Scientists have found a potential link between sexual activity and mortality risk, according to new research in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
The connection pertains to both all-cause mortality and cancer mortality, the authors reported.
Past research has suggested that having sex can be good for one’s health, quality of life, and overall wellbeing. However, it has not been clear whether there is a relationship between sexual activity and mortality.
The current study focused on the United States, using data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination (NHANES). In particular, researchers looked at sexual behavior information collected from 2005 to 2016 for 15,269 people between the ages of 20 and 59. Respondents answered questions about their sexual activities during the previous 12 months.
The researchers used data from the NHANES Linked Mortality File for death information from 2005 to 2014.
The NHANES sample included 7,765 males and 7,504 females with an average age of 39 years. Most of the participants had sex from 2-11 times a year to 52-103 times a year. About 7% said they had had sex one time or less; for 14%, sexual activity occurred 104 or more times during the previous year. Sexual frequency was similar for males and females.
Mortality data was available for 12,598 participants over a median follow up of 5.7 years. During that time, 228 people had died. Sixty-nine of those deaths were due to cancer; and 29 were caused by cardiovascular disease.
Upon further analysis, the researchers found that frequent sex was associated with lower all-cause mortality in a dose-response manner. Mortality rates for deaths linked to cardiovascular disease and cancer were lower for those who had sex at least 52 times a year compared to those who had sex once a year or not at all.
The authors noted several explanations for the link between sex and better health. For example, sex is physical activity that may be compared to exercise. Endorphins, which promote happiness, are released during sex. And sharing intimacy with a partner can be good for one’s health.
“It is possible that early symptoms of diseases may predict a decline in sexual activity before the diagnosis of the condition,” they added.
A cause-and-effect relationship between sex and mortality could not be assessed, they said.
Resources
The Journal of Sexual Medicine
Cao, Chao, MPH, et al.
“Trends in Sexual Activity and Associations With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality Among US Adults”
(Full-text. Published: July 12, 2020)
https://www.jsm.jsexmed.org/article/S1743-6095(20)30669-X/fulltext#%20