What happens to your body if you are not sexually active?

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This article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor I Truong Nghia Binh - Obstetrician - Gynecology Department - Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.

Sexual health directly affects quality of life. Sex has many health benefits. So, the long-term lack or absence of sex can cause some problems with an individual's love life.

Sex seems to decrease the amount of hormones your body releases in response to stress. And an active sex life can make you happier and healthier, which can also help reduce feelings of stress in your life.

Research shows that people who have sex once a month or less have a higher risk of heart disease than those who have it twice a week or more. Part of the reason could be that you exercise a little more and are less likely to have anxiety or depression. But it's also possible that if you have more sex, you'll be physically and mentally healthier.

Sex usually burns about 5 calories per minute. It is equivalent to a person walking briskly. And you also use more oxygen - the equivalent of a person doing things like shoveling soil in the garden or going downstairs. Calorie consumption may not seem like much, but it is a cumulative process in the long run. And because sex can improve your mental health, it makes you more interested in participating in sports like soccer, hiking or doing housework.

Tình dục có thể cải thiện sức khỏe tinh thần

It's not as serious as forgetting where you put your things, but it does cause you a lot of trouble. That's because frequent sex seems to be linked to memory, especially if you're between the ages of 50 and 89.

Weekly sex seems to strengthen the immune system more than those who have less sex. Part of the reason may be because it increases levels of an anti-bacterial substance called immunoglobulin A, or IgA. People who have sex more than twice a week have lower IgA levels than those who don't have sex.

Sex keeps your brain in a "high" chemical that lasts about 2 days after sex and helps bond you to your partner for a long time. Without it, you may lose some satisfaction in the relationship. A healthy, happy sex relationship is when couples do it at least once a week. It can also help build trust and understanding between you and your partner.

Quan hệ tình dục ít là một trong những nguyên nhân gây ung thư tiền liệt tuyến

In recent studies, men who ejaculated less than seven times a month were more likely to develop prostate cancer than men who ejaculated at least 21 times a month. But having sex without protection and with multiple sex partners can also increase the risk of STIs.

By not having sex, you limit the production of sleep-promoting hormones, like prolactin and oxytocin. Women get an even higher estrogen boost that helps with more complete sleep. The reverse is also true: If you decide you want to start having sex again, a good night's sleep is what makes you uncomfortable.

Sex can be a good way to clear your mind of any aches and pains. But it does more than that. Orgasms cause your body to release endorphins and other hormones that can help relieve headaches, back, and leg pain. They can also help relieve joint pain and menstrual cramps.

For women in menopause, vaginal tissue can thin, atrophy, and dry out without regular intercourse. That can make sex painful and decrease your desire. And some studies show that men who have sex less than once a week are twice as likely to develop erectile dysfunction (ED) than those who are active weekly.

Tình dục có tác dụng làm giảm huyết áp

Sex lowers your blood pressure. Notice what sex can do for you: When it comes to sex, it's an aerobic exercise and builds muscle, it can reduce anxiety and make you feel better. Those sensations help keep your blood pressure in the normal range.

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Articles refer to webmd source

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You'll probably notice a difference in your libido. REUTERS/David Mdzinarishvili
  • When you stop having sexual intercourse, you might start to notice some changes in your body. 
  • Women could experience more painful menstrual cramps and a thinning in their vaginal walls.
  • For older women, the vagina can also have a hard time getting lubricated when you do start having intercourse again.

Those who refrain from sex might not desire it as much but for others, it becomes a bigger craving. Kyle Bearden/Unsplash

How not having sex affects your body can vary based on your health, how old you are, and even what kind of sex you were having. But if you’re generally healthy and have only stopped having sex because of a lack of a partner or a conscious choice (and not some other physical reason), there are some changes you could experience. You may feel either a loss of sex drive — or an increase in libido! “For some people who refrain from sex, they begin to feel more sluggish, with less vitality and hunger for sex,” says Sari Cooper, LCSW, certified sex therapist. “Out of sight out of mind is how some of my clients describe the scenario.”

Because it’s not on your radar, you may tune out sexual desires; but for others, not having sex could make it even more desirable. “You might not be thinking about it as much, or you might be thinking about it all the time,” says Lauren Streicher, MD, author of "

Sex Rx: Hormones, Health, and Your Best Sex Ever." “It’s really variable.” Try to boost your libido using these 31 natural remedies to rev up your sex drive again!

You may feel more down in the dumps

Sex is part physical, part mental. “When people have sex they're usually having skin-to-skin contact, and this kind of contact is the first primal way we as humans get comforted [as babies with our mothers],” Cooper says. “Sexual connection give partners loads of skin-to-skin caressing and touch, and can help to regulate one another’s moods,” through the release of the feel-good hormone oxytocin. Dr. Streicher also says sex can help boost your spirits through mood-elevating endorphins. Without the benefit of these natural pick-me-ups, you might be prone to feeling low — but that doesn’t mean you’ll become clinically depressed.

Although studies have shown that depression and a lack of sex are linked, this reflects an association, not cause and effect. “If you are a healthy person and you stop having sex, you’re not going to become depressed because of it,” Dr. Streicher says. “You might be depressed because your boyfriend cheated on you and your life is in the toilet, but the specific lack of sexual activity is in no way going to cause [clinical] depression, even though there’s a high correlation.” (Here are 

15 surprising reasons your partner doesn't want to have sex.)

Your vaginal walls may weaken

Those gyno visits might get painful. Universal Pictures

In women entering menopause, not having vaginal penetration can be a “use it or lose it” type of thing. “Without regular frequency of intercourse as you get older the walls of your vagina thin out and can lead to painful sex when you finally get back into the sack,” Cooper says. According to the North American Menopause Society, regular intercourse is important for vaginal health after menopause. “Older women who are not having intercourse are more likely to have thinning and drying of the tissues,” Dr. Streicher says. “A big part of this is blood flow, and we know increased activity increases blood flow.”

For older women, the vagina can also have a hard time getting lubricated when you do start having intercourse again. As with thinning of the vaginal walls, this happens as women age because of the lack of hormones such as estrogen. “If you take a young woman who’s 20 or 30 years old she’s going to have plenty of estrogen around to make sure those tissues stay healthy, elastic, and lubricated” when she’s not having sex, Dr. Streicher says. “If you take someone who’s 60 and has no estrogen, she has lost that piece of it.” Cooper says it’s important to keep things flowing, even in the absence of a partner: “The vaginal lubrication lessens with age, and if you're not being turned on through self-pleasure, erotic books, videos, or a partner, the juice can begin to lessen more quickly.” These are more secrets your vagina wishes it could tell you.

You may feel more — or less — stressed

If sex is your stress reliever, then putting an end to the activity can have a major impact. zoetnet/Flickr

Like the other psychological effects of a lack of sex, this one is tricky. “People who are less stressed tend to have more sex, but again it’s an association, not cause and effect,” Dr. Streicher says. That said, if sex is a stress reliever for you, not having could it, in fact, cause an increase in your stress level. One small study from Scotland even showed that blood pressure reactivity to stress was lower among people who had had intercourse than those who abstained. But, Dr. Steicher says, “for some women sex is actually stressful for a variety of reasons: It may be painful, or it could be one more thing on their to-do list.”

It might not be a surprise that the risk of sexually transmitted infections go down if you’re not having sex, but the rates of urinary tract infections may decrease as well. But this depends on the kind of sex you’re having. “It’s intercourse that’s responsible for potentially increasing the risk of recurrent bladder infections,” Dr. Streicher says, due to the spread of bacteria that can occur. Eighty percent of UTIs in premenopausal women occur within 24 hours of having sex, and as the journal American Family Physician stated, “Frequency of sexual intercourse is the strongest predictor of recurrent urinary tract infections.” If you’re not having intercourse, you avoid these risks.

Endorphins you get from orgasms help deal with menstrual cramps. 20th Television

Surprisingly, sex may help alleviate cramps during your period. Although it hasn’t been well studied, Dr. Streicher says the rationale is sound. “The uterus is a muscle and many women will actually have a uterine contraction when they orgasm, which will cause the blood to expel more quickly, which will in turn decrease menstrual cramps,” she explains. “Also, there may be an increase in endorphins, which also will help with menstrual cramps.” This is an unexpected benefit you lose if you’re not having sex — but fortunately, this one doesn’t require a partner to remedy. Since men don't suffer from PMS, here's six reasons why men say no to sex!

You may become less intelligent

OK, not exactly, but two very interesting studies in rodents, one from the University of Maryland and one from South Korea, found that having sex improved their brain function and the growth of brain cells. Much more research is needed, though, before we can say definitely that not having sex means you’re missing out on this mental boost. “This goes under the heading of ‘interesting preliminary research’, but proves nothing,’” Dr. Streicher says.

You retain the physical capacity for sex

If you resume sex, your body will remember what to do. Redakie/Shutterstock

Although some groups, such as menopausal women, may have long-term effects from not having sex, generally your body remembers how to do it when you jump back in the saddle. “I think that’s reassuring to people to say, ‘Hey, we’ve been on hiatus but it’s not like it’s going to shrivel up and die,’” Dr. Streicher says. “Things are going to work just fine. If they worked before they’re going to keep on working, even if you’ve had a break.” And on the flip side, here are the unexpected benefits you get from having sex.

Read the original article on Reader's Digest. Copyright 2018. Follow Reader's Digest on Twitter.

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