But psychologically it’s very damaging to go through life knowing that you are literally worthless.
I wouldn’t go nearly that far. Sex doesn’t establish worth any more than money or celebrity does.
That said, there’s both a strong biological and social component to sex. It feels incredibly alienating not to have a partner (or partners) particularly when you’re surrounded by other people who are hooking up. Also, people get horny. Totally natural.
I can’t necessarily speak for other people’s experiences, but for most young men in the US sex is basically the only form of intimacy they’re going to find. They absolutely want sex for its own sake, but then you have to factor in that they’ve been touch-starved for a fair chunk of their life even if they are lucky enough to have a stable friend group.
I’ve had periods of my life where I straight up went without physical contact with another person for a month or so, with no consistent form of intimacy on top of that. And speaking from experience, that will absolutely make you question your value as a human being. Our culture is hollowed out to the point of total alienation for a lot of people, and it leaves them in desperate places.
