Sex for health? How sexual activity improves physical and mental health and beyond.
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| Title: | Sex for health? How sexual activity improves physical and mental health and beyond. |
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| Authors: | Kim, Kyung Hee (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Sexual & Relationship Therapy. Feb2026, Vol. 41 Issue 1, p3-45. 43p. |
| Subjects: | Brain physiology, Mortality prevention, Cardiovascular disease prevention, Anxiety prevention, Prevention of mental depression, Oxytocin, Fertility, Health status indicators, Mental health, Human sexuality, Masturbation, Orgasm, Sexual excitement, Immune system, Sex customs, Quality of life, Sexual intercourse, Physical fitness, Psychological stress, Dopamine, Blood pressure, Sleep quality, Sexual health |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this review was to synthesize research findings, including brain studies, on how sexual activity (e.g. intimate touch, solo, and partnered sex) improves physical and mental health. Besides sexual pleasure, health benefits can provide another motivation for sex. The review discussed sexual activity's health benefits along with how neurochemicals (e.g. dopamine and oxytocin) released during, before, and after sexual activity facilitate erotic motivation, sexual arousal, and orgasm, contributing to physical and mental health and beyond. This review found that all sexual activities have extensive physical and mental health benefits, particularly for mature adults. Sexual activities' physical health benefits include improving physical fitness, cardiovascular health, skin and hair health, immune system function, fertility, and sexual function while reducing blood pressure, cancer risk, pain, overall illness, and mortality. Their mental health benefits include reducing negative mood, stress, anxiety, and depression while improving sleep quality and brain function. This review concluded that (a) sexual quantity contributes to sexual quality, (b) sexual satisfaction contributes to relationship satisfaction, and (c) women's sexual health requires them to free themselves from the sociocultural sexual norms inhibiting their sexual expression and pleasure, called pleasure gaps. This review ended with urging men to end erotic inequality. Lay summary: I examined how having sex improves our physical and mental health. Understanding its health benefits can further motivate us to have sex, even with busy schedules. I discussed how sex helps with physical and mental health and how brain chemicals released during, before, and after sex helps with health and beyond. I found that all sexual activities are good for our health, especially for mature adults' health: Having sex is good for physical health, such as improving physical fitness, heart health, skin and hair health, immune system function, fertility, and sexual function while reducing blood pressure, cancer risk, pain, overall illness, and mortality. It is also good for mental health, such as reducing negative mood, stress, anxiety, and depression while improving sleep quality and brain function. I also found that (a) frequent sex helps with good sex, (b) frequent and good sex helps with happy relationships, and (c) women must abandon the traditional values that inhibit their sexual expression and pleasure. I urged men to end gender inequality in bed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection |
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| Abstract: | The purpose of this review was to synthesize research findings, including brain studies, on how sexual activity (e.g. intimate touch, solo, and partnered sex) improves physical and mental health. Besides sexual pleasure, health benefits can provide another motivation for sex. The review discussed sexual activity's health benefits along with how neurochemicals (e.g. dopamine and oxytocin) released during, before, and after sexual activity facilitate erotic motivation, sexual arousal, and orgasm, contributing to physical and mental health and beyond. This review found that all sexual activities have extensive physical and mental health benefits, particularly for mature adults. Sexual activities' physical health benefits include improving physical fitness, cardiovascular health, skin and hair health, immune system function, fertility, and sexual function while reducing blood pressure, cancer risk, pain, overall illness, and mortality. Their mental health benefits include reducing negative mood, stress, anxiety, and depression while improving sleep quality and brain function. This review concluded that (a) sexual quantity contributes to sexual quality, (b) sexual satisfaction contributes to relationship satisfaction, and (c) women's sexual health requires them to free themselves from the sociocultural sexual norms inhibiting their sexual expression and pleasure, called pleasure gaps. This review ended with urging men to end erotic inequality. Lay summary: I examined how having sex improves our physical and mental health. Understanding its health benefits can further motivate us to have sex, even with busy schedules. I discussed how sex helps with physical and mental health and how brain chemicals released during, before, and after sex helps with health and beyond. I found that all sexual activities are good for our health, especially for mature adults' health: Having sex is good for physical health, such as improving physical fitness, heart health, skin and hair health, immune system function, fertility, and sexual function while reducing blood pressure, cancer risk, pain, overall illness, and mortality. It is also good for mental health, such as reducing negative mood, stress, anxiety, and depression while improving sleep quality and brain function. I also found that (a) frequent sex helps with good sex, (b) frequent and good sex helps with happy relationships, and (c) women must abandon the traditional values that inhibit their sexual expression and pleasure. I urged men to end gender inequality in bed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 14681994 |
| DOI: | 10.1080/14681994.2025.2491050 |
