"Do Men Who Have More Sex Live Longer?"
Sex is important to health,
according to the Harvard Health Letter.
Frequent sexual intercourse is evidently associated
with reduced heart attack risk.
But this seems to me the perfect case for reverse causation.
They’re implying that more sex leads to healthier arteries,
but isn’t the opposite more likely,
that healthier arteries lead to more sex?
Blood flow in the penis is so reflective
of blood flow elsewhere that penile Doppler ultrasound
can predict cardiovascular disease.
But low frequency of sexual activity may predict cardiovascular disease
in men independently of erectile dysfunction,
suggesting that sex may be more than just fun,
but therapeutic,
or at least, so says an editor of the Journal of Sexual Medicine
in discussing whether or not frequent sexual activity
should be prescribed to improve general health.
In men, they suggest it’s because
more sex means more testosterone.
When men make love, they get a big spike
in testosterone levels in their blood,
but interestingly, in contrast, they get no testosterone boost
when they masturbate.
This may be because testosterone increases with competitive success,
like if you win at a game of sports.
While sex is not usually regarded as a competitive event,
one's mental state afterwards could nevertheless
be something like that of a winner,
as opposed to the mental state after masturbation.
The spike in sex hormones in the blood is so great
that men’s beards actually grow faster
on days they have sex.
And, since low testosterone levels are associated with
increased risk of mortality,
that could help explain the health benefits.
So, do men who have more sex actually live longer?
I did a Pubmed search for sexual activity and longevity
and came up with Sexual Activity and Longevity...
of the Southern Green Stink Bug:
our taxpayer dollars hard at work.
But, I was less interested in whether or not screwworms
live up to their namesake,
and more interested in this: sex and death.
A study whose objective was to examine the relation
between frequency of orgasm and mortality.
They found that men with high orgasmic frequency
appeared to cut their risk of premature death in half.
And apparently, the more the better,
a 36% drop in mortality odds
for every additional 100 orgasms a year.
Conclusion?
Sexual activity seems to have a protective effect on men’s health,
but not, it appears, if you cheat.
Unfaithfulness in men seems to be associated
with a higher risk of major cardiovascular events,
like heart attacks and strokes.
Extramarital sex may be hazardous and stressful,
because the lover may be younger and more exuberant,
and secret sexual encounters may be more stressful.
In a large autopsy series, the majority of cases of sudden death
during sex occurred in men having extramarital intercourse.
The absolute risk is low;
only one out of 580 men might be expected to suffer such a death,
but for those at high risk, sex in familiar surroundings,
at a comfortable room temperature, and with one's usual partner may be safer.
And, speaking of safe sex,
you thought drinking and driving was bad …
While it is generally assumed that sexual behavior
happens in PARKED cars,
there is little discussion in the research literature
of sexual activity in MOVING vehicles.
About 1 in 5 college students report engaging in sex
while driving,
nearly half while going more than 60 miles an hour,
including feats likely involving distraction.
Researchers suggest maybe this is something that
should be warned about in health class.
When done right, though, love may protect your lover’s life.
Given the benefits of sexual activity,
intervention programs could be considered,
perhaps based on the “At least five a day” campaign
aimed at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption—
although the numerical imperative may have to be adjusted.