Sex isn’t just about pleasure or intimacy, it can also have some surprising health benefits.
From boosting your immune system to improving sleep, here are 9 benefits of having a healthy sex life you may not have known about.
- Sex Relieves Stress
When you’re stressed, your body releases a hormone called cortisol. While small amounts of cortisol help your body function properly, too much of it can leave you feeling tense or worn out. But sex triggers the release of endorphins — feel-good hormones that can lift your mood and help bring cortisol levels back to normal.
Sex also stimulates the release of oxytocin, known as the “love hormone,” which helps you feel relaxed and more connected to your partner, lowering stress levels even more.
- Sex Helps You Sleep
Among the list of hormones your body releases during sex, specifically during an orgasm, is prolactin. Prolactin plays a role in regulating sleep. After sex, the surge in prolactin is largely responsible for the drowsy, relaxed feeling that often follows. This not only helps you fall asleep more easily but also supports deeper, more restful sleep
- Sex Boosts Your Immune System
Sex can boost your immune system by increasing the production of antibodies that protect against infections, including human papillomavirus (HPV). One small study by researchers at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that college students who had sex three or more times each week had more of the antibody immunoglobulin A in their saliva, which improves the body’s ability to fight some viruses and bacteria. Another study in 2021 found that having sex was linked to a better ability to fight off the COVID-19 virus.
One of the best things you can do for your immune system is to get enough quality sleep each night. As sex is linked to better sleep, having it regularly can help strengthen your overall immune health.
- Sex offers natural relief
The same feel-good hormones that help your body manage your stress also act as natural painkillers. During sex, your body floods with endorphins, which interact with pain receptors in the brain by blocking the transmission of pain signals.
A 2013 survey by the University of Münster found that for people who get migraine attacks or cluster headaches, sex helped ease their symptoms.
- Sex Supports Menstrual Health
If you get cramps during your period, sex might help ease the discomfort. Cramps happen when your uterus contracts to shed its lining. While orgasms also cause contractions in the uterine muscle, they are followed by a release that can ease tension. If you’re not comfortable with period sex, masturbation has the same benefits.
Some research suggests that regular sex may help balance reproductive hormones such as estrogen and support consistent ovulation in women with normal menstrual cycles who don’t use hormonal birth control.
- Sex Benefits Your Mental Health
During sex, your body releases feel-good hormones such as endorphins, oxytocin, and dopamine. These hormones help reduce stress, boost your mood, and deepen emotional intimacy with your partner — all of which contribute to better mental health. Some studies even suggest that regular sexual activity is linked to lower rates of depression. In one survey of 16,000 US adults, respondents said that having sex at least once a week made them feel as happy as earning $50,000 per year.
- Sex Strengthens Your Pelvic Floor
When you have an orgasm, your pelvic floor muscles naturally contract and relax, giving them a gentle workout. These muscles support your bladder, bowel, and uterus (in women) or prostate (in men). They also play a role during sex. For people with vaginas, being able to relax the pelvic floor can enhance arousal and make it easier to have an orgasm; for people with penises, pelvic floor muscles help control erections and ejaculation. Strengthening these muscles can not only make sex more pleasurable but can also give you better control of your bladder, lowering your chances of dealing with incontinence as you age.
- Sex May Improve Heart Health
Having sex might be good for your heart in a few different ways. It gets your heart rate up, which is great for circulation and helps keep your blood pressure in a healthy range. Some research suggests that for younger, healthy men, having regular sex could be linked with a lower risk of having a heart problem later on.
For women, one study showed that the quality of their sexual experiences, rather than how often they had sex, was linked to a reduced risk of heart issues. Another 2020 study found that heart attack patients who had sex at least once a week had a 10 percent lower chance of dying from heart disease. But more research is needed to fully understand this connection, and individual health likely also plays a role.
- Sex May Prevent Prostate Cancer
There’s growing evidence to suggest that men who ejaculate more often might have a lower chance of getting prostate cancer. When you ejaculate, your body flushes out fluid and cells from your prostate, which may help remove potential toxins or harmful substances that could increase cancer risk. While research varies on exactly how much sex is best, a 2016 study found that men in their 20s and 40s who ejaculated at least 21 times per month reduced their chances of prostate cancer by up to 20 percent.
