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sexually incompatible fiance

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  Jun-30 1:04 pm

I will marry my fiance in a few months. We are sexually incompatible and we are both aware of this. Can a marriage thrive with this incompatibility? I feel that I over compromise in this area since I have the high libido and crave exploration and passion. He is vanilla in his style - and is fine having sex once a week. He doesn't masturbate, he doesn't like oral sex. There is no real sexually passion and I'm scared about how this sexual relationship will affect me overtime. Every other aspect of our relationship is compatible and strong and I had been thinking for a while that maybe I wasn't communicating to him, wasn't being assertive, wasn't asking for what I wanted - but I do and I have. He said I put too much pressure on him - so 5 months ago I stopped asking and talking about it. I no longer initiate. Nothing is changing. At age 35 I'm hoping that maybe my sex drive will quiet down and match his. Maybe my sexual desires will quiet. He says he wants us to be sexually satisfied in our relationship but it hasn't happened yet - and I ask for your advice.
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sexually incompatible fiance

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  58.2 in response to 58.1
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  Jun-30 3:40 pm

I would not bet on this -- in my experience basic incompatibility issues -- like sexual incompatibility are more likely to get worse than better.  And, don't you like how you are now?   Why in the world would you hope your libido "calms down". 

I did not address a sexual discrepency when I married 25 years ago -- and I think that it was a major mistake for me.   I am divorced -- that was one of several significant reasons -- and there were other really significant problems --  that contributed to our inability to effectively function as a couple.   Everyone is different, and I am sure you will receive other points of view.  But, I view it as a real stone in the "marriage road" -- which is not always a very smooth road to begin with.

Good luck

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sexually incompatible fiance

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  58.3 in response to 58.1
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  Jul-1 9:32 am

Welcome to the board! Tracey Cox will be answering your question on July 6, but in the meantime, here are some links that may be helpful:

How can I tell him it wasn't good for me?

How Important Is Sex in a Marriage?

My Boyfriend Never Wants Sex!

When Your Man Seems More Like a Roommate




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sexually incompatible fiance

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  58.4 in response to 58.1
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  Jul-1 3:20 pm

Because you said the word "vanilla" you are telling me that you are highly motivated when it comes to sex, just like me. After being married for 17 years to a vanilla and being unsatisfied, we fell apart. My fantasies were considered perverse and I ended up with attempts at self-gratification. That worked for awhile but truthfully in time, it got very very old. After we divorced I did find the man of my dreams who shares in my fantasies and we explore together with much gusto. I can also say that he was also in a very sexually unsatisfying 28 year marriage.
I cannot tell you what to do but I can only say that in time, resentment will set in because you will feel unfulfilled as the woman you are. To live a life that is suppressed is no life at all.
Perhaps you should give one last shot at expressing your wants and needs. Make it clear how important it is to you because if he is satisfied with once a week now, I fear that eventually it will become 1x a month etc. Sex is important in the sense of bringing the passion to the forefront. Ask yourself when you think of your fiancee Is this as good as it gets, or this cannot get any better than this. Think about it, there is a difference.
Good luck to you.
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sexually incompatible fiance

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  Jul-7 10:55 am

I would love to tell you that I think this isn’t important and not to worry about it, but I would be lying. You’re 35 not 65 and it’s highly unlikely your sex drive will just quiet down to match his (word of warning: mine has gone UP since then and it’s still showing no signs of slowing down in my 40s!). Incompatible sex drives can and do cause huge problems in relationships. It concerns me also that you have already talked this through and still not resolved the situation: talking about it is usually a huge step towards fixing it. I think you are right to be concerned and also to address this now before you get married. First up, I would highly recommend you buy some books which deal specifically with this topic. The first is When Your Sex Drives Don’t Match by Sandra Pertot, the second is The Sex-Starved Wife by Michele Weiner Davis. They are both excellent for giving you specifics on how to deal with this. It’s got a lot to do with not making the lower sex drive person – in this case your husband – feel like they’re the ones with the problem. It’s no-one’s fault, you’re both just different. It is possible to get through this but you need to accept each other’s needs, work out a way where both of you get them satisfied and most of all, not lay any blame.

Tracey Cox
International Sex & Relationships Expert
Best-Selling Author,
TraceyCox.com

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