Does Intimacy Always Involve Sex? And What’s the Difference?

BY A STAFF REPORTER

The lines can get blurred at times, but you can have intimacy without sex and vice versa. “Intimacy is more of an emotional connection rather than a physical connection,” explains Dr. Krychman, who is a coauthor of The Sexual Spark. “As relationships increase in duration and age, the sexual frequency may decline, but intimacy may increase.” But while sex and intimacy are different, they are interrelated, he adds. “They go hand in hand. Some partners need to feel loved and cared for to be intimate, and some need to perform sexually to demonstrate that they love and care.”