It's Official: Not Only Is Sex Healthy, Lack of It Is Less So

LifeScript has put together an article on the health effects of sex. As it turns out, intimate relations play an active role in bolstering the physical well-being of the participants. While there are caveats (including the usual risks associated with such activity), there is a substantial health gap that can occur between those who are having sexual contact and those who aren't.

Noteworthy aspects of the material summarized in the article:

* The risks of avoiding contact are present for males and females alike.

* Orgasm played a significant part in the equation: less enthusiastic contact didn't suffice in certain respects.

* The pattern holds from culture to culture and across international boundaries.

* Having a partner works better than going it alone.

* The effects were not "merely" psychological: numerous tangible physical benefits are present.

* The "exercise benefits" did NOT make up the larger part of the positive health effects.

On a related note, a common criticism of clinical writing concerning sexuality is that it tends to be, well, overly clinical. However, I do enjoy seeing a certain amount of scientific acumen brought to bear on health issues, particularly on a topic about which there is so much outright falsehood accepted as unvarnished truth in popular discourse. "Science," especially the culture of science, has its drawbacks, but I still embrace the possibility that it can be a generally effective antidote for bullshit.