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7.
September
2017.
How sex affects the brain- latest research
 

 HOW SEX AFFECTS YOUR BRAIN

UNDERSTANDING IT CAN IMPROVE YOUR LOVE LIFE

Medics at International Andrology - who have played major roles in the development and improvement of modern surgical techniques in the field of men’s sexual and reproductive health unravel the mystery of how sex affects our brains.

Sex makes us feel good

Sex makes us feel good. Pleasure and reproductive urges drive the quest for desire. The pleasure we get from sex is largely due to the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that activates the reward centre of the brain. Dopamine is also one of the chemicals responsible for the high people get on certain drugs. Taking cocaine and having sex don’t feel exactly the same, but they do involve the same [brain] regions as well as different regions of the brain. Caffeine, nicotine, and chocolate also tickle the reward centre.

A 2002 study out of the University at Albany looked at 300 women and found that those who had sex without a condom had fewer depressive symptoms than women who did use a condom. The researchers hypothesized that various compounds in semen, including oestrogen and prostaglandin have antidepressant properties, which are then absorbed into the body after sex. This is good news for anyone who is in a committed relationship. However, unless you are trying for a baby and know your partners sexual history, then you shouldn’t give up condoms.

Sex can sometimes be a downer

These feel-good chemicals may be going full blast during the act, but after? According to researchers, there is such a thing as post-sex blues. About one-third of the women participating in one study reported having experienced sadness after sex at some point in time. While it’s possible that regret or feeling coerced might be the reason why, researchers can’t explain the connection at this point for sure.

Don’t skip sex when you have a headache

Research shows that doing the deed may relieve your symptoms. In a 2013 German study, 60% of participants who had migraines and 30% of cluster-headache sufferers who had sex during a headache episode reported partial or total relief. Other studies have found that women who stimulated an area of the G spot had an elevation in pain threshold. "It took greater pain stimulus for them to feel the pain," says Beverly Whipple, PhD, a professor emerita at Rutgers University who has conducted some research on the topic. Whipple didn’t study why this was so, but other researchers have attributed the effect to oxytocin, the so-called bonding hormone that helps mothers and babies bond and which also has pain-relieving properties.

Sex can wipe your memory clean

Each year, fewer than 7 people per 100,000 experience "global transient amnesia," a sudden but temporary loss of memory that can’t be attributed to any other neurological condition. The condition can be brought on by vigorous sex, as well as emotional stress, pain, minor head injuries, medical procedures, and jumping into hot or cold water. The forgetfulness can last a few minutes or a few hours. During an episode, a person cannot form new memories or remember very recent events. Fortunately, there seem to be no lasting effects.

Sex may boost your memory

Or at least it might if you’re a rodent. A 2010 study found that, compared with rats who were allowed only one one-night stand, rodents who engaged in "chronic" sex (once a day for 14 consecutive days) grew more neurons in the hippocampus, a region of the brain associated with memory. The findings were backed up by a second study, also in mice. It remains to be seen if regular sex also has this effect in humans (but you can always tell yourself it does).

Sex relieves stress

The same study that linked frequent sex to a brain boost in rats also found that the rats were less stressed. This works for humans, too. One study found that people who’d just had sexual intercourse had better responses to stressful situations like public speaking than people who had not, or who had engaged in other types of sexual activity. How did sex ease stress? In this case, by lowering blood pressure.

Sex is more likely to make men sleepy than women

Scientists think they know why: The part of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex winds down after ejaculation. This, along with the release of oxytocin and serotonin, may account for the "rolling over and falling asleep" syndrome.

About International Andrology

International Andrology is a world leading organisation of highly qualified physicians and surgeons who have played major roles in the development and improvement of modern surgical techniques in the field of men’s sexual and reproductive health. From its UK base in Queen Anne Street, International Andrology offers the most advanced treatments for male sexual dysfunction, sub-fertility, aesthetic and functional urogenital surgery successfully treating problems like erectile dysfunction, Peyronie’s disease (extreme curvature of the penis) and premature ejaculation. In addition to utilising the latest evidence-based medicine and technologies to deliver the best medical and surgical treatments, the clinic also provides counselling, nutritional advice and lifestyle support.