New Research Links Sex Frequency and Health
A recent study published in the Journal of Psychosexual Health suggests that women who rarely have sex may have a higher risk of dying earlier than those who are sexually active at least once a week. The research analyzed long-term health data from thousands of adults in the United States.
Study Based on National Health Data
Researchers examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collected between 2005 and 2010. The study followed 14,542 adults aged 20 to 59 and tracked all-cause mortality outcomes through 2015.
How Often Participants Had Sex
Participants reported how many times they had vaginal or anal sex in the previous year. Researchers compared people who had sex less than once per week with those who had sex at least once weekly.
Higher Mortality Risk for Women
The results showed that women who had sex less than once a week had a 70 percent higher risk of all-cause mortality during the follow-up period, even after adjusting for health and lifestyle factors.
Depression Amplifies the Risk
Among participants with depression, those who rarely had sex showed nearly a threefold increase in mortality risk compared to depressed individuals who had sex about once per week. This indicates that sexual activity may be closely linked to both mental and physical health.
Health Benefits Linked to Regular Sex
Regular sexual activity has been associated with reduced stress, better mood, improved sleep, and better cardiovascular function. The study also found that people with low sexual frequency tended to have higher levels of inflammation in the body.
Once a Week May Be the Sweet Spot
The findings suggest that having sex about once per week may be enough to gain potential health benefits. Having sex more frequently did not show additional reductions in mortality risk.
Different Effects for Men
The study noted that sexual frequency may affect men and women differently. Very high sexual frequency in men was associated with increased mortality risk, showing that balance may be important.
Important Context to Remember
The study does not prove that sex directly increases lifespan. Poor health can reduce sexual activity, which may partly explain the association. Relationship quality and sexual satisfaction were not included in the analysis.
The findings highlight sexual health as an important part of overall well-being and suggest it may deserve more attention in public health discussions, especially for women and people experiencing depression.
