When men and women marry, they give the spouse rights to their bodies. Those rights must be exercised with justice, prudence, and respect, and may be deferred for just cause, but a reasonable request for marital relations should not be denied. If it is denied though, the spouse who has been unjustly denied is not thereby justified to engage in nagging, manipulation, abuse, unchaste behaviors, or adultery. He must accept the refusal as a cross to be carried. It can indeed be a sin to unjustly deny reasonable requests for marital relations, and simply not wanting to do so because children are no longer possible is not a just reason. The wife in this situation really does owe it to her husband to seek counseling and to consider going to confession.
