By SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
A couple shares an intimate moment — research shows that regular sexual activity once or twice a week can boost immune function by 30 percent, reduce stress response, and lower the risk of certain cancers and erectile dysfunction.
When work, school, or life gets too busy, your sex life may take a back seat. But research shows that prolonged periods without sexual activity can affect both your physical and mental health in surprising ways.
A study conducted by researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that individuals who engaged in sexual activity once or twice a week experienced a 30 percent increase in immunoglobulin A (IgA) — one of the body’s primary defenses against viruses — compared to those who had sex less frequently. Without regular intimacy, you may be more susceptible to catching common colds and infections.
Scottish researchers discovered that people abstaining from sex had more trouble coping with stressful situations, including public speaking and verbal arithmetic, compared to those who had intercourse at least once over two weeks. For men specifically, a study presented to the American Urological Association found that regular sexual activity was associated with a 20 percent decrease in prostate cancer risk, while research published in the American Journal of Medicine reported that men who abstain from intercourse are twice as likely to experience erectile dysfunction.
For women, research in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior suggests that longer periods without sexual activity may be associated with increased feelings of depression, potentially linked to mood-regulating compounds. However, there is an upside: sexual inactivity can decrease the risk of urinary tract infections by nearly 80 percent, as frequency of sexual intercourse is a strong predictor of recurrent UTIs. Practicing safe sex with condoms remains the best defense against infections while maintaining the health benefits of intimacy.