Love and Relationships

We ask couples: Do you think of ways to stay intimate with your partner?

Rappler.com

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

We ask couples: Do you think of ways to stay intimate with your partner?
Are you team yes or team no?

Earlier this week, we ran an informal poll on our Facebook page to ask people this: Do you think of ways to stay intimate with your partner? To help them feel more comfortable about sharing their answers, we just asked them to react with “love” if the answer is yes and “sad” if the answer is no.

While some answered no, even sharing some of their thoughts in the comments section: 

“Not much since we don’t really see each other every day.” 
“I don’t even know [anymore], actually. I’m in a complicated situation.”

The majority of the respondents still answered yes. And it’s good to know that most Filipino couples feel this way. Physical touch has a lot of benefits that we could all use especially now that we’re living through some stressful times.

Studies show that frequently holding hands, hugging, and cuddling helps decrease a person’s heart rate and can lower blood pressure and stress levels. Giving massages using moderate pressure can also help a person relax instantly.

That’s why physical contact plays a vital role in early development, communication, fighting disease, and personal relationships. But for romantic relationships, healthy sex life is just as crucial as these other forms of physical touch.

Sex, a topic some people still feel embarrassed to talk about but shouldn’t, is good for you – literally. It helps lower blood pressure, boosts your immune system, promotes better heart health, alleviates depression and anxiety, reduces stress, and promotes better sleep. 

It’s pretty much like exercising regularly except you also get to enjoy the process with someone you love and reap the benefits together: feeling closer to each other and therefore having a better quality of relationship and of life. A good quality relationship also circles back to better overall health. 

And these real couples can attest to that.

Gina and John, married, together for 8 years

Gina’s love language is physical touch. She would always initiate ways to be intimate with her husband, John. While John’s love language is acts of service, he would always make an effort to respond to Gina’s needs to be touched.

Their openness to communicating about their physical and sexual needs became especially beneficial to them when they suffered a miscarriage. They naturally felt afraid to have sex and get pregnant again but their healthy relationship and attitude towards intimacy helped them overcome that. 

“It helps to release some pressure because you feel loved and wanted when your partner gives you affection,” said Gina. “So, even if you’re facing challenges in your married life, you still get to “pause” even for just a bit and it reassures you that you are not in this alone.”

Apart from taking care of yourself, Gina’s tip on how to have a healthy sexual relationship with your husband or partner is to communicate your needs. “It feels great to not have inhibitions in bed. You must know how you want to be pleasured and at the same time, know how to return the favor.”

Anne and Jake, in a relationship, together for 5 years

When the quarantine was imposed, Anne and Jake had to spend some time away from each other. This was especially hard for them because Anne admits that though it was Jake whose love language is physical touch, the urge to be intimate is mutual.

While on lockdown, they would always think of ways to be able to have sex and was eventually able to do it when the restrictions eased up. According to Anne, even pre-pandemic when they would both get busy with their jobs, they never failed to set aside time for sex. 

But for them, it’s not just about satisfying their physical desires, it helps them get to know each other better.

“Some of the most profound conversations we’ve had were after sexual intercourse,” said Anne. “It’s easier for me to open up and talk about what bothers me after being intimate.”

So, for those of you who are having trouble talking about your sexual desires, Anne has a word of advice: “Understand why you’re embarrassed. Is it because you haven’t been together long enough and you feel like taking things to the next level is too soon? Just say it and ask. Do you feel loved the most whenever you’re touched? My partner had to tell me he likes being intimate and I appreciated that. It shows openness and honesty.”

Staying intimate, safely

Some couples are not too keen about being intimate because of the worries that come with it. And sometimes, these worries trump the possible benefits they could reap for their health and their relationship. 

So, TRUST RH Choices’ campaign, Do It Right! would like to help couples stay intimate without worries. If you’re not yet ready for pregnancy especially during these times, there are ways to Do It Right! This includes educating yourself about sex, practicing responsible sex, and using a contraceptive that you feel is right for you like pills, injectables, IUD, and condoms. Lubricants can also help make sex more pleasurable for you and your partner.

This way, you’ll be more confident to communicate your desires for sex and physical touch with your partner without worrying too much. By staying intimate, you’ll be able to live a healthy and happy life. – Rappler.com

Always affordable, available, and easy to buy, no matter which method you choose, TRUST RH Choices makes it easy for you to Do It Right!

Explore more topics on sexual and reproductive health on www.DoItRight.ph and follow its Facebook page www.facebook.com/DoItRightPH

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