Sex can be pleasurable and it is a way to connect with your partner, but there are also health benefits to sex.
Studies have shown that having an orgasm can help to decrease stress and can also help people fall asleep. This is likely because of the surge of oxytocin that comes with orgasming. Anke Hambach and colleagues at the University of Munster found that sexual activity can help decrease headaches and migraines. Other studies have shown improvements in other aches and pains, including cramps.
Sexual activity also helps to burn calories. A study done at Université du Québec à Montréal and Université de Montréal by Julie Frappier and colleagues found that, on average, men burn just over four calories per minute and women burn about three calories per minute while engaging in sexual activity. The researchers noted that although this is less than you would typically burn per minute during a 30-minute exercise session, it is still enough to be considered an exercise activity.According to researchers Carl Charnetski and Francis Brennan, young adults who had sex one to two times a week were found to have higher Immunoglobulin A (IgA) levels than those who were abstinent. IgA affects the ability of the immune system to respond to infection, which means that having higher levels of it can help protect against sickness and infection.
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Sexual activity may also reduce the chances of cancer; Planned Parenthood notes a couple of studies that have found that prostate cancer may be reduced in men who have high ejaculation rates. High ejaculation is defined differently depending on the study that you look at, ranging from four or more times per week to 21 or more times per month.
Other studies have found a decrease in breast cancer for women who engage in more frequent penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI). This may be because of the release of oxytocin and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).
The DHEA hormone may also positively impact men’s risk of experiencing heart problems. Men who had sexual intercourse two or more times a week were at a lower risk for fatal coronary events compared to men who had intercourse less than once a month. Additionally, sexual activity has been linked to longevity in both men and women.Men who had two or more orgasms a week, compared to men who had an orgasm less than once a month, had a lower risk of mortality. While the frequency of PVI can impact longevity in men, for women the health benefits are mostly centered around the enjoyment of intercourse.
The points mentioned above are just some of the many benefits of sex. In addition to improving health and wellbeing, sex can also have sexual and reproductive health benefits and positive psychological impacts.
Check out next week’s column to learn more about orgasms.
If you’d like a certain sex ed topic discussed, send your requests to tashafalconer@trentu.ca
Image by Alora Griffiths/The Ontarion