This seems like a heavy flirting argument, yet it is a scientific reality. Women who have only one sexual intercourse per week or less have a 70% increased risk of dying within five years, according to a new study. Data which is established on a very large panel.
Sexual frequency, diseases and deaths compared
Medical researchers at Walden University in Pennsylvania used a giant database from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to collect information on depression, obesity, ethnicity and reports of sexual activity from 14,542 men and women.
The database also included questions on frequency of relationships in the past 12 months, with response options: never, once, two to 11 times, 12 to 51 times, 52 to 103 times, 104 to 364 times, and 365 times or more in the past 12 months. Reports showed that about 95% of participants had sex more than 12 times a year, including 38% once a week or more.
The more sex there is, the better off women are.
The team then compared this medical information with another CDC database of deaths. The team discovered that the increased risk of death increased by 197% among individuals who reported having low sexual frequency and suffering from depression, compared to depression alone.
Women aged 20 to 59 who had sex less than once a week therefore had a 70% increased risk of dying within five years. Blood samples showed that these women had high levels of a key protein linked to inflammation, which can damage healthy cells, tissues and organs. This was not observed in participants who had sex more than once a week.
A fulfilling sex life, the best remedy?
How can frequency influence mortality risk? Researchers believe regular sexual activity provides health benefits, including improvements in cardiovascular health, reduced heart rate variability, and increased blood flow.
Sex also releases endorphins that can prevent serious health problems.
Dr. Srikanta Banerjee, principal investigator of the study, also highlighted a significant finding related to mental health. According to him, individuals suffering from depression but maintaining frequent sexual activity appeared less affected by the negative consequences associated with depression.
“Individuals who are depressed but have a high sexual frequency do not feel the harmful effects of depression as much”he illustrated.
An opposite effect in men
The team thus concluded that, among women at least,
“sexual expression, measured quantitatively by sexual frequency, is an essential component of physical and mental health.” On the other hand, bad news for these gentlemen who could see it as a good reason to return the table more regularly: the association between the frequency of sexual intercourse and mortality was not observed in male subjects. On the contrary. Men with particularly high sexual frequency have shown an increased risk of mortality, potentially due to elevated levels of adrenaline and cortisol, which can increase heart rate and blood pressure, leading to cardiovascular complications over time.
All that remains is to find the right rhythm, the one in which the partners agree.