A recent study, based on data from the 2005-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) in the US, found that women who rarely engage in sexual activity face a higher risk of death compared to those who have sex at least once once a week.
Furthermore, depressed people who had sex much less than once a week had a much higher risk of dying than those who had sex about once a week. The findings were published in the Journal of Psychosexual Health.
Specifically, it found that women aged 20 to 59 who had sex less than once a week had a 70% higher risk of dying within five years compared to those who had sex more than once a week.
Women who had less sex were found to have increased levels of a protein linked to inflammation, which can cause damage to healthy cells, tissues and organs.
The study authors from Walden University in Pennsylvania believe that sex contributes to good heart health, “possibly by reducing heart rate variability and increasing blood flow.”
They concluded that “there are benefits for women who have sex more than once a week or about four times a month.”
Frequent sex has been shown to offer many health benefits. It helps to reduce stress and improve mood through the release of endorphins and oxytocin. It can also strengthen the immune system, making the body more resistant to infections and diseases.
However, the researchers were quick to note that while sex may improve health, the findings could also indicate that people in poor health are less able to have sex.
To find subjects for the study the team used a large database from the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) of survey data, including information on depression, obesity, ethnicity and reports of sexual activity.
Also included in the database were responses to the question: “In the past 12 months, how many times did you have vaginal or anal sex?”
Options included: never, once, two to 11 times, 12 to 51 times, 52 to 103 times, 104 to 364 times, and 365 times or more in the past 12 months.
The reports showed that about 95% of the participants had sex more than 12 times a year, while 38% did it once a week or more.
Interestingly, the team also found that depressed people who had sex less than once a week had a 197% risk of premature death.
Dr. Srikanta Banerjee, one of the authors of the study, hypothesized that this is because “people with depression but high sexual frequency do not feel the harmful effects of depression as much. “Sex releases endorphins that can prevent serious health effects,” she told DailyMail.com.
The dangers for men of excess
On the other hand, the study revealed that men who had a lot of sex did themselves more harm than good.
“Men with high sexual frequency,” the researchers wrote, “were six times more likely to experience increased mortality than women.”
This was true even when the scientists removed variables such as health, behavior, occupation, income and ethnicity.
During sex, the body releases adrenaline and cortisol into the bloodstream, causing the heart rate and blood pressure to increase. Therefore, having sex many times also increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, as has been found from time to time by studies and research.
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