What are the scientific reasons for having sex?

The Register (UK) ^ | 10 oct 06 | Dr Stephen Juan

[white trash redneck]

What are the scientific reasons for having sex?

Asked by Jill Howard of Alexandria, Virginia, USA

The reasons for not engaging in sex include transmission of diseases, heart attack due to exertion, and many others. The reasons for engaging in sex are numerous. Among these are:

• Sex helps boost the immune system. According to Dr Carl Charnetski of the Department of Psychology at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, people who reported one or two sexual "episodes" per week enjoyed higher levels of Immunoglobin A. This is an antibody that helps fight disease.

• Sex helps boost longevity. In one study cited by Dr Charnetski, men who had more orgasms over a 10 year period boosted their longevity compared with those who had fewer.

• Sex helps ward off cancer. In another study cited by Dr Charnetski, men who had more ejaculations over a 35 year period had 33 per cent less prostate cancer compared to those with fewer ejaculations.

• Sex results in a more youthful appearance. According to a study by Dr David Weeks, a clinical neuropsychologist at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland and co-author of Superyoung (1999), men and women who reported having sex an average of four times per week looked approximately 10 years younger than they really were.

• Sex helps reduce stress. Numerous studies show that it does this through lowering anxiety levels, boosting relaxation, and aiding sleeping.

• Sex helps fight depression. A study by Dr Gordon Gallup of the Department of Psychology at the State University of New York at Albany found that women who regularly engage in heterosexual sex in which they come in contact with semen were significantly less depressed than those women that did not. he causal relationship is unclear. Dr Gallup speculates that "possibly because when absorbed through the vagina, semen may have an effect on mood in women". However, Dr Gallup is quick to point out: "Regardless of the findings, this study does not advocate that people abstain from using condoms. Protecting oneself from an unwanted pregnancy or a sexually transmitted disease is far more important."

• Sex helps coping with middle age. This is the inference drawn from research by Dr GA Bachmann at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey and published first in 1995 in the International Journal of Fertility and Menopausal Studies and continuing in The Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2006.

• Sex is good exercise. Exercise helps circulation, lowers cholesterol, and releases helpful endorphins.

• Sex helps in losing weight. Well, at least a little. One burns approximately four to five calories per minute or perhaps 300 calories per hour during sex (depending upon how, shall we say, "vigorous" the sex is). About 7,000 to 8,000 excess calories must be burned to lose one kilogram of fat (3,500 to lose one pound). You do the calculations.

Stephen Juan, Ph.D. is an anthropologist at the University of Sydney.

[jrg]

pozziblee to geet rid of de bonerz?

[A Texan]

"Plus, it's a very lame pick-up line."

LOL!

[gridlock]

The author also neglects any emotional aspects of sex, or sex as an act of love. This is the narcissist's list of reasons to have sex.

[Warren_Piece]

From a religious point of view, it's pointless to argue - you have your dogma and I have mine. We will never coinvince one another. Plus, for me personally, it's a moot point, since

****WARNING The next statement could be considered Too Much Information!!******

...the Good Lord saw fit to give me a gun armed only with blanks

***END TMI ***

Consequently, I have sex only for pleasure. Is that a sin? If it isn't, why can't others have (married) sex for pleasure as well? Doesn't Solomon's Song of Songs give the impression that such an idea was part of His plan?


OK, enough theology (like I said, we'll never agree)

Now, demographics: AppyPappy said it well - it's not quantity, it's quality. In fact, quantity without quality is extremely counterproductive (Africa? China?) Steyn is only partially right. Europe is failing not only because of low birthrates and high immigration rates - but because the Europeans left are snarky pessimists with no freedom. America is great because it is creative, innovative, full of energy. This comes from freedom . As Steyn once said: "America is an optimistic country because that's where the optimists went".

When we become secular, snarky pessimists like the Europeans, we will cease to be a great country, no matter how many people live here.

[teenyelliott]

The practical effect of having minimal or no children is to abandon your future to Islam.

Then, in order to perfect your theory, it should be the duty of all men to go and impregnate as many women as they possibly can, in order to defeat the enemy.

[teenyelliott]

heehee

[Kirkwood]

I tried using all of these and the women aren't buying it.

[wideawake]

Yes there is only one Western child.

So you acknowledge that your argument is indeed deeply flawed and that there is a point at which a reduced number of "quality kids" are at the mercy of numbers - there is a numerical tipping point.

The native population of Western Europe will halve within our lifetime and the Muslim population of Western Europe will triple without any new immigration.

At what point does that cause concern?

[LexBaird]

There is no practical difference between using contraception and converting to Islam.

Hyperbole is a million, billion times more useful than logic when advancing an argument.

[Warren_Piece]

The only reason a man does anything is so he can have sex... This is my theory and I am sticking to it.

...and watch football.

[durasell]

I remain more worried about China...


But, I would be interested to know if the high birthrate in Islamic countries dilutes/minimizes the radical strain.

[art_rocks]

I can't believe I am going to say this. But what about Western countries like Mexico and Brazil. They have about 2/3rd our population but have a higher grouwth rate.

Or are you only considering Europe and the USA as Western countries?

[CzarNicky]

wow this article brought out some of the nuttier examples of the godsquad

[najida]

Is it just me,
or is having kids as cannon fodder or to outnumber someone we fear a bit coldblooded?

[wideawake]

Then, in order to perfect your theory, it should be the duty of all men to go and impregnate as many women as they possibly can, in order to defeat the enemy.

No, my "theory" would be perfected if 90% or so of the population got married, stayed married to those spouses and raised at least four children.

In other words, a healthy state of affairs.

[Kirkwood]

"You notice that even with all the facts listed, the author neglects the reproductive aspect of sex. From the "modern" standpoint, sex is all about pleasure and these benefits, apparently."

Article says "among" the many reasons.

[wideawake]

Would that it were hyperbole.

[durasell]

No, my "theory" would be perfected if 90% or so of the population got married, stayed married to those spouses and raised at least four children.




Good luck with that...

[teenyelliott]

Consequently, I have sex only for pleasure

Oh, well then, thanks to people like you, we are all gonna die.

Oh, and people like me, too, who had only the number of children I could, do to health reasons.

Oh, and people who only give birth to the number of children they can afford to take care of.

Oh, and people who believe that we are not rabbits who should give birth to as many children as we can regardless of the ability to take care of them individually.

Oh, and.........

[ArrogantBustard]

In the short run, yes: China is a huge concern. One of the biggest concerns is whether the current sort-of-communist government will fall apart peacefully or not. If "not", the resultant civil war will have global effects.

I would be interested to know if the high birthrate in Islamic countries dilutes/minimizes the radical strain.

Off hand, I'd say that it doesn't seem to be diluting the radicalism. Quite the contrary. Note, for example, the annual stories of "Ramadan Rioting" ... in western Europe.