culture tends to minimize the importance of sex for the well-being of a couple. It is seen as optional. Companionate coupledom has many merits, and there are plenty of people who nurture affectionate relationships without suffering sexual agony. But when sex is woefully lacking, and not by mutual agreement, it can leave a gap in an otherwise satisfying relationship that is unbearable. And when we haven’t been touched in years, we are more vulnerable to the kindness of strangers.
