Let’s talk about sex, shall we? Or rather, lack thereof. But let’s start with the good stuff.

We know that there are lots of advantages to having sex. I mean, is that even a question? Besides the obvious, like feeling close to your partner, there’s actually science that shows how sex can boost your immunity, reduce stress, help you sleep better, and even have anti-aging powers, among many other benefits.

So does that mean that there can be adverse effects when you go through a dry spell? It sure does.

We all go through a period where we don’t have sex for a bit—whether it’s because we just don’t have someone to have sex with, we’re suddenly lacking the drive, or we’re married with kids (just kidding!).

But seriously, everyone goes through these dry spells, and while none of these changes you’re about to hear about are serious, it’s important to know what’s happening to your body when you haven’t had sex in a while.

First off, if you’re a woman, you might notice you’re a lot drier down there. It make sense, after all. When you’re aroused, things are usually pretty moist (don’t you love that word?). But even when you’re not having sex, your vaginal walls are, in general, pretty lubricated on their own. And when you stop having sex for a bit, things can become pretty Sahara-like.

That leads up to our next point: Being dry can actually lead to you not wanting to have sex very much. That’s right—going through a period of not having sex might make you actually want to keep not having sex. Essentially, your body gets so used to not doing it, that it can significantly lower your sex drive.

On that note, if you ever notice you’re constantly “not tonight, honey”ing your spouse over and over, maybe try having sex and see if you’re more in the mood—because it could totally re-boost your mojo.

And that leads us to the third thing you’ll likely notice if you haven’t had sex in a while: it might take you longer than it used to prior to the dry spell to become aroused. Why? Once you begin a long period of not having sex, it takes longer than it used to for your vaginal tissues relax and produce lubrication. It’s almost as if you have to re-train your vagina to understand what feels good for you!

When you’re getting it on often, you’re probably going to get turned on quicker. But when you stop for a bit, you’ll probably be wanting much more foreplay. Don’t worry, you’ll eventually get back into the swing of things (plus there’s nothing wrong with wanting a little more foreplay, amirite?).

One thing’s for sure that won’t happen during a dry spell: Your vagina will not close up. We promise. And if you’re laughing, that’s a serious concern some people have! But rest assured, no matter how much sex you’re having (or not having), your body is always producing the hormones estrogen and progesterone, which are responsible for keep the vaginal walls open and flexible.

Last thing to note: It is possible for the vaginal opening to decrease a bit in size, but this only occurs after you’re gone through menopause and following a very, very long dry spell—we’re talking five or six years. So we really wouldn’t worry about that too much!

Have you ever noticed any of these bodily functions when you’ve stopped having sex for a bit? Is there anything else not listed here that you’ve noticed?