Does sex provide health benefits?

Medically reviewed by Janet Brito, Ph.D., LCSW, CST-S — Written by Peter

Morales-Brown — Updated on November 22, 2023
 Helping heart health
 Reducing blood pressure
 Boosting the immune system
 Reducing prostate cancer risk
 Relieving stress
 Improving sleep
 Precautions
Sex may boost certain aspects of people’s well-being and
physical health. These health benefits can include reducing the
risk of heart disease and improving mental health.

Scientific research has highlighted several possible benefits besides procreation

that come with sexual intercourse. These pluses include preserving heart health
in some people, reducing blood pressure, and boosting immunity.

Sex can also improve mood, relationships, and mental well-being.

However, several studies on the subject are now outdated, and not all potential
benefits apply to everyone.

In this article, we look at the possible health benefits of sex and highlight relevant
research, focusing on the physical rather than emotional aspects.
Helping heart health

Share on Pinterest

Partnered sex appears to have some protective effect on cardiovascular health,

especially in women.

A 2016 study looked at the potential health benefits of sexual activity with a
regular partner.

This research foundTrusted Source that sexually active women have a lower risk
of cardiac events later in life.
However, the study also concluded that high levels of sexual activity might
increase the risk of cardiovascular events in men. This conclusion contradicts
most earlier research, and further studies are necessary to verify this risk.

Males and females with heart problems should ask a doctor about how much sex
is safe for them. They should also be specific about the regularity and intensity
with which they have sex, as this may affect the potential strain on the heart.

Reducing blood pressure

The same 2016 study also measured blood pressure as one of the markers of
heart health. The researchers found that older women who expressed
satisfaction with their sex lives were less likely to have high blood pressure.

However, the study authors did not find the same results in older men.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), high blood pressure can
affect both libido and a man’s ability to achieve and maintain an erection.

Medication for high blood pressure can also reduce libidoTrusted Source and
cause erectile dysfunction.

While this does not confirm a benefit, it may show a link between blood pressure
and sexual health.

Many people with high blood pressure, or hypertension, have safety concerns
when it comes to sexual intercourse.

While it is always important to speak with a doctor, it is usually safe for people
with high blood pressure to have sex.

If hypertension medication is causing sexual difficulties, a person can talk to their

doctor who may be able to prescribe a different medication or dosage to relieve
the adverse effects.
Boosting the immune system

Some early research found that regular sex increased the effectiveness of the
immune system.

Researchers found that people who had frequent sex, which they defined as one
to two times per week, had more immunoglobin A (IgA) in their system than
others. IgA is an antibody that lives in the mucosal tissue, such as the salivary
glands, nose, and vaginal tissue.

However, it is important to recognize that this study appeared in 2004, and

researchers have not repeated it since. A new study might yield different results.

A more recent study looked at a small group of women to see if there were
differences between the immune activity of those who were sexually active and
those who are not.

The study examined their immune system’s ability to kill different infectious
pathogens at various points in the menstrual cycle.

While the results suggest that there might be some differences between the
groups, the authors say more research is necessary before drawing any
conclusions.

Reducing prostate cancer risk

An early study, again from 2004, found that high frequency of ejaculation may
reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

The study investigated almost 30,000 malesTrusted Source, looking at how often
they ejaculated at different points in their life.

They concluded that those who ejaculated more than 21 times per month had a
lower risk of prostate cancer than men who only ejaculated 4–7 times per month.
In 2016, the researchers extended this study for an additional 10 yearsTrusted
Source to continue their research on the participants’ risk for developing prostate
cancer.

This follow-up confirmed the initial findings. The males who ejaculated most
frequently had a lower risk for prostate cancer those who ejaculated less often.

Relieving stress

Sex can serve as a natural way to relieve stress. A 2019 study looked at the
effect that intimacy with a partner had on cortisol levels. Cortisol is a steroid
hormone that circulates the body in response to stress.

The researchers found that expressions of intimacy, whether sexual or not,

helped to bring cortisol levels in both males and female back within normal
range.

Sex triggers the release of oxytocin, endorphins, and other “feel-good”

hormones, which may be responsible for this stress reducing effect.

Here, learn more about stress.

Improving sleep

The National Sleep Foundation suggest that sexual activity has hormonal
benefits for sleep.

The same hormones that reduce stress and anxiety are also responsible for
inducing sleepiness. Sex leads to the release of oxytocin, dopamine, and
endorphins throughout the body.

After a person has an orgasm, another hormone called prolactin starts to

circulate. Prolactin induces feelings of satisfaction and relaxation.
Precautions

While sex can be a pleasurable and potentially healthful activity, it is essential to

remember that sex without protection can pose a risk to overall health.

People who have sex without using contraceptives have a risk of sexually
transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies. Using a condom or
other contraceptive method can reduce the risk of these outcomes.

If a person has multiple partners, they can bring down the risk by reducing the
number of people with whom they have sexual contact.

If sex becomes painful or causes bleeding, a person should talk to a healthcare

professional.

 Endocrinology
 Men's Health
 Sexual Health / STDs
 Women's Health / Gynecology

How we reviewed this article:

SOURCES

Share this article

How does sex affect your brain?

Written by Maria Cohut, Ph.D. on April 6, 2018 — Fact checked by Jasmin
Collier

Having sex can flavor our nights, and days, with sweet pleasure and
excitement, relieving stress and worry. And, of course, sex has been
key to ensuring that the human race lives on. In this article, we ask,
“How does sex impact what happens in the brain?”
 Sex influences our brain activity in ways that may impact our emotions,
Share on Pinterest

sensitivity to pain, and even sleep.

Sexual intercourse is known to impact the way in which the rest of our body functions.
Recent studies have shown that it can have an effect on how much we eat, and how well
the heart functions.

As we have reported on Medical News Today, sex has been cited as an effective method
of burning calories, with scientists noting that appetite is reduced in the aftermath.

Also, a study published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior in 2016 found that
women who have satisfying sex later in life might be better protected against the risk of
high blood pressure.

Many of the effects of sex on the body are actually tied to the way in which this pastime
influences brain activity and the release of hormones in the central nervous system.

Here, we explain what happens in the brain when we are sexually stimulated, and we
look at how this activity can lead to changes in mood, metabolism, and the perception of
pain.

Brain activity and sexual stimulation

For both men and women, sexual stimulation and satisfaction have been demonstrated to
increase the activity of brain networks related to pain and emotional states, as well as to
the reward system.

This led some researchers to liken sex to other stimulants from which we expect an
instant “high,” such as drugs and alcohol.

The brain and penile stimulation

A 2005 studyTrusted Source by researchers at the University Medical Center Groningen

in the Netherlands used positron emission tomography scans to monitor the cerebral
blood flow of male participants while their genitals were being stimulated by their female
partners.
The scans demonstrated that stimulating the erect penis increased blood flow in the
posterior insula and the secondary somatosensory cortex in the right hemisphere of
the brain, while decreasing it in the right amygdala.

The insulaTrusted Source is a part of the brain that has been tied to processing emotions,
as well as to sensations of pain and warmth. Similarly, the secondary somatosensory
cortexTrusted Source is thought to play an important role in encoding sensations of pain.

As for the amygdala, it is known to be involved in the regulation of emotions,

and dysregulations of its activityTrusted Source have been tied to the development
of anxiety disorders.

An older study from the same university — which focused on brain regions that were
activated at the time of ejaculation — found that there was an increase in blood flow to
the cerebellum, which also plays a key role in the processing of emotions.

The researchers liken the activation of the cerebellum during ejaculation to the pleasure
rush caused by other activities that stimulate the brain’s reward system.

“Our results correspond with reports of cerebellar activation during heroin rush, sexual
arousal, listening to pleasurable music, and monetary reward.”

The brain and the female orgasm

In a study of the female orgasm that was conducted last year, scientists from Rutgers
University in Newark, NJ, monitored the brain activity of 10 female participants as they
achieved the peak of their pleasure — either by self-stimulation or by being stimulated by
their partners.

The regions that were “significantly activated” during orgasm, the team found, included
part of the prefrontal cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex, the insula, the cingulate gyrus, and
the cerebellum.
These brain regions are variously involved in the processing of emotions and
sensations of pain, as well as in the regulation of some metabolic processes and
decision-making.

Another study previously covered on MNT suggested that the rhythmic and pleasurable
stimulation associated with orgasm puts the brain in a trance-like state. Study author
Adam Safron compares the effect of female orgasms on the brain to that induced by
dancing or listening to music.

“Music and dance may be the only things that come close to sexual interaction in their
power to entrain neural rhythms and produce sensory absorption and trance,” he writes.

“That is,” he adds, “the reasons we enjoy sexual experiences may overlap heavily with
the reasons we enjoy musical experience, both in terms of proximate (i.e. neural
entrainment and induction of trance-like states) and ultimate (i.e. mate choice and
bonding) levels of causation.”

Sex and hormonal activity

So what does this all mean? In essence, it means that sex can impact our mood —
normally for the better, but sometimes for the worse.
 Having sex releases a lot of hormones linked to emotions. This usually
Share on Pinterest

bodes well for our mood, but there are some exceptions.

Having sex has repeatedly been associated with improved moods and psychological, as
well as physiological, relaxation.
The reason behind why we may feel that stress impacts us less after a session between the
sheets is due to a brain region called the hypothalamus.

The hypothalamus dictates the release of a hormone called oxytocin.

Higher levels of oxytocin can make us feel more relaxed, as studies have noted that it
can offset the effects of cortisolTrusted Source, the hormone linked with an
increased state of stress.

Not only does oxytocin make us calmer, but it also dampens our sense of pain. A study
from 2013 found that this hormone could relieve headachesTrusted Source in individuals
living with them as a chronic condition.

Another study from 2013 suggested that a different set of hormones that are released
during sexual intercourse — called endorphins — can also relieve the pain associated
with cluster headaches.

Can sex also make us feel down?

The answer to that, unfortunately, is “yes.” While sex is generally hailed as a great
natural remedy for the blues, a small segment of the population actually report an instant
down rather than an instant high after engaging in this activity.

This condition is known as “postcoital dysphoria,” and its causes remain largely
unknown. One study conducted in 2010 interviewed 222 female university students to
better understand its effects.

Of these participants, 32.9 percent said that they had experienced negative moods
after sex.

The team noted that a lifelong prevalence of this condition could be down to past
traumatic events. In most cases, however, its causes remained unclear and a biological
predisposition could not be eliminated.
“This draws attention to the unique nature of [postcoital dysphoria], where the
melancholy is limited only to the period following sexual intercourse and the individual
cannot explain why the dysphoria occurs,” the authors write.

Sex may lead to better sleep

Studies have shown that sexual intercourse can also improve sleep. After an orgasm, the
body also releases higher levels of a hormone called prolactinTrusted Source, which is
known to play a key roleTrusted Source in sleep.

Researchers from Central Queensland University in Australia also hypothesized that the
release of oxytocin during sex may act as a sedative, leading to a better night’s sleep.

In the case of men, ejaculation has been found to reduce activity in the prefrontal
cortex, which is a brain region known to benefit particularly from a good night’s
sleep.

In sleep, the prefrontal cortex exhibits the slowest brainwave activity compared with
other brain regions, which supports the proper execution of cognitive functions during the
daytime.