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.

[RVN Airplane Driver]

Where is Beavis and Butthead.....hell if there is anyone who don't know what sex is for....there is little hope for the poor dumb ba$tards.....everyone should know it's what you do after you park your airplane and have a few "pops"..

[Pyro7480]

Since I can not have anymore children, I as a human should not be able to enjoy sex?

That's not what is being said at all. If your condition were a natural one, sex is fine.

You would not happen to handle snakes at church would you?

Not even close. A clue for you would be my tagline.

[fanfan]

Plus, it's a known fact that women make far too much of that being in labor is painful thing...

True.

I know from personal experience that it's no worse than say, separating your shoulder.

Nothing to whine about....

[RandallFlagg]

[agrarianlady]

From St. Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:

Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command. I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.
Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.


Not . one . mention . of . procreation.

---

I'm not going to win God's battle with Islam by having more children than I can safely care for. It took one St. Patrick to evangelize an island, and he was a former slave to boot. Taking time out to pray will probably do more good than taking the time to raise five more children. My single friend is a computer whiz. He works long hours for the DoD on defense issues. I envy his ability to do so while I am home breaking up fights with my school-aged children and mopping up spills from the toddler. (Not that children aren't a tremendous blessing from the Lord!!)

"Be glad, O barren woman,
who bears no children;
break forth and cry aloud,
you who have no labor pains;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
than of her who has a husband."

[CzarNicky]

Until you or your friend have done so, you have posted nothing of value.

you are the last person who should say, "...posted nothing of value"

Since you seem to be Internet challenged. I'll spoon feed you the link.

https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

[Killborn]

Your research is invalidated by the fact that you like that show.


;P

[billhilly]

"everyone should know it's what you do after you park your airplane and have a few "pops".."

I'll bet it happens a lot more frequently when someone else parks your airplane. Even a man with a world class comb over shows up with some dynamite women, and he has lots of airplanes.

[JackDanielsOldNo7]

That's not what is being said at all. If your condition were a natural one, sex is fine.

That is what is being said! Look at your second sentence. Only if it is a natural condition. I must be doomed to hell since I enjoy sex.

Flames of hell come and get me!!

[albee]

ping for later read

[wideawake]

No, it means that some mullah somewhere is begetting the children who will take the place in the world that your unbegotten children would have taken, had they existed.

[CzarNicky]

Your research is invalidated by the fact that you like that show.

;P

At least you can cite a reason. :o)

[wideawake]

Just as soon as you look up the word "practical" - it's an adjective and works as a modifier.

[Pyro7480]

As I said before, it isn't the enjoying of sex that is the problem. It is separating, in an artificial matter, the pleasurable aspect from the reproductive aspect, that is sinful.

[steve-b]

Still awaiting your homework assignment: Iran for the twentieth century, one data point per decade.

[JackDanielsOldNo7]

No, it means that some mullah somewhere is begetting the children who will take the place in the world that your unbegotten children would have taken, had they existed.

You need to try the new fall line of straight jackets.

[ArrogantBustard]

I've been poking around that CIA Factbook ... I'm starting to see why certain folks are afraid to post a complete data set ... here are some "Total fertility rates" (Avg children born/woman):

islamic countries:

Egypt 2.83
Indonesia 2.5
Pakistan 4
Saudi Arabia 4
Syria 3.4

Western Countries:

Canada 1.61
France 1.84
Germany 1.39
Italy 1.28
UK 1.6

I, unlike certain other folks, do not purport this to be in any way a complete list, nor do I claim it to be definitive. It is, however, suggestive. More complete research would cover the entire West, the entire islamic world, and address the actual population of each country. Nevertheless, what I post here shows clearly that the supposed research posted in #331 is complete garbage. Cherry-picked, incomplete data is worse than no data at all.

[wideawake]

That statement made absolutely no sense.

The children born to people who have converted to Islam are lost to the West.

The children never born to non-Muslims are also lost to the West.

The practical consequence is the same: Islam takes over.

[wideawake]

An insult is the least gracious way of admitting that you have nothing to contribute to the discussion.

But at least you've made the admission.

[steve-b]

to the West

Your collectivist error is neatly encapsulated in three words.