don't understand at all, far from it. Sexual abuse does stop people from becoming intimate with others. It's a terrible thing to go through and it's something that you never, ever get over. Sexual abuse, in my opinion, is something that you learn to deal with, not something that you get over. Your girlfriend will have been affected in many ways, she doesn't do these things for a reason and to be honest, you aren't as understanding as you seem to think.

Ive asked some of my friends and they say its weird that i have to ask her to do stuff, because it should naturally happen when the mood is set.


Who cares what your friends think? There is only two people in this relationship, you and your girlfriend and it should only be your opinions that matter. So what if your friends think it's weird? Have they experienced sexual abuse? Have they been in a relationship with someone that has experienced sexual abuse? Probably not, therefore, they don't have an understanding of it either.

Why does she not want to initiate anything, because this is a problem, becausse i feel extremely awkward asking her if i can do something. And these things sohuld not be happening in a relationship.


She doesn't initiate anything because of her past, or because she doesn't want to. You have no idea what is going through her head when she is doing things with you. You have no idea how much the sexual abuse has affected her. It's very common for people who have been sexually abused to find it difficult to come to terms with it, and to become intimate with people. She needs to deal with her sexual abuse, learn how to move on from it before she can do things more freely. By the sounds of it, you wont give her that chance because you claim this isn't mean to happen, she is in the wrong for not wanting to do things, she is strange/weird, and you have admitted that you have considered cheating on her. Part of me feels like she could do better if that's how you see things. Honestly, you aren't as understanding as you seem to think.
Reply 10
She probably sent you an email telling you because she finds it really hard to open up about, you need to give her room, if you really do love/like her then stay with her, sex isn't everything.
Reply 11
I think there are actually two issues here; the first that the OP's girlfriend was sexually abused when she was younger and this has evidently affected her relationships since, the second that the poster is upset about the lack of intimacy in his relationship - I don't think that the latter necessarily cancels out his understanding of the former. In fairness, few people have any real idea of what sexual abuse can do to a person, simply because it is something that most of us (thankfully) have not experienced, so when we are confronted with a situation, it is very difficult to know how to act.

The OP needs to realise that it must have taken a lot for is girlfriend to confide in him about her past, and that doing it by email might have just been the way she felt most comfortable doing this - being able to spend time arranging what she wanted to say, not having to deal with your reaction, answer questions etc. Have you tried to talk about her past since she told you? If she doesn't want to say anymore then you really should leave it, but understand the implications of it in her life now. Just because she doesn't want to talk about it, it doesn't mean it's not affecting her. If she does want to talk, perhaps you could try encouraging her to attend counselling. If not, just be there for her, and be understanding.

I feel I ought not even have to say that you shouldn't compare her to other girls, but I will, and also emphasise that the abuse she suffered means that she is probably not like the other girls you have been with anyway (not that we're all alike otherwise, before anyone asks...), so stop the comparisons. They will only make you feel resentful, or frustrated that you can't help her more.

Did you tell your friends the full details of your relationship, or just that your girlfriend seems sexually disinterested? Because I can't believe they'd say it was wierd if they actually understood the circumstances. There's nothing wrong with asking for a little advice from friends, but don't take what they say as fact, and make sure you don't say anything your girlfriend wouldn't be comfortable with them knowing.

The second issue is that you are upset about the lack of intimacy in your relationship, which is pretty understandable, but you have to be careful not to push her. The cuddling/sleeping naked things are good, so perhaps other things will follow- even though 10 months seems "long enough", maybe she still doesn't feel trusting enough yet. It's no so much that these things shouldn't be happening in a relationship, but that you are not happy with them not happening in yours. So you have to either be patient and understanding and let her take things at her own pace, or think about whether this is really the relationship you should be in. If you feel that sex is really that important to you, perhaps you'd do better in a relationship where you are more compatible; even though it's not her fault.

I suppose what I'm trying to say is you need to look at your relationship and decide what you want from it, both in terms of sex and other factors. If you care enough about your girlfriend to be understanding and work though this problem together, then fine, and good luck. But if you don't think you can be happy in this situation, maybe you should change things.

I hope things improve for you both soon!
Reply 12
You sound like a catch! Quite clearly you don't understand the extent of the abuse your girlfriend has gone through or you would never be saying the things you have done in your post. She will still be traumatised by her experience and who are you to try and push her into things?!

As for telling your friends, that truely is low. Imagine how you would feel if your gf decided to tell your mates you had been sexually abused?
HeadShock
She probably sent you an email telling you because she finds it really hard to open up about, you need to give her room, if you really do love/like her then stay with her, sex isn't everything.


possibly you need to remain calm with her , give her your support and she be fine.
Reply 14
gracie88
You sound like a catch! Quite clearly you don't understand the extent of the abuse your girlfriend has gone through or you would never be saying the things you have done in your post. She will still be traumatised by her experience and who are you to try and push her into things?!

As for telling your friends, that truely is low. Imagine how you would feel if your gf decided to tell your mates you had been sexually abused?



I never said i told my friends that. We were just talking about sex and girls in general, and got to the question how many times a week you and your gf have sex, i said none because we havent had sex. They said thats quite odd, considering you have been going out for 8/9 months or so, and girls have sexual needs as well. And that was IT - i would never betray the trust of my girlfriend of what happened to her in the past. The conversation finished there and then.

I do love her deeply, maybe i think its best if i try and talk to her gently about it. I just want to be there for her, but I also want to make her understand Im not going to hurt her.
Reply 15
In the OP's defence:
He probably mentioned it to his friends before he found out that she had been sexually abused.
He did wait for 8 months without pressuring her - I know guys younger than him that would start getting pretty impatient.

BUT: OP, are you sure she even wants to do you ANY sexual favours? You're getting frustrated because she hasn't initiated anything, but maybe that's because she feels she has to please you, and she doesn't actually want to! I don't think you meant to be a prat, but honestly, you've been really inconsiderate.
Talk to her honestly, and find out where her boundaries lie. I have a sneaking suspicion that you're overstepping the line already.
Reply 16
I suppose the advice im looking for is how I can approach my girlfriend so we can slowly talk about these things and try and help her slowly get over it so we can enjoy the other sides of the relationship.
Tell her you love her and would never hurt her and that it is important that you talk about how she is feeling as she cant go on like this forever and that you want to help her through it. And that being in a loving caring committed relationship is the best time to air all her fears and worries and hopefully be shown that whatever happened in the past and whatever she feels she is afraid of does not necessarily need to impact on the here and now. Basically I suggest you go about in a way to help her rather than complain that you want that side of the relationship and havent yet got it. Be gentle, I'm sure you will.
Original post by Anonymous
Hi, im in a long-term relationship with my girlfriend, we have been together for 10 months, both 21 both virgins.

The problem is, she isnt interested at all in the sexual side of the relationship. WE have done sexual stuff, but only when I initiate it. Its very frustrating, because I have to ask if I can go down on here, and I have to ask if she can give me a blowjob, because she simply wouldnt.

It seems she is just more than happy just cuddling/sleeping naked and thats it.

She told me 2 months ago the reason why she wanted to wait for actual sex is because she was sexually abused when she was younger. I understood this. However i was not happy that she told me this by email , and she didnt tell this to me the numerous times i 've been round hers. On that topic, there was little communication on her end to speak to me face-to-face about it.

In my last relationship, i was with a girl for 4 months and she was really really horny, and she had no problem initiating sexual stuff (as i had no problem as well). However then i was not ready for sex. I am now though. And also i almost had a one-nighter with another girl and we got on really well under the sheets.

I find it strange that i have to ask my girlfriend if we can do things sexually. I dont think its right in a long-term relationship, even though i understand her past - it shoudltn stop her. If i dont ask, or initiate something then nothing happens :frown:

Ive asked some of my friends and they say its weird that i have to ask her to do stuff, because it should naturally happen when the mood is set.


So is there any advice to solve this. Why does she not want to initiate anything, because this is a problem, becausse i feel extremely awkward asking her if i can do something. And these things sohuld not be happening in a relationship.


Are you freaking kidding me? You absolute douche. She was sexually abused,this is OBVIOUSLY very difficult to talk about, so she told you over email. She doesn't want ot sexual things because it is distressing to her, and you expect her to do it anyway becuase you're sexually frustrated? Did it occurr to you that the reason she doesn't initiate anything is because she doesn't want anything to happen? And even if she does, maybe she's terrified because of her horrible, horrible past. Suck it up, grow a pair and ****ing deal with it!
Reply 19
Original post by IndigoRockGirl
Are you freaking kidding me? You absolute douche. She was sexually abused,this is OBVIOUSLY very difficult to talk about, so she told you over email. She doesn't want ot sexual things because it is distressing to her, and you expect her to do it anyway becuase you're sexually frustrated? Did it occurr to you that the reason she doesn't initiate anything is because she doesn't want anything to happen? And even if she does, maybe she's terrified because of her horrible, horrible past. Suck it up, grow a pair and ****ing deal with it!


Why did you bump a thread from 4 years ago??