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When it comes to good health, you know the drill: Eat a well-balanced diet. Exercise. Get a good night’s sleep. And have regular sex?
It turns out that a healthy sex life can do your body good. Research shows sex can benefit everything from your head to your heart—and regions between and below. We culled through the research and asked the experts how sex can improve your health. Here’s what we found.
13 health benefits of sex
We explored the research and asked the experts how sex can improve your health. Here’s what we found.
- Stronger immune system
- Improved heart health
- Reduced pain
- More satisfying relationship
- Happier mood
- Better night’s sleep
- A stronger pelvic floor
- Possible decreased risk of breast cancer
- Delayed menopause
- Spontaneous passage of kidney stones
- More regular menstruation
- Lower risk of prostate cancer
- Less erectile dysfunction
1. Stronger immune system
Research with college students found that those who had sex frequently (defined as having sex one to two times a week) had higher levels of salivary IgA—an antibody that helps your immune system fight off infection—than students who didn’t have sex or had sex less than once a week. Interestingly, this group also had higher salivary antibody levels than those who had very frequent sex (three or more times a week), suggesting there might be a sweet spot in how often to get busy.
2. Improved heart health
Sex and heart health are connected. Men who had sex two to three times a week had a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease compared to men who had sex once a month. And studies with women have shown that sexual arousal can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which, in turn, can have heart-healthy benefits like lowering blood pressure. “Blood pressure and muscle tension can increase during sex, but in the post-orgasmic period, all of that gets released, and there’s a period afterward in which your blood pressure can be lower,” says Joshua Gonzalez, MD, a board-certified urologist who specializes in the management of male and female sexual dysfunction.
A good romp in the hay is also a form of exercise—and exercise is a heart-health booster. “You don’t burn a lot of calories with sex—maybe about 100,” Dr. Gonzalez says. “But it’s certainly going to be beneficial to your overall cardiovascular health if you’re having regular sexual activity.”
But is sex safe if you already have heart disease or if you’ve had a heart attack? And speaking of heart attacks, can sex cause one? The answers depend on your individual situation. If you have heart disease, you should be discussing with your healthcare provider which activities are safe and which aren’t. But research shows that fewer than 1% of heart attacks occur during sexual activity. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, if your heart disease or hypertension is well controlled and you can climb stairs or walk a mile without difficulty, it’s generally safe to have sex.
3. Reduced pain
In one study, 60% of people who had sex during a migraine episode reported improvement in their headache—and of those, most had moderate to complete relief. Researchers have long known that sex releases substances such as endorphins (the body’s natural “opioid”) and oxytocin, a hormone with pain-relieving effects. When these endorphins flood your body after orgasm, it may help alleviate migraine pain, and even other types of headaches.
4. More satisfying relationship
At least temporarily! Researchers have found that sexual satisfaction remains elevated in the 48 hours after having intercourse, and that satisfaction can lead to bonding. “There’s a circular response here,” says Mary Jane Minkin, MD, a clinical professor in the department of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences at Yale School of Medicine. “Sexual arousal strengthens a relationship, and as the relationship gets stronger, that can trigger further [sexual] excitement. If someone has a healthy sex life, they’re probably going to have a much healthier relationship as well.”
5. Happier mood
One of the mental health benefits of sex is that people who have more sex—and better-quality sex—with their partners tend to be happier, says research out of China. (As an aside, engaging in extramarital sex negatively impacts happiness, say the experts.) Scientists know that oxytocin, the feel-good hormone that promotes bonding, is released during sex, which helps explain part of the boost in mood that sex produces. But there could be more. “If you’re doing something that causes you pleasure more regularly, you may be less likely to feel depressed,” says Dr. Gonzalez.
6. Better night’s sleep
Sexual activity—or, more precisely, an orgasm—can flood the body with a variety of hormones and chemicals, including oxytocin, which can encourage relaxation and foster sleep. And while both sexes can feel sleepy after sex, one study shows that women (having vaginal/penile intercourse, with or without orgasm) are more likely than men to report having a post-sex siesta. The researchers speculate that seminal fluid may contain sedative-like properties.
One note of caution: “Sex requires a certain amount of energy,” says Dr. Gonzalez. “If you’re having sex late at night, when you’re likely most tired, it may not be as pleasurable and can be harder to complete.”
7. A stronger pelvic floor
There are certain health benefits of sex for females that don’t apply to men, such as a stronger pelvic floor. One study published in the journal Investigative and Clinical Urology showed that both sexually active women and women who have orgasms have more pelvic floor muscle strength than those who aren’t sexually active. A strong pelvic floor is important—it can lead to better bladder control. Meaning, you won’t have to worry about losing some urine every time you cough, sneeze, laugh, or exercise.
It also improves blood flow to the area. “There’s the old adage, ‘Use it or lose it,’’’ says Dr. Minkin. “When a woman is more sexually active, pelvic blood flow is enhanced, and that blood flow leads to more moisture in the vagina.” A moist vagina makes sex more comfortable and enjoyable.
8. Possible decreased risk of breast cancer
Research supporting this notion is very limited. The study is old (1989) and small (51 women with breast cancer were matched with 95 controls), but the researchers noted that among women who had never given birth, those who had “rare” sexual intercourse (rare was defined as less than once a month) were found to have an increased risk of breast cancer.
Better established is the connection between lower breast cancer risk and pregnancy history. Scientists know that pregnancy shuts down menstruation and its rise and fall of naturally occurring hormones that can affect breast cancer formation. What’s the possible connection then between sex and breast cancer risk? “It might be that more sex can lead to more pregnancies,” says Dr. Minkin.
9. Delayed menopause
Research involving nearly 3,000 women between the ages of 42 and 52 found that those who had sex weekly were 28% less likely to experience menopause during the study compared to those who had sex less than monthly. The researchers speculate that the physical cues of sex may signal to the body that pregnancy is possible, so menopause is delayed a while longer.
10. Spontaneous passage of kidney stones
Women who had sex three to four times a week were more likely to expel kidney stones that had been caught in the ureter than women who didn’t have sex. An added bonus: The researchers also noted that the women having sex reduced their need for pain relievers.
11. More regular menstrual cycles
Research (albeit old—from 1979) shows that women who had weekly sex had a menstrual cycle lasting an average of 29 days (considered normal) versus the more extreme cycle lengths of women who had more sporadic sex. Some researchers think the women having regular sex may have greater exposure to male pheromones—chemicals secreted by a man that act as a kind of aphrodisiac. These pheromones might alter hormones like estrogen that impact the start and end of a woman’s menstrual cycle.
12. Lower rates of prostate cancer
On the flip side, certain health benefits of sex for males don’t apply to the fairer sex, including a reduced risk of prostate cancer. The prostate is a small gland that produces seminal fluid. Research published in the journal European Urology found that men who ejaculated more than 21 times a month in middle age had a 50% lower risk of prostate cancer than men who ejaculated four to seven times a month.
Experts aren’t exactly sure how ejaculation may protect against prostate cancer—the second-leading cause of cancer death among men—but they speculate it may be protective on several fronts, including reducing the retention of prostate secretions that could be associated with a higher risk of prostate cancer.
13. Less erectile dysfunction
Research indicates that men who have sex frequently (once or more weekly) seem to have less erectile dysfunction (ED, or the inability to keep or maintain an erection firm enough for sex) than men who have less sex.
That’s not a reason to go out and have sex for the sake of sex, experts caution. “I counsel my patients that they should have sex as often as they want to,” Dr. Gonzalez says. “If you’re having sex with a partner, and the other person also wants the sex, then having sex frequently, including every day, is normal.”
RELATED: Natural cures and treatments for ED
Sexual dysfunction
While sex is a natural human behavior, your body doesn’t always work the way it’s supposed to. According to the Cleveland Clinic, as many as 43% of women and 31% of men report sexual dysfunction, defined as any problem that prevents or diminishes your satisfaction from sexual activity.
Some of the most common sexual problems people experience are:
- Pain during intercourse
- Lack of desire or arousal
- Inability to orgasm
- Inability to achieve or sustain an erection
- Premature ejaculation
- Vaginal dryness that makes sex uncomfortable
Your healthcare provider can help diagnose and treat conditions that may be contributing to your sexual problems. For example, diabetes may cause erectile dysfunction and endometriosis (when uterine tissue grows outside the uterus) can cause painful intercourse. Treating the underlying condition can help treat the sex problem.
Your doctor may also recommend a change in medication (for example, some antidepressants can lead to ED) or prescribe medications (such as Viagra) to treat the condition. Some women with low sexual desire can benefit from hormone therapy.
The bottom line: “If you’re not happy with your sex life, it’s time to talk to your healthcare provider,” Dr. Minkin explains. For most problems, there’s a solution!
