Sex and Health: 7 Important Benefits of Healthy Sex Life on Health

Introduction

You might find it surprising to health that having sex can improve your health. It surely does you good in terms of pleasure, mood, and contentment. But to have it improve your quality of life and reduce chances of disease? That’s just a bonus.

In this article, we are going to dive deep into the recent research on sexual health and well-being. Keep reading to learn how sex impacts health and what you can do to improve your sex life.

Is Sex Good for Health?

Sex can be fun, for sure, but is it good for health too? Despite being a taboo in most societies, there is a general consensus that sex is a good thing. People seek to have active sexual lives even beyond the context of procreation. In fact, it is understandable to be concerned with the absence of satisfying sex.

Nevertheless, there isn’t much awareness about how a healthy sex life impacts overall health. According to research, there is definitely a positive relationship between sex and health. While there may be no RCTs conducted on the subject yet, large-scale observational research shows a correlation [2].

Let’s take a closer look at this relationship and discuss how sexual health is linked with well-being.

Benefits of a Healthy Sex Life on Health

First of all, let’s describe how exactly a healthy sex life can influence your health. This section will cover four areas related to health that flourish when you have good sex.

Longevity

That’s right, sex can make you live longer. Researchers have found that a person’s longevity increases if they have a satisfying sex life [3]. Further, the impact varies depending on your gender. 

While men benefit from higher frequency of sex, for women, enjoyment matters more. The more frequent orgasms a woman has, the lower her mortality scores go. So, now you know why we are biologically wired to want different things in sex!

Cardiovascular Health

Another important health aspect influenced by having sex is cardiovascular health. That includes the functioning of your heart and blood circulation. Experts have found that this particular health aspect can be different for people depending on risk factors. 

If you generally have high risk factors affecting your heart health, sex could exacerbate your problems. However, if you’re not someone with blood pressure issues, sex is actually good for your heart. Both literally and metaphorically!

Context of a Close Relationship

Psychologically, there is a deeper reason why sex can lead to better health. If you have a satisfying sex life, you probably have one or more people who you can count on for support. Sex usually occurs in the context of close relationships.

If you have relationships in your life that make you feel connected and supported, your well-being flourishes. You’re more likely to develop physiological and emotional resilience when you have close relationships. After all, humans are social animals.

Stress Reduction 

Scientifically, when we do sexual activity, it triggers the release of endorphins and oxytocin. These are feel-good hormones. They help alleviate stress, elevate mood, and promote relaxation.

Better Sleep Quality 

Healthy Sex life Improves our sleep quality. When we have sex, after orgasm, we release hormones like prolactin and oxytocin. So we feel relaxed and have feelings of satisfaction. These hormones contribute to good sleep quality and overall well-being.

Pain Relief

Sexual activity releases endorphins. They act as natural painkillers. They help to alleviate headaches, menstrual cramps, and other types of discomfort.

Overall Positivity

Lastly, when you have satisfying sex, you also tend to experience an overall positivity in life. Sex is the perfect breeding ground for intimacy and playfulness. It can lead to a plethora of positive emotions like joy, contentment, awe, love, and amusement.

Moreover, having a sexual partner gives you the opportunity to experience responsiveness. You get to witness another human being responding to you and vice versa. Naturally, that feeling of connection increases positivity and well-being.

If you Have Poor Sex health, How Does It Affect Your Mental Health?

Now that we have covered some of the ways sex can improve your health, let’s consider the negative side. What happens if you don’t have adequate healthy sex?

Contempt & Hostility

In the absence of healthy sex, you might find yourself facing contempt and hostility. This can be because of internal and external reasons, and in worst case scenarios, both. 

Internal contempt and hostility occurs when you yourself feel such feelings because of your dissatisfaction. You might find the concept of romance and intimacy a trigger, bringing out your frustration. If you are in a relationship and have poor sex health, you might experience external contempt and hostility from your partner.

Loneliness & Touch Deprivation

Of course, poor sex health can also lead to chronic feelings of emptiness and loneliness. You might start feeling like you’re missing out on something that other people are somehow able to find.

When prolonged, poor sex health can also lead to touch deprivation. In the absence of all the positive consequences of healthy sex, you might start feeling isolated and alienated. Your body might start craving any form of intimacy.

Risk of Infection or Unwanted Pregnancy

It is important to recognize that poor sex health also means having sex more frequently than you should or being irresponsible about it. 

Frequent and risky sex behaviors tends to lead to sexually transmitted diseases, infections, and unwanted pregnancies. You could also put yourself in the danger of sex addiction if you use sex as a coping mechanism to escape difficult feelings.

Sex as a Tool for Manipulation

Another way sex health could be poor is if it is used as a power tool. When sex becomes your go-to option to avoid verbal intimacy or to manipulate and control, it impacts well-being negatively. 

Sex, when done disrespectfully, or without mutual consent, can be abused to establish power dynamics. It can have a detrimental impact on a person’s mental health by aggravating stress and a dysregulated nervous system.

How Does Sexual Health Affect Mental Well-Being?

Earlier, we did talk about how a healthy sex life can positively impact health. 

• Further, it must be emphasized that apart from the physiological benefits, sex can also improve mental health.
• It is after all a physical exercise so it can increase the production of happy hormones and endorphins in your body. Being able to do it with another person does wonders in this process and allows your nervous system to regulate.
• Additionally, when sex is done in a respectful, consensual, and safe manner, it can even have a spiritual, meditative, and transcendental effect on people. 
• When done right, having sex is just another way of practicing mindfulness.

If You Want To Get Better Sexual Health, What Do You Have To Do?

If you’re wondering what you need to do to improve your sexual health, try the following ways.

Educate Yourself

Knowledge truly is power. The more you try to educate yourself about sex and health the better. Especially, if you use reliable sources of information backed by scientific research.

It can not only show you what to do to have better sex, but can also guide you on what to avoid. To boot, you’ll also learn how to make your sexual partner have a better time with you.

Consult Professionals and Experts

Your sex life can only improve if you stop treating sex as a taboo. That means you have to start talking openly about your needs and concerns. It’s always a good idea to look for a qualified expert of professional to consult when it comes to this.

The internet is not often a reliable source and may confuse you with a lot of misinformation. Pornography also does you no favours by setting unrealistic expectations. Instead, talk to doctors, therapists, and sex health educators.

Improve Lifestyle

The one aspect that’s totally in your control and can significantly improve your sex life is your lifestyle. A more active day-to-day life that consists of various forms of physical exercise will improve your stamina, flexibility, and agility. 

Eating a nutritious and balanced diet can also give your body the necessary nutrients to sustain a healthy sex life. Regular visits to the doctor, dentist, and therapist can keep you in good shape for good sex.

What You Should Do If You Have Problems With Sexual Health?

If you’ve been having problems with sexual health, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Try some of the following steps to look after yourself and see if your sex life improves.

Figure Out the Nature of the Problem

You need to get to the root of your problem. What exactly is the issue you are facing? Is it related to sexual performance, finding a sexual partner, keeping them, or are you experiencing any kind of discomfort?

It might actually help you to talk to a trusted friend or relative about it openly so you could get an alternative perspective. Don’t just believe your head. You’re only as sick as your secrets!

Reach out for Help

If you’re facing any issue in your sex life, it is a bad idea to try and handle it alone without help. You don’t have to go around shouting on the top of a hill, but you could speak to someone you trust.

Reaching out for help will allow you to overcome the areas where you get stuck. You might find some much-needed guidance on what you need to do to handle your sex problems.

Work on Communication

Since sex is a interactive, interpersonal act, you can’t go wrong by working on your communication. This includes both verbal and non-verbal communication. You need to know how to be articulate and assertive.

This will help you communicate your needs and desires as well as listen to those of your partner. On top of that, it will aid you in respecting boundaries and keeping things consensual.

Do Your Research

As we mentioned before, to improve your sexual health, you must seek out reliable information from trusted sources. The easiest way is to spend time on a search engine on the internet. But a smarter thing to do would be to corroborate your findings with expert advice, research publications, encyclopedias, and professional consultations.

Conclusion 

Sex and health go hand in hand. It requires good health to have good sex and a healthy sex life can further augment your well-being. Because of the stigma still around sex and sexual health, there is a general lack of awareness of how sex and health are linked.

Nevertheless, research undoubtedly shows that having good sex can have a positive impact on a person’s life in several ways. At the same time, poor sexual health can impact both physical and mental health. To learn more about sex and health, book a consultation with one of our experts at United We Care.

References

[1] Diamond, L.M. and Huebner, D.M., 2012. Is good sex good for you? Rethinking sexuality and health. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6(1), pp.54-69.

[2] Lindau, S. T., & Gavrilova, N. (2010). Sex, health, and years of sexually active life gained due to good health: evidence from two US population based cross sectional surveys of ageing. BMj, 340.

[3] Palmore, E.B., 1982. Predictors of the longevity difference: a 25-year follow-up. The Gerontologist, 22(6), pp.513-518.