Sex, its something we’ve been doing since we were chimpanzees, and long before that as well. It is one of our most basic instincts, not just as mammals, but as procreating creatures. And when I say basic, I really mean basic, along with breathing, eating, and self preservation.
Sex today is extremely important for our health. Yes, I am aware of STDs, but you can significantly reduce your risks… besides, walking down the street in New York city can be just as risky, if not more risky.
But I want to talk about the benefits, because often, that gets lost. Most religious types are more willing to remind us of how bad sex is… which is just very strange, why would god be against sex… so weird. Not to mention Bush’s ridiculous sex education plans that include lies like "condoms increases your risk of aids" and other blatant lies to try and dissuade people from having sex. Its already been proven that the more a teenager knows about sex, the less likely they are to abuse it or to get pregnant, or maybe even to have it. Sex education is golden.
But sex in general (if it makes it easier to think about then restrict it to adults) is good, for not only your physical health, but for your mental health.
Running 75 miles a week, and have sex 3 times a week burns equal amount of calories, which would you rather do?
Somethings to think about next time you say sex is bad:
In women, for example, the sexual act triggers the release of oxytocin. Oxytocin promotes feelings of affection and triggers that nurturing instinct. In men, sex encourages the flow of testosterone, which strengthens bones and muscles and helps transport DHEA, a hormone that may be important in the function of the body’s immune system.
The immune system is something everyone wants to be able to boost. You will see a lot of miracle herbs and holistic medicines claiming to boost it, but its all false (you can tell by the lack of an FDA approved sticker). Boosting your immune system is incredibly difficult. I was a key researcher in an experiment to be released in medical journals next year testing Yin Ciao (an herbal remedy) with splenocyte cells in mice… possibly linking Yin Ciao to boosting your immune system… results weren’t too promising. But my word am I digressing. Let us look at some more interesting immuno responses to sex. Immunoglobulin (IgA) levels are measured in saliva and mucosal linings in people to determine how robust their immune system is.
According to the New Scientist, the results showed that participants who had sex less than once a week had a tiny increase in IgA over those who abstained completely.
Those who had one or two sexual encounters each week had a 30% rise in levels.
But people who had very frequent sex – three times a week or more – had lower IgA levels than the abstainers.
Clifford Lowell, an immunologist at the University of California at San Francisco, said: "Sexually active people may be exposed to many more infectious agents than sexually non-active people.
"The immune system would respond to these foreign antigens by producing and releasing more IgA."
This may be why I get sick only once a year, and its usually stress induced (like my recent flu). Its great, you could look at regular sex as therapy, and it just so happens to feel really good. I know someone is going to hone in on the infectious agents sentence, but before you make that mistake, remember that as humans, we are exposed to extremely dangerous infectious agents everyday, but our immune system protects us from that. The more infectious agents you are exposed to that take over, make you stronger. AIDS destroys your immune system, and thats it, people with AIDS die from one of those infectious agents that everyone is exposed to daily because their immune system is compromised.
Let us continue.
Let get Forbe’s opinion shall we?
Fans of abstinence had better be sitting down. "Saving yourself" before the big game, the big business deal, the big hoedown or the big bakeoff may indeed confer some moral benefit. But corporeally it does absolutely zip. There’s no evidence it sharpens your competitive edge. The best that modern science can say for sexual abstinence is that it’s harmless when practiced in moderation. Having regular and enthusiastic sex, by contrast, confers a host of measurable physiological advantages, be you male or female. (This assumes that you are engaging in sex without contracting a sexually transmitted disease.)
More proof religion restricts you in too many ways. But I don’t want to waste time insulting religion again, just keep these things in mind when you pontificate. This is the beauty of science, it can reach levels of irrefutability. Our culture is based on sex, in fact, I have heard convincing arguments that just about everything a straight male does is for females. He goes to work, makes more money, buys a car… all for women. Straight men could survive on a lot less if we didn’t want to have sex with women.
Get ready for a big quote:
published in 1997 in the British Medical Journal, were that men who reported the highest frequency of orgasm enjoyed a death rate half that of the laggards. Other studies (some rigorous, some less so) purport to show that having sex even a few times a week has an associative or causal relationship with the following:- Improved sense of smell: After sex, production of the hormone prolactin surges. This in turn causes stem cells in the brain to develop new neurons in the brain’s olfactory bulb, its smell center.
- Reduced risk of heart disease: In a 2001 follow-on to the Queens University study mentioned above, researchers focused on cardiovascular health. Their finding? That by having sex three or more times a week, men reduced their risk of heart attack or stroke by half. In reporting these results, the co-author of the study, Shah Ebrahim, Ph.D., displayed the well-loved British gift for understatement: "The relationship found between frequency of sexual intercourse and mortality is of considerable public interest."
- Weight loss, overall fitness: Sex, if nothing else, is exercise. A vigorous bout burns some 200 calories–about the same as running 15 minutes on a treadmill or playing a spirited game of squash. The pulse rate, in a person aroused, rises from about 70 beats per minute to 150, the same as that of an athlete putting forth maximum effort. British researchers have determined that the equivalent of six Big Macs can be worked off by having sex three times a week for a year. Muscular contractions during intercourse work the pelvis, thighs, buttocks, arms, neck and thorax. Sex also boosts production of testosterone, which leads to stronger bones and muscles. Men’s Health magazine has gone so far as to call the bed the single greatest piece of exercise equipment ever invented.
- Reduced depression: Such was the implication of a 2002 study of 293 women. American psychologist Gordon Gallup reported that sexually active participants whose male partners did not use condoms were less subject to depression than those whose partners did. One theory of causality: Prostoglandin, a hormone found only in semen, may be absorbed in the female genital tract, thus modulating female hormones.
- Pain-relief: Immediately before orgasm, levels of the hormone oxytocin surge to five times their normal level. This in turn releases endorphins, which alleviate the pain of everything from headache to arthritis to even migraine. In women, sex also prompts production of estrogen, which can reduce the pain of PMS.
- Less-frequent colds and flu: Wilkes University in Pennsylvania says individuals who have sex once or twice a week show 30% higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A, which is known to boost the immune system.
- Better bladder control: Heard of Kegel exercises? You do them, whether you know it or not, every time you stem your flow of urine. The same set of muscles is worked during sex.
- Better teeth: Seminal plasma contains zinc, calcium and other minerals shown to retard tooth decay. Since this is a family Web site, we will omit discussion of the mineral delivery system. Suffice it to say that it could be a far richer, more complex and more satisfying experience than squeezing a tube of Crest–even Tartar Control Crest. Researchers have noted, parenthetically, that sexual etiquette usually demands the brushing of one’s teeth before and/or after intimacy, which, by itself, would help promote better oral hygiene.
- A happier prostate? Some urologists believe they see a relationship between infrequency of ejaculation and cancer of the prostate. The causal argument goes like this: To produce seminal fluid, the prostate and the seminal vesicles take such substances from the blood as zinc, citric acid and potassium, then concentrate them up to 600 times. Any carcinogens present in the blood likewise would be concentrated. Rather than have concentrated carcinogens hanging around causing trouble, it’s better to evict them. Regular old sex could do the job. But if the flushing of the prostate were your only objective, masturbation might be a better way to go, especially for the non-monogamous male. Having sex with multiple partners can, all by itself, raise a man’s risk of cancer by up to 40%. That’s because he runs an increased risk of contracting sexual infections. So, if you want the all the purported benefits of flushing with none of the attendant risk, go digital. A study recently published by the British Journal of Urology International asserts that men in their 20s can reduce by a third their chance of getting prostate cancer by ejaculating more than five times a week.
Wow! Holy crap batman. I really hate quoting that much, but honestly, its better than trying to rewrite what has been said, and takes a lot less time. I will now stop displaying evidence for why sex is good in this post, but be prepared for more if this doesn’t satisfy you.
Sex is extremely important to us as humans, not just for procreation, but for pleasure, and for health. It can bring two people closer to each other, or just satisfy a desire for one night. I’ve done it all, from one night stands to long lasting relationships, and I regret very little. Every sexual encounter I have had has aided in my development and maturity, not to mention my skills and abilities. I derive deep pleasure from pleasuring. I have always had a host personality, putting other’s comfort before my own, a gift or a curse however you want to look at it. In no way would I ever agree that an alternative to my life remaining abstinent until marriage would be positive in anyway. The idea is disgusting to me. Its irresponsible to your health, and to the betterment of society. Think of the good mood sex can put you in. All it takes is one day you have sex before work, and on your drive to work you decide not to flick someone off who happened to keep a shotgun under his seat… saving your own life. I know its one of those absurd arguments, but its true that being calm is way better than being enraged. After an orgasm you become tranquil and happier (that great endorphin release) which can just result in better actions. Remember, an orgasm is the greatest alternate state of consciousness we know of that is naturally induced.
So next time you want to chastise people for having sex, remember, they’re smarter than you, and are more concerned for their health and humanity than you are.
I am pretty sure Jesus had sex, and wasn’t one of his followers a whore at some point?
Sex will save our civilization.
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I couldn’t understand some parts of this article The Benefits of Sex, but I guess I just need to check some more resources regarding this, because it sounds interesting.