New research suggests that a lonelier bed may shorten life, at least for some people. Scientists have found a link between reduced sexual frequency and a higher risk of dying earlier in women in general. They have also found a link between decreased sex and earlier death in depressed men in particular.
Many studies have sharp There is a clear connection between our sex lives and our overall health. Sex can be a valuable stress reliever, as can relationships that make it more frequent. Our sexual health can also be a barometer of our overall well-being. Several chronic conditions can impair sexual function, such as diabetesand erectile dysfunction in men can even predict problems like heart disease before they become apparent.
Researchers at Walden University wanted to better understand the link between gender and longevity, particularly in relation to other factors such as depression. They looked at data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a long-running, nationally representative survey of Americans’ eating and lifestyle habits conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
They tracked the health and sexual activity of nearly 15,000 adults over the age of 20. People who reported having sex fewer than 52 times a year (weekly) were considered low-frequency, based on other research showing that Americans have sex about once a week on average. Only a third of respondents reported having sex once a week or more, though nearly everyone reported having sex at least 12 times a year, or about once a month.
The researchers found that in women overall, but not in men, low sexual frequency was associated with earlier death (about 70% higher). This pattern could be seen along a dose-response curve, meaning that the less sex a woman had, the higher her risk of dying earlier. And even after adjusting for other factors, such as depression or existing health problems, there was still a (weaker) link between less sex and earlier death in women. For men, the picture was a little more complicated. Depressed men who had sex less frequently were twice as likely to die early as depressed men who had sex more frequently, for example.
“A unique finding of this study is the long-term effect of low sexual frequency on premature mortality after long follow-up in a large, nationally representative population,” the researchers wrote in their paper, published Thursday in the Journal of Psychosexual Health.
These findings can only establish a correlation between sex and longer life expectancy, not a clear cause-and-effect relationship. They do suggest, however, that a fulfilling sex life is essential for maintaining good health in general. In addition to the mental health benefits, the act of sex itself may be beneficial for the body. The authors note that “sexual activity is important for overall cardiovascular health, likely due to reduced heart rate variability and increased blood flow.”
So, just in case you and your partner needed a little extra motivation to get in the mood this weekend, here you go.
