AB59. Can sexual health contribute to longevity?

Abstract: Sexual health is an integral part of general health that influences wellbeing and overall quality of life in men and women. Numerous internet articles provide ‘factual information’ claiming that sex can do wonders for the wellbeing of men: sex can reduce anxiety; sex can make you happy; sex can soothe your immunity; sex can decrease neuroticism and sex can reduce prostate cancer risk. Some of these comments are based on evidence. It is also said that sexual activity in the marital setting has more benefits than in other forms of sexual activity such as commercial sex or an illicit sex. Sexual activity and orgasm releases an assortment of beneficial chemicals in the body and help us to bond and strengthen relationships as well as increasing our self-worth. Therefore frequent sex can improve sexual performance, our general quality of life and may even extend our life by years.

Many surveys indicate that men tend to have more sex in his life time compared to women. Laumann reports that majority of adult men under 60 think about sex at least once a day whereas only about one-quarter of women say they think about it that frequently. However, as for longevity, it is a well-known fact that women in general live 5 to 8 years more than the men in most countries of the world. In practice, many aging men and women may not be engaging in sex for various reasons. As a result of decline in the levels of estrogen, women may experience vaginal dryness, atrophy and difficulty in lubrication; this can lead to dyspareunia and avoidance of sexual activity. However those women who remain sexually active before and after menopause may not feel these side effects as the vascularity of vaginal tissues could be fairly maintained. During this period, men may also experience slower, less firm erections, decreased likelihood of orgasms and ejaculation and longer refractory period as a result of age-related decrease in testosterone. Therefore, based on the existing literature evidence, it is difficult to ascertain whether sexual health per se is a contributing factor for longevity as against the General Health and availability of better health care system.

Keywords: Sexual health; longevity; General Health