There are many scientific articles on the benefits of sex, but no one has ever conducted relevant clinical trials. All of the data referred to in scientific papers on the benefits of sex are the result of surveys. This is subjective information that cannot be proven or disproved, and subjective feelings. However, when it comes to this topic, feelings do matter. Let's examine the results of the most interesting studies.

Does sex prolong life?

In 2003 Forbes magazine published an article "Is Sex Necessary?", which referred to a 1997 study by Queens University in Belfast. The results were simply stunning: the study, which lasted 10 years, involved more than 1,000 volunteers aged 45 to 65 years. The death rate in the group of those abstinent from sex was three times higher than those who were regularly sexually active. However, the researchers may mix up the cause-and-effect relationships. Initially, the more active and healthy men lived longer and had sex longer, while their peers who suffered from chronic diseases or were simply weaker physiologically lived less — and therefore had less sex.

Matters of the heart

In 2001 the same university studied the cardiovascular system in men over 50 years old, and among the questions to the volunteers was a question about the regularity of sexual activity. Here the correlation was more convincing: men who had sex three or more times a week had a healthier heart and suffered from cardiovascular disease 2 times less often compared with peers who did not have sex regularly. It is clear that during sexual intercourse heartbeat and breathing rate become more rapid. Cardiologists from Italy studied the oxygen saturation of the blood in men over 55 years of age and saw these indicators significantly increased after intercourse. Therefore, it is safe to say that sex regularly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Does sex improve immunity?

Scientist Carl Czarnecki of Wilkes University (USA) tested whether a regular sex life can improve the body's resistance to infections. He chose more than 100 male volunteers and recorded their answers to questions about the frequency of sexual activity. Czarnecki then took their saliva samples for immunoglobulins. He was surprised to find that men who had intercourse less than once a week had slightly higher levels of antibodies in their saliva than those who had sex 1–2 times per week, and those who abstained from sex altogether had 30 % higher levels!

What about the prostate?

In April 2004, the Journal of the American Medical Association published an article about a study that showed men who had sex 20 times or more per month had a one-third lower risk of developing prostate cancer. The sensational publication received a huge response, but subsequent research on testosterone levels and other biomarkers did not confirm this relationship.

What is undeniable is the psychological factor. Depression and neurosis are less common in men who have a regular sex life. And we can say that an active sex life has a positive effect on self-confidence, mood, and activity, which is good for your health!

26 June 2021