If you’re curious about the answer to the question, “Is sexual intercourse good for health?”, the answer is a resounding yes.
But what about the relationship between sex and longevity? In other words, can having a healthy sex life actually help you live longer?
Keep reading for our answer to this important question, along with a list of the top six health benefits of regular sexual activity.
Sex and Longevity: Does Sex Slow Down Aging?
Considerable research points to the conclusion that having sex on a regular basis can extend your life. One researcher writes that all of these health benefits suggest that regular sex can improve “our general quality of life and may even extend our life by years.”
However, he also notes that the existing literature doesn’t definitively prove that “sexual health per se is a contributing factor for longevity.”
In light of this limitation of the scientific literature, instead of focusing on whether sex improves longevity and slows aging across the board, let’s zero in on the specific, proven health benefits of regular sexual intimacy.
The Health Benefits of Sex
Here are the top six health benefits—both physical and mental—of frequent sex:
1. Sex Strengthens the Immune System
First on the list is the demonstrated link between sex and immune system health.
One study found that people who have sex at least twice a week have significantly greater levels of immunoglobulin A (IgA) than people who have sex less than once per week. As the most abundant antibody in the human body, IgA is essential for immune health, especially fighting off illnesses like colds and flus.
The fact that having sex more frequently increases salivary IgA levels is a clear indicator of its immunological benefits.
2. Sex Lowers Blood Pressure
During sex, and especially during orgasm, your brain releases large amounts of oxytocin. This is a “feel-good” hormone that actively counteracts the effects of stress hormones like cortisol. Just as stress can contribute to elevated blood pressure, reducing your levels of stress (and of cortisol) can lower your blood pressure.
3. Sex Improves Heart Health
A 2010 study of more than 1,100 men by the New England Research Institute found that having sex on a regular basis can actually reduce your risk of serious heart diseases like heart attack and stroke.
4. Sex Benefits Mental Health
A fulfilling sex life benefits mental health in numerous ways. For instance, having a healthy sex life with your partner can improve your ability to communicate with them directly and consistently.
In addition, sexually active people have lower rates of alexithymia, which is also referred to as “emotional blindness” and involves an inability to or difficulty with recognizing emotions (this condition is often found in people with depression or autism).
Sex can also improve self-esteem and confidence because it releases endorphins, which are neurotransmitters that create feelings like motivation and pleasure. This is likely why regular sexual activity is associated with greater enjoyment of life among older adults, according to this 2019 study.
5. Sex Lowers Risk of Certain Cancers
Some studies have shown that women who have frequent vaginal intercourse may have a lower risk of breast cancer. In addition, regular ejaculation has been found to decrease the risk of prostate cancer, with researcher Graham Giles commenting that ejaculating less often may allow carcinogens (cancer-causing chemicals) to build up in the prostate: “It’s a prostatic stagnation hypothesis. The more you flush the ducts out, the less there is to hang around and damage the cells that line them.” This is yet another valuable reason to have a robust sex life.
6. Sex Helps Improve Sleep
There’s a pretty notable relationship between sex and sleep, as well. This can also be attributed to the effects of oxytocin, that “feel-good” chemical we mentioned in list item #2.
Although oxytocin doesn’t simply make you sleepy, in studies of rats like this one it has been shown to help regulate the sleep-wake cycle when conditions are low-stress. (However, in stressful conditions, the studies found that oxytocin actually promoted wakefulness—so oxytocin would specifically have these benefits when you’re not stressed.)
Want To Learn More About Life Expectancy?
The Life Expectancy Calculator team draws on the latest research and statistical data to construct impressively accurate models that can provide key insights into your own life expectancy.
Wondering how factors like your upbringing, your environment, your behaviors, and more might affect your life expectancy? Try the Life Expectancy Calculator today.
For even more educational blog posts on healthy behaviors and longevity, visit our “Life Lessons” section.
