Breakups, work, travel, business trips… and many other reasons can disrupt the sex life of most people. As if a prolonged absence of sexual intercourse was not enough, the human body does experience a number of effects as a result of this absence. Some positive, some not so much. What are the negative consequences of not having sex?
- An unexpected cause of depression in women.
A study in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior suggests that women may experience depression, the strength of which is proportional to the amount of time they have gone without sex or have had sex only with a condom. Scientists explain this by saying that certain compounds found in male sperm, namely testosterone, melatonin, and serotonin, can affect the biochemical balance in a woman’s body. This balance is directly related to the psycho-emotional state of the body, or in other words – mood.
- Colds and flu take hold of the body more easily.
Lack of sex can also lower the strength of the immune system. Scientists at Wilkes-Barre State University found that people who had sex at least once a week got an unexpected bonus: a 30 percent increase in immunoglobulin A (IgA) compared to people who had sex less frequently. Immunoglobulin A is one of the first and most powerful antiviral defenses that the immune system can wield.
- The level of accumulated stress increases dramatically.
During sex, the brain releases some of the “happy molecules” such as endorphins, which reduce pain, provide a feeling of satisfaction and happiness, and relax muscles, and oxytocin, which brings people together and makes them relax. Thus, intimate contact helps to reduce the stress that the body is subjected to. Scottish scientists in their study found that prolonged sexual abstinence leads to significant difficulties in coping with stressful social situations, such as socializing in front of a large number of people or cooperating with them, compared with people who have sexual contact at least once every 2 weeks. .
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