Two Indiana University studies conducted among nationally
representative samples of adult American men and women show that vibrator
use during sexual interactions is common, with use being reported by
approximately 53 percent of women and 45 percent of men ages 18 to 60. Not
only is vibrator use common, but the two studies also show that vibrator use
is associated with more positive sexual function and being more proactive in
caring for one's sexual health.
ScienceDaily
June 29, 2009
The studies, led by researchers at the Center for Sexual Health Promotion in
IU's School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation, are the first to
publish data about vibrator use from nationally representative samples of
the U.S. population. This lack of data has existed despite a longstanding
practice by many physicians and therapists to recommend vibrator use to help
treat sexual dysfunctions or to improve sexual enjoyment.
One study surveyed women. The other surveyed men. Both were published this
week by the "Journal of Sexual Medicine," a leading peer-reviewed journal in
the area of urology and sexual health.
"The study about women's vibrator use affirms what many doctors and
therapists have known for decades -- that vibrator use is common, it's
linked to positive sexual function such as desire and ease of orgasm, and
it's rarely associated with any side effects," said Debby Herbenick,
associate director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion.
Michael Reece, director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion, said the
studies are important for the contributions they make to an understanding of
the sexual behaviors and sexual health of adults in today's society.
"The study about male vibrator use is additionally important because it
shows that vibrator use is also common among men, something that has not
been documented before," Reece said. "Also, both studies help us to further
understand the way in which American consumers are turning to the
marketplace for products that promote their sexual health, and that has
important economic implications."
The studies are the first to document insights into how and why people use
vibrators, examine side effects and to explore associations with sexual
health behaviors, sexual enjoyment and quality of life measures.
The studies were funded by Church & Dwight Co. Inc., maker of Trojan® brand
sexual health products. Here are some of the findings from the studies,
which involve survey responses from 2,056 women and 1,047 men ages 18-60.
For women
More than half of the women (52.5 percent) had used a vibrator with nearly
one in four having done so in the past month.
Vibrator users were significantly more likely to have had a gynecological
exam during the past year and to have performed genital self-examination
during the previous month.
Vibrator use was positively related to several aspects of sexual function
(desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm, pain and overall function) with
recent vibrator users scoring themselves higher on most sexual function
domains, suggesting more positive sexual function.
Most women (71.5 percent) reported having never experienced any side effects
associated with vibrator use. Those side effects that were reported were
typically rare and of a short duration.
For men
The prevalence of men who had incorporated a vibrator into sexual activities
during their lives was 44.8 percent, with no statistical differences between
the rates of vibrator use between men who identified as heterosexual and
those who identified as gay or bisexual.
Heterosexual men most commonly reported having used vibrators during
foreplay or intercourse with a female partner, with 91 percent of those who
had used a vibrator reporting that they had done so during such activities
with women.
Of men who have used vibrators, 10 percent had done so in the past month,
14.2 percent in the past year and 20.5 percent more than one year ago.
Men who reported having used vibrators, particularly those with more recent
use, were more likely to report participation in sexual health promoting
behaviors, such as testicular self-exam.
Men who had used vibrators recently also scored themselves higher on four of
the five domains of sexual function, as measured by the International Index
of Erectile Function (erectile function, intercourse satisfaction, orgasmic
function and sexual desire).
The study specifically sought to establish nationally representative rates
of vibrator use among men and women in the United States. Vibrators are
electrical devices that produce pulses of variable amplitude and frequency
to enhance sexual arousal in men and women by stimulating the genitals.
Marketed widely to women through the Internet, women's magazines, boutiques
and in-home sex toy parties, they also are available in drug stores and
other mainstream retailers.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Journal references:
1.Reece et al. Prevalence and Characteristics of Vibrator Use by Men in the
United States. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2009; 6 (7): 1867 DOI:
10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01290.x
2.Herbenick et al. Prevalence and Characteristics of Vibrator Use by Women
in the United States: Results from a Nationally Representative Study.
Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2009; 6 (7): 1857 DOI:
10.1111/j.1743-6109.2009.01318.x
Adapted from materials provided by Indiana University.
Pupils told: Sex every day
keeps the GP away
A National Health Service leaflet is advising school pupils
that they have a “right” to an enjoyable sex life and that regular
intercourse can be good for their cardiovascular health.
The Sunday Times
July 12, 2009
The advice appears in guidance circulated to parents, teachers and youth
workers, and is intended to update sex education by telling pupils about the
benefits of sexual pleasure. For too long, say its authors, experts have
concentrated on the need for “safe sex” and loving relationships while
ignoring the main reason that many people have sex, that is, for enjoyment.
The document, called Pleasure, has been drawn up by NHS Sheffield, although
it is also being circulated outside the city.
Alongside the slogan “an orgasm a day keeps the doctor away”, it says:
“Health promotion experts advocate five portions of fruit and veg a day and
30 minutes’ physical activity three times a week. What about sex or
masturbation twice a week?”
Steve Slack, director of the Centre for HIV and Sexual Health at NHS
Sheffield, who is one of the authors, argues that, far from promoting
teenage sex, it could encourage young people to delay losing their virginity
until they are sure they will enjoy the experience.
Slack believes that as long as teenagers are fully informed about sex and
are making their decisions free of peer pressure and as part of a caring
relationship, they have as much right as an adult to a good sex life.
Anthony Seldon, master of Wellington College, Berkshire, who introduced
classes in emotional wellbeing, said the approach was “deplorable”.
Sex isn't just fun, it's healthy
Want a simple way to increase your longevity? Try sex. It's
one of the most fun things we humans can do.
February 27th, 2009 The Sacramento Bee
But first of all, safe sex - or more accurately, "safer sex" - is using
techniques and products to reduce the risk of infection or pregnancies from
intercourse. Products shown to reduce the transmission of infections include
condoms or protective barriers such as dental dams and female condoms.
Most of us don't need a medical excuse to have sex, but for those of you who
need arm-twisting, here are some important reasons to get playful:
Sex may reduce pain: The chemical oxytocin is released from the brain during
orgasm, and this in turn seems to release endorphins into the body.
Endorphins are the body's natural painkillers.
Sex may decrease the incidence of prostate cancer: A study published in the
British Journal of Urology in 2003 found that men in their 20s could reduce
their chances of prostate cancer by ejaculating more than five times a week.
Sex may prevent illnesses such as colds and flus: A 1999 study at Wilkes
University in Pennsylvania found that people who have sex one or two times a
week had higher levels of immunoglobulin A, the immune cell protein that
protects against viral illnesses.
Sex seems to prolong life: A 1997 study from the British Medical Journal
followed 1,000 men over 10 years and found that men who had a higher
frequency of orgasm had half the death rate of those with fewer orgasms.
Sex burns calories: perhaps 200 calories.
Sex gives muscles a workout: Muscles in the pelvic floor (the ones that help
bladder control) are strengthened during sex. Muscles in the back, thighs,
glutes, abs and arms can get a workout.
That's great, you may say, but you're older now, and your sex drive has
tanked a bit. Remember that intention is the most powerful force at work
when you want to bring something into your life. Make it your intention to
have a passionate sex life.
Take care of your body and live life as a confident sexual being as you age.
Here are more tips for enhancing your sex life:
• Keep healthy. Obesity, diabetes and vascular disease can wreak havoc on
sex. Avoid smoking, eat a healthy diet and keep a healthy weight.
• Get exercise. Aerobic exercise enhances blood supply to the genitalia,
which enhances orgasm.
• Try using sex toys and lubricants. The hands get more arthritic, the penis
gets softer, the vagina gets drier and the female orgasm takes longer.
Vibrators and lubricants are a great ways to get around these challenges.
Erectile dysfunction is common after the age of 50. Fortunately, lots of
treatments are available, so talk to your doctor.
Youths who promise abstinence are also
less likely to use protection
The Washington Post
Dec. 29, 2008
Teenagers who pledge to remain virgins until marriage are
just as likely to have premarital sex as those who do not promise abstinence
and are significantly less likely to use condoms and other forms of birth
control when they do, according to a study released today.
The new analysis of data from a large federal survey found that more than
half of youths became sexually active before marriage regardless of whether
they had taken a "virginity pledge," but that the percentage who took
precautions against pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases was 10 points
lower for pledgers than for non-pledgers.
"Taking a pledge doesn't seem to make any difference at all in any sexual
behavior," said Janet E. Rosenbaum of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Public Health, whose report appears in the January issue of the journal
Pediatrics. "But it does seem to make a difference in condom use and other
forms of birth control that is quite striking."
The study is the latest in a series that have raised questions about
programs that focus on encouraging abstinence until marriage, including
those that specifically ask students to publicly declare their intention to
remain virgins. The new analysis, however, goes beyond earlier analyses by
focusing on teens who had similar values about sex and other issues before
they took a virginity pledge.
"Previous studies would compare a mixture of apples and oranges," Rosenbaum
said. "I tried to pull out the apples and compare only the apples to other
apples."
The findings are reigniting the debate about the effectiveness of
abstinence-focused sexual education just as Congress and the new Obama
administration are about to reconsider the more than $176 million in annual
funding for such programs.
"This study again raises the issue of why the federal government is
continuing to invest in abstinence-only programs," said Sarah Brown of the
National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy. "What have we
gained if we only encourage young people to delay sex until they are older,
but then when they do become sexually active — and most do well before
marriage — they don't protect themselves or their partners?"
'Get real about sex education'
James Wagoner of the advocacy group Advocates for Youth agreed: "The
Democratic Congress needs to get its head out of the sand and get real about
sex education in America."
Proponents of such programs, however, dismissed the study as flawed and
argued that programs that focus on abstinence go much further than simply
asking youths to make a one-time promise to remain virgins.
"It is remarkable that an author who employs rigorous research methodology
would then compromise those standards by making wild, ideologically tainted
and inaccurate analysis regarding the content of abstinence education
programs," said Valerie Huber of the National Abstinence Education
Association.
Rosenbaum analyzed data collected by the federal government's National
Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which gathered detailed information
from a representative sample of about 11,000 students in grades seven
through 12 in 1995, 1996 and 2001.
Although researchers have analyzed data from that survey before to examine
abstinence education programs, the new study is the first to use a more
stringent method to account for other factors that could influence the
teens' behavior, such as their attitudes about sex before they took the
pledge.
100 variables
Rosenbaum focused on about 3,400 students who had not had sex or taken a
virginity pledge in 1995. She compared 289 students who were 17 years old on
average in 1996, when they took a virginity pledge, with 645 who did not
take a pledge but were otherwise similar. She based that judgment on about
100 variables, including their attitudes and their parents' attitudes about
sex and their perception of their friends' attitudes about sex and birth
control.
"This study came about because somebody who decides to take a virginity
pledge tends to be different from the average American teenager. The
pledgers tend to be more religious. They tend to be more conservative. They
tend to be less positive about sex. There are some striking differences,"
Rosenbaum said. "So comparing pledgers to all non-pledgers doesn't make a
lot of sense."
By 2001, Rosenbaum found, 82 percent of those who had taken a pledge had
retracted their promises, and there was no significant difference in the
proportion of students in both groups who had engaged in any type of sexual
activity, including giving or receiving oral sex, vaginal intercourse, the
age at which they first had sex, or their number of sexual partners. More
than half of both groups had engaged in various types of sexual activity,
had an average of about three sexual partners and had had sex for the first
time by age 21 even if they were unmarried.
"It seems that pledgers aren't really internalizing the pledge," Rosenbaum
said. "Participating in a program doesn't appear to be motivating them to
change their behavior. It seems like abstinence has to come from an
individual conviction rather than participating in a program."
'Negative views about condoms'
While there was no difference in the rate of sexually transmitted diseases
in the two groups, the percentage of students who reported condom use was
about 10 points lower for those who had taken the pledge, and they were
about 6 percentage points less likely to use any form of contraception. For
example, about 24 percent of those who had taken a pledge said they always
used a condom, compared with about 34 percent of those who had not.
Rosenbaum attributed the difference to what youths learn about condoms in
abstinence-focused programs.
"There's been a lot of work that has found that teenagers who take part in
abstinence-only education have more negative views about condoms," she said.
"They tend not to give accurate information about condoms and birth
control."
But Huber disputed that charge.
"Abstinence education programs provide accurate information on the level of
protection offered through the typical use of condoms and contraception,"
she said. "Students understand that while condoms may reduce the risk of
infection and/or pregnancy, they do not remove the risk."
Sex Really Does Get Better With Age (Just
Ask A 70 Year Old)
An increasing number of 70 year olds are having good sex
and more often, and women in this age group are particularly satisfied with
their sex lives, according to a study published on the British Medical
Journal website.
ScienceDaily
July 9, 2008
Knowledge about sexual behaviour in older people (70 year olds) is limited
and mainly focuses on sexual problems, less is known about "normal" sexual
behaviour in this age group.
Nils Beckman and colleagues from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden,
studied attitudes to sex in later life among four representative population
samples of 70 year olds in Sweden, who they interviewed in 1971-2, 1976-7,
1992-3, and 2000-1. In total, over 1 500 people aged 70 years were
interviewed about different aspects of their sex lives including sexual
dysfunctions, marital satisfaction and sexual activity.
The authors found that over the thirty year period the number of 70 year
olds of both sexes reporting sexual intercourse increased: married men from
52% to 68%, married women from 38% to 56%, unmarried men from 30% to 54%,
and unmarried women from 0.8% to 12%.
In addition, the number of women reporting high sexual satisfaction
increased, more women reported having an orgasm during sex and fewer
reported never having had an orgasm.
While the proportion of women reporting low satisfaction with their sex
lives decreased, the proportion of men reporting low satisfaction increased.
The authors suggest that this might be because it is now more acceptable for
men to admit "failure" in sexual matters.
They also note that the number of men reporting erectile dysfunction
deceased, whereas the proportion reporting ejaculation dysfunction
increased, but the proportion reporting premature ejaculation did not
change.
Interestingly, both men and women blame men when sexual intercourse stops
between them. This finding replicates the results of other studies in the
1950s and 2005-06.
"Our study...shows that most elderly people consider sexual activity and
associated feelings a natural part of later life", they conclude.
These findings emphasise the important and positive part sex plays in the
lives of 70 year olds and is a welcome contribution to the limited
literature about sexual behaviour in older people, writes Professor Peggy
Kleinplatz from the University of Ottawa in Canada.
It will hopefully highlight the need for doctors to be trained to ask all
patients, regardless of age, about their sexual concerns, she adds.
Erectile dysfunction lower in men who
have intercourse more often
Having intercourse more often may help prevent the development of
erectile dysfunction (ED). A study published in the July 2008 issue of The
American Journal of Medicine reports that researchers have found that men
who had intercourse more often were less likely to develop ED.
07/02/2008
Science Blog
Analyzing a five-year study of 989 men aged 55 to 75 years from Pirkanmaa,
Finland, the investigators observed that men reporting intercourse less than
once per week at baseline had twice the incidence of erectile dysfunction
compared with those reporting intercourse once per week. Further, the risk
of erectile dysfunction was inversely related to the frequency of
intercourse.
Other factors that may affect the incidence of ED, such as age, chronic
medical conditions (diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cerebrovascular
disease and depression), body mass index and smoking were included in the
analysis of the data.
Erectile dysfunction incidence was 79 cases per 1000 in men who had reported
sexual intercourse less than once per week, dropping to 32 cases per 1000 in
men reporting intercourse once per week and falling
further to 16 per 1000 in those reporting intercourse 3 or more times per
week.
In addition, the frequency of morning erections predicted the development of
complete erectile dysfunction, with an approximate 2.5-fold risk among those
with less than 1 morning erection per week compared with 2 to 3 morning
erections per week
Writing in the article, Juha Koskimäki, MD, PhD, Tampere University
Hospital, Department of Urology, Tampere, Finland, states; "Regular
intercourse has an important role in preserving erectile function among
elderly men, whereas morning erection does not exert a similar effect.
Continued sexual activity decreases the incidence of erectile dysfunction in
direct proportion to coital frequency."
The study clearly indicates that regular intercourse protects men from the
development of erectile dysfunction, which may, in turn, impact general
health and quality of life. The investigators advise clinicians to support
the sexual activity of their patients.
Reality check: 95 percent of Americans
had premarital sex
More than nine out of 10 Americans, men and women
alike, have had premarital sex, according to a new study. The high rates
extend even to women born in the 1940s, challenging perceptions that people
were more chaste in the past.
NEW YORK Dec 2006
"This is reality-check research," said the study's author, Lawrence Finer.
"Premarital sex is normal behavior for the vast majority of Americans, and
has been for decades."
Finer is a research director at the Guttmacher Institute, a private New
York-based think tank that studies sexual and reproductive issues and which
disagrees with government-funded programs that rely primarily on
abstinence-only teachings. The study, released Tuesday, appears in the new
issue of Public Health Reports. (Sex by the numbers)
The study, examining how sexual behavior before marriage has changed over
time, was based on interviews conducted with more than 38,000 people --
about 33,000 of them women -- in 1982, 1988, 1995 and 2002 for the federal
National Survey of Family Growth. According to Finer's analysis, 99 percent
of the respondents had had sex by age 44, and 95 percent had done so before
marriage.
Even among a subgroup of those who abstained from sex until at least age 20,
four-fifths had had premarital sex by age 44, the study found.
Finer said the likelihood of Americans having sex before marriage has
remained stable since the 1950s, though people now wait longer to get
married and thus are sexually active as singles for extensive periods.
The study found women virtually as likely as men to engage in premarital
sex, even those born decades ago. Among women born between 1950 and 1978, at
least 91 percent had had premarital sex by age 30, he said, while among
those born in the 1940s, 88 percent had done so by age 44.
"The data clearly show that the majority of older teens and adults have
already had sex before marriage, which calls into question the federal
government's funding of abstinence-only-until-marriage programs for 12- to
29-year-olds," Finer said.
Under the Bush administration, such programs have received hundreds of
millions of dollars in federal funding.
"It would be more effective," Finer said, "to provide young people with the
skills and information they need to be safe once they become sexually active
-- which nearly everyone eventually will."
Wade Horn, assistant secretary for children and families at the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, defended the abstinence-only
approach for teenagers.
"One of its values is to help young people delay the onset of sexual
activity," he said. "The longer one delays, the fewer lifetime sex partners
they have, and the less the risk of contracting sexually transmitted
disease."
He insisted there was no federal mission against premarital sex among
adults.
"Absolutely not," Horn said. "The Bush administration does not believe the
government should be regulating or stigmatizing the behavior of adults."
Horn said he found the high percentages of premarital sex cited in the study
to be plausible, and expressed hope that society would not look askance at
the small minority that chooses to remain abstinent before marriage.
However, Janice Crouse of Concerned Women for America, a conservative group
which strongly supports abstinence-only education, said she was skeptical of
the findings.
"Any time I see numbers that high, I'm a little suspicious," she said. "The
numbers are too pat."
Erotic Images Elicit Strong Response From
Brain
A new study suggests the brain is quickly turned on and
"tuned in" when a person views erotic images`
Science Daily
June 13, 2006
A brain map illustrates different levels of activity as brain circuits
process erotic and neutral visual materials 185 milliseconds after a picture
is viewed. Red zones represent the highest activity levels in the brain
regions processing erotic pictures. (Image courtesy of Washington University
School of Medicine)Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine
in St. Louis measured brainwave activity of 264 women as they viewed a
series of 55 color slides that contained various scenes from water skiers to
snarling dogs to partially-clad couples in sensual poses.
What they found may seem like a "no brainer." When study volunteers viewed
erotic pictures, their brains produced electrical responses that were
stronger than those elicited by other material that was viewed, no matter
how pleasant or disturbing the other material may have been. This difference
in brainwave response emerged very quickly, suggesting that different neural
circuits may be involved in the processing of erotic images.
"That surprised us," says first author Andrey P. Anokhin, Ph.D., research
assistant professor of psychiatry. "We believed both pleasant and disturbing
images would evoke a rapid response, but erotic scenes always elicited the
strongest response."
As subjects looked at the slides, electrodes on their scalps measured
changes in the brain's electrical activity called event-related potentials (ERPs).
The researchers learned that regardless of a picture's content, the brain
acts very quickly to classify the visual image. The ERPs begin firing in the
brain's cortex long before a person is conscious of whether they are seeing
a picture that is pleasant, unpleasant or neutral.
But when the picture is erotic, ERPs begin firing within 160 milliseconds,
about 20 percent faster than occurred with any of the other pictures. Soon
after, the ERPs begin to diverge, with processing taking place in different
brain structures for erotic pictures than those that process the other
images.
"When we present a stimulus to a subject for example, when a picture
appears on a screen it changes ongoing brain activity in certain ways, and
we can detect those changes," Anokhin says.
Pictures appeared on a screen at 12 to 18 second intervals, and each picture
remained on the screen for about 6 seconds. The subjects were instructed to
do nothing other than look at the pictures.
A great deal of past research has suggested that men are more visual
creatures than women and get more aroused by erotic images than women.
Anokhin says the fact that the women's brains in this study exhibited such a
quick response to erotic pictures suggests that, perhaps for evolutionary
reasons, our brains are programmed to preferentially respond to erotic
material.
"Usually men subjectively rate erotic material much higher than women," he
says. "So based on those data we would expect lower responses in women, but
that was not the case. Women have responses as strong as those seen in men."
Because the electroencephalogram (EEG) technology cannot pinpoint specific
brain structures involved in this visual processing, Anokhin says it's not
clear exactly which circuits are reacting to these visual scenes. Recent
studies in primates recorded the electrical activity of single neural cells
within the brain and have shown that the frontal cortex contains neurons
that can discriminate between different categories of visual objects such as
dogs versus cats. Whether or not the human prefrontal cortex contains
special neurons that are "tuned" for sex remains a subject for future
studies.
"The newer and more advanced technologies such as MRI and PET provide much
better spatial resolution," he says. "Those methods can better localize
areas of brain activity, but ERPs have a much better temporal resolution.
The EEG can record neuronal activity in real time. When measuring activity
in milliseconds, any delay is undesirable."
Most of Anokhin's research is centered on the genetic and neurobiological
bases of behavioral traits that might be associated with increased
vulnerability to alcoholism and addictive disorders. He believes this study
could contribute to that work by detecting differences between responses to
images with different emotional significance. Because many psychiatric
disorders also are associated with poor processing of signals associated
with reward and pleasure, as well as sexual disturbances, he believes the
way the brain processes emotional pictures, including erotic materials,
might help scientists better understand some forms of mental illness.
Anokhin AP, Golosheykin S, Sirevaag E, Kristjansson S, Rohrbaugh JW, Heath
AC. Rapid discrimination of visual scene content in the human brain. Brain
Research, doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2006.03.108, available on-line May 18,
2006.
Funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes
of Health.
Equality Makes for Better Sex
Japanese adults can't get enough satisfaction, but Austria's
mojo is working.
Associated Press
19 April 2006
Sex is more satisfying in countries where women and men are considered
equal, according to an international study of people between the ages of 40
and 80 by researchers at the University of Chicago.
Austria topped the list of 29 nations studied with 71 percent of those
surveyed reported being satisfied with their sex lives.
Spain, Canada, Belgium and the United States also reported high rates of
satisfaction.
The lowest satisfaction rate -- 25.7 percent -- was reported in Japan.
The study was led by sociologist Edward Laumann, considered a top authority
on the sociology of sex, who believes the findings show that relationships
based on equality lead to more satisfaction for both genders.
"Male-centered cultures where sexual behavior is more oriented toward
procreation tend to discount the importance of sexual pleasure for women,''
Laumann said.
"When mama's not happy, nobody's happy,'' he said.
The study appears in the April issue of the Archives of Sexual Behavior. It
was funded by Pfizer, which makes the impotence drug Viagra.
Researchers surveyed 27,500 people by phone, in person or by mail, depending
on local practices. The difference in questioning methods was one of the
study's limitations, the researchers noted.
A nation's level of health and education could contribute to the findings,
said John DeLamater, a professor at the University of Wisconsin and editor
of the International Journal of Sex Research, who was not involved in the
research.
"It's conceivable that people in developed countries have more information
about sexuality. And they're also healthier,'' DeLamater said. "Being better
informed, and being in better shape, they may be more able to maintain a
satisfying sex life.''
"Saving yourself" before thebig game, the big
business deal, the big hoedown or the big bakeoff mayindeed confer some moral benefit. But corporeally it does absolutely
zip.There's no evidence it sharpens your
competitive edge. The best that modernscience can
say for sexual abstinence is that it's harmless when practicedin moderation. Having regular and enthusiastic sex, by contrast,
confers ahost of measurable physiological
advantages, be you male or female. (Thisassumes
that you are engaging in sex without contracting a sexuallytransmitted disease.)
In one of the most credible studies correlating overall health with sexualfrequency, Queens University in Belfast tracked the mortality of
about 1,000middle-aged men over the course of a
decade. The study was designed tocompare persons
of comparable circumstances, age and health. Its findings,published in 1997 in the British Medical Journal, were that men who
reportedthe highest frequency of orgasm enjoyed a
death rate half that of thelaggards. Other
studies (some rigorous, some less so) purport to show thathaving sex even a few times a week has an associative or causal
relationshipwith the following:
- Improved sense of smell: After sex, production of the hormone prolactinsurges. This in turn causes stem cells in the brain to develop new
neuronsin the brain's olfactory bulb, its smell
center.
- Reduced risk of heart disease: In a 2001 follow-on to the QueensUniversity study mentioned above, researchers focused on
cardiovascularhealth. Their finding? That by
having sex three or more times a week, menreduced
their risk of heart attack or stroke by half. In reporting theseresults, the co-author of the study, Shah Ebrahim, Ph.D., displayed
thewell-loved British gift for understatement:
"The relationship found betweenfrequency of
sexual intercourse and mortality is of considerable publicinterest."
- Weight loss, overall fitness: Sex, if nothing else, is exercise. Avigorous bout burns some 200 calories--about the same as running 15
minuteson a treadmill or playing a spirited game
of squash. The pulse rate, in aperson aroused,
rises from about 70 beats per minute to 150, the same asthat of an athlete putting forth maximum effort. British researchers
havedetermined that the equivalent of six Big
Macs can be worked off by havingsex three times a
week for a year. Muscular contractions during intercoursework the pelvis, thighs, buttocks, arms, neck and thorax. Sex also
boostsproduction of testosterone, which leads to
stronger bones and muscles. Men'sHealth magazine
has gone so far as to call the bed the single greatest pieceof exercise equipment ever invented.
- Reduced depression: Such was the implication of a 2002 study of 293 women.American psychologist Gordon Gallup reported that sexually activeparticipants whose male partners did not use condoms were less
subject todepression than those whose partners
did. One theory of causality:Prostoglandin, a
hormone found only in semen, may be absorbed in the femalegenital tract, thus modulating female hormones.
- Pain-relief: Immediately before orgasm, levels of the hormone oxytocinsurge to five times their normal level. This in turn releases
endorphins,which alleviate the pain of everything
from headache to arthritis to evenmigraine. In
women, sex also prompts production of estrogen, which canreduce the pain of PMS.
- Less-frequent colds and flu: Wilkes University in Pennsylvania saysindividuals who have sex once or twice a week show 30% higher levels
of anantibody called immunoglobulin A, which is
known to boost the immune system.
- Better bladder control: Heard of Kegel exercises? You do them, whether youknow it or not, every time you stem your flow of urine. The same set
ofmuscles is worked during sex.
- Better teeth: Seminal plasma contains zinc, calcium and other mineralsshown to retard tooth decay. Since this is a family Web site, we will
omitdiscussion of the mineral delivery system.
Suffice it to say that it couldbe a far richer,
more complex and more satisfying experience than squeezinga tube of Crest--even Tartar Control Crest. Researchers have noted,parenthetically, that sexual etiquette usually demands the brushing
of one'steeth before and/or after intimacy,
which, by itself, would help promotebetter oral
hygiene.
- A happier prostate? Some urologists believe they see a relationshipbetween infrequency of ejaculation and cancer of the prostate. The
causalargument goes like this: To produce seminal
fluid, the prostate and theseminal vesicles take
such substances from the blood as zinc, citric acidand potassium, then concentrate them up to 600 times. Any carcinogenspresent in the blood likewise would be concentrated. Rather than haveconcentrated carcinogens hanging around causing trouble, it's better
toevict them. Regular old sex could do the job.
But if the flushing of theprostate were your only
objective, masturbation might be a better way to go,especially for the non-monogamous male. Having sex with multiple
partnerscan, all by itself, raise a man's risk of
cancer by up to 40%. That'sbecause he runs an
increased risk of contracting sexual infections. So, ifyou want the all the purported benefits of flushing with none of theattendant risk, go digital. A study recently published by the BritishJournal of Urology International asserts that men in their 20s can
reduce by
a third their chance of getting prostate cancer by ejaculating more thanfive times a week.
While possession of a robust appetite for sex--and the physical ability togratify it--may not always be the cynosure of perfect health, a
reluctanceto engage can be a sign that something
is seriously on the fritz, especiallywhere the
culprit is an infirm erection.
Dr. J. Francois Eid, a urologist with Weill Medical College of CornellUniversity and New York Presbyterian Hospital, observes that erectiledysfunction is extension of vascular system. A lethargic member may
betelling you that you have diseased blood
vessels elsewhere in your body. "Itcould be a
first sign of hypertension or diabetes or increased cholesterollevels. It's a red flag that you should see your doctor." Treatment
andexercise, says Dr. Eid, can have things
looking up again: "Men who exerciseand have a
good heart and low heart rate, and who are cardio-fit, havefirmer erections. There very definitely is a relationship."
But is there such a thing as too much sex?
The answer, in purely physiological terms, is this: If you're female,probably not. If you're male? You betcha.
Dr. Claire Bailey of the University of Bristol says there is little or norisk of a woman's overdosing on sex. In fact, she says, regular
sessions cannot only firm a woman's tummy and
buttocks but also improve her posture.
Dr. George Winch Jr., an obstetrician/gynecologist in Elko, Nev., concurs.If a woman is pre-menopausal and otherwise healthy, says Dr. Winch,
herhaving an extraordinary amount of intercourse
ought not to pose a problem."I don't think women
can have too much intercourse," he says, "so long as no
sexually transmitted disease is introduced and there's not an inadvertentpregnancy. Sometimes you can have a lubrication problem. If you have
that,there can be vaginal excoriation--vaginal
scrape."
Women who abstain from sex run some risks. In postmenopausal women, theseinclude vaginal atrophy. Dr. Winch has a middle-aged patient of whom
he
says: "She hasn't had intercourse in three years. Just isn't interested. Theopening of her vagina is narrowing from disuse. It's a condition that
canlead to dysparenia, or pain associated with
intercourse. I told her, 'Look,you'd better buy a
vibrator or you're going to lose function there.'"
As for men, urologist Eid says it's definitely possible to get too much of agood thing, now that drugs such as Viagra and Levitra have given men
farmore staying power than may actually be good
for them.
The penis, says Eid, is wonderfully resilient. But everything has itslimits. Penile tissues, if given too roistering or prolonged a
pummeling,can sustain damage. In cases you'd just
as soon not hear about, permanentdamage.
"Yes," says Dr. Eid, "It is possible for a young man who is very forcefuland who likes rough sex, to damage his erectile tissue." The drugs
increaserigidity; moreover, they make it possible
for a man to have second and thirdorgasms without
having to wait out intermission.
"I see it in pro football players," says Eid. "They use Viagra becausethey're so sexually active. What they demand of their body is
unreasonable.It's part of playing football: you
play through the pain." This type of guydoesn't
listen to his body. He takes a shot of cortisone, and keeps ongoing. And they have sex in similar fashion."
There's a reason the penis, in its natural state, undergoes a period offlaccidity: That's when it takes a breather. The blood within it isreplenished withoxygen. "During an
erection," explains Eid, "very littleblood flows
to the penis. During thrusting, pressure can go as high as 200mil of water. Zero blood flows into penis at that time." To absorb
oxygen,the tissue must become relaxed. "If you do
not allow the penis to rest, thenthe muscle
tissue does not get enough oxygen. The individual gets prolongederections, gets decreased oxygen to tissue, and could potentially
sufferpriapism." (We recommend you get a medical
encyclopedia and look it up.)"The muscle becomes
so engorged, it's painful. Pressure inside starts toincrease. Cells start dying. More pressure and less blood flow.
Eventuallythe muscle dies. Then there's scarring.
That's why it's considered anemergency."