Porn shows that making sex is so easy. In real life many of us struggle with some not-so-sexy issues.

Thanks, Hollywood, for making sex look so easy. In real bedrooms, the rest of us must wrangle with some not-so-sexy issues: unsatisfactory erections, untimely ejaculation, pain, low libido, and more. Yet tending to a problem might save not only a relationship but also your life. “Sexual health problems are very often the first sign of underlying serious medical issues,” says Michael Krychman, medical director of sexual medicine at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, Calif. In women, for example, dulled desire may signal thyroid dysfunction or other hormonal troubles; painful sex could even be an early symptom of pelvic cancer. And erectile dysfunction is now recognized as an early whiff of looming cardiovascular disease. “Your problems shouldn’t be ignored,” he says.

Of course, they are ignored, jammed deeply into back corners of brains, denied. Patients and doctors, it’s clear, have trouble talking sex. Many adults would like to discuss sexual problems, research indicates, but don’t—for fear that doctors will dismiss their concerns, or worse. Women appear especially likely to stay mum, says Anita Clayton, a professor of psychiatry at the University of Virginia and coauthor of Satisfaction: Women, Sex, and the Quest for Intimacy. “Everyone has the right to a satisfying sex life.”

Satisfying sex has been linked to increased longevity, better immunity, better stress-coping abilities, and enhanced connectivity with a partner, says Krychman. So, if you’re sinking, not sailing, between the sheets, help can come in many forms, from sex therapy to various pharmacological options. Most important, if you’re not getting the answers that you’re looking for, “keep seeking,” says Irwin Goldstein, director of sexual medicine at San Diego’s Alvarado Hospital. Your sex life—and health—will thank you. Here are a few places to start:

More Than Just an Erectile Problem

Men, you may not realize it, but you’ve got a canary in your pants. Doctors now recognize that the penis functions as an exquisitely simple gauge for detecting impending heart problems. That’s one reason flagging erections, which affect more than a third of men over the age of 40, should not be ignored. Another: Drugs like Viagra, which celebrated its 10th birthday this year, are just one set—among several—of time-tested treatments.

A decade into the medical revolution that turned erectile dysfunction into a household term, a shift in thinking is afoot. There’s ample evidence that Viagra, Levitra, and Cialis can revitalize a man’s sex life; in trials, Viagra enabled 83 percent of men struggling with ED to have intercourse at least once compared with 45 percent of those taking a placebo. Still, other drugs may be necessary to deal with vascular disease or diabetes, which often accompany ED. And long-impotent men may want to consider options like penile implants because, as vascular disease progresses, the usefulness of Viagra and its kin often wanes.

ED heralds heart trouble because arteries in the penis have about a quarter the diameter of coronary arteries. When plaque builds up, the slender vessels reach the strangling point first—but cardiac problems are often just around the corner. “In many cases, erectile dysfunction is quite literally vascular disease under the belt,” says Randy Fagin, a urologist and director of the Prostate Center of Austin. Symptoms often occur three to four years before cardiac problems, such as chest pain or heart attack, begin to crop up, says Robert Kloner, a cardiologist at the University of Southern California. New guidelines in 2006 advised physicians to consider a man with erectile dysfunction and no cardiac symptoms a cardiac patient until proved otherwise.

In addition to any treatment they may need for vascular disease or diabetes, men have options for fixing ED. Eating better and exercising regularly can not only stave off plaque buildup in arteries but reverse it, research has shown. A 2004 study of obese men with erectile dysfunction found, for example, that erectile function improved in a third of men who adopted healthful behaviors and lost about 30 pounds.

Among medical options, doctors say, one of the best is to inject a medication such as alprostadil into the base or side of the penis. A quick, relatively painless shot, which can produce an erection within 10 minutes, costs about twice as much as a dose of an oral ED drug.

Other ED fixes are made to last. Vacuum pumps put negative pressure on the penis, creating an erection that can be maintained for about 30 minutes by placing an elastic band around its base. Studies report success rates of 70 to 94 percent with the devices, but side effects can include pain, numbness, bruising, and obstructed ejaculation. Surgical implants are pricier but have upsides. Men can inflate the implants at will, using a pump placed in the scrotum. Satisfaction rates are high.

Yet despite the availability of solutions, many harried doctors are not as aggressive as they could be about sleuthing out sexual problems. That puts the burden of speaking up on men.

Pacing Performance

Is premature ejaculation the most common form of male sexual dysfunction? The answer is debated, but one thing is clear: For men who have the problem, it can be a showstopper. “I see young guys who simply cannot establish a relationship with a woman because of this,” says Ira Sharlip, a spokesperson for the American Urological Association.

The past few years have brought a surge of interest from pharmaceutical researchers aiming to relieve the problem with a pill. So far, no medication has been approved for the purpose; the Food and Drug Administration turned down a drug called dapoxetine in 2005. Yet doctors can and often do prescribe drugs that are approved for other conditions, such as the antidepressants paroxetine (Paxil) and fluoxetine (Prozac), which have been shown to lengthen intercourse by a few minutes. Potential downsides, experts say, include diminished intensity of a man’s orgasm and libido and a hampered ability to maintain an erection.

Creams and gels that numb the sensitivity of the penis are another option. They usually contain lidocaine or prilocaine. Studies have shown them to be effective, but some couples find them difficult to use. They generally involve a messy application within a condom and can numb a partner.

A man’s mind-set can play a role. “It’s pretty unusual to see premature ejaculation without some degree of psychological component,” says Fagin, the Prostate Center of Austin urologist. Therapists can work with men to address anxiety, stress, guilt, and depression—and can impart techniques like the “stop and go” method or the “squeeze” method to help men slow down. Honest partner-to-partner communication is also critical, says Barry McCarthy, coauthor of Coping With Premature Ejaculation. For example, he says, some women simply can’t achieve orgasm through vaginal penetration, yet a partner might blame himself unless the couple discusses how the woman can reach a climax.

More often than not, the only real problem may be outsize hopes. In various surveys, between 20 and 40 percent of men complain about the short duration of intercourse. But fewer than 5 percent have a sustained disorder in which they consistently ejaculate in a minute or less, estimates Marcel Waldinger, associate professor in sexual psychopharmacology at the Hague Leyenburg Hospital in the Netherlands.

“Nobody really knows how long is normal. It’s very subjective,” says Martin Miner, a clinical assistant professor of family medicine at Brown University Medical School. In a March survey, sex therapists typically said satisfactory intercourse should last three to 13 minutes. That’s a far cry from the 30-plus minutes that many men say they want.

Overcoming an Anticlimax

It begins as a swelling of excitement and tension. Then, it’s like falling off a cliff. That’s how Linda Banner, 59, describes an orgasm, the deli-cious sensation that she couldn’t experience for the first decade of her sex life.
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Just in case avoiding death isn’t a good enough reason to pay attention to your health, researchers from the University of Chicago offer another incentive: people who are healthy have better – and longer – sex lives.

Stacy Tessler Lindau and Natalia Gavrilova examined data from more than 6,000 American adults between ages 25 and 85. The men and women provided information about their overall physical health and their activity between the sheets.

The researchers found that people in “very good” or “excellent” health were 50% to 80% more likely to be interested in sex than those in poorer health.

What’s more, being in good health greatly boosted the odds of being sexually active. Healthy men were 2.2 to 4.6 times more likely to be sexually active than their unhealthy peers; for women, being healthy increased the likelihood of an active sex life by 1.6 to 2.8 times.

And among those who were having sex, those in good health were more likely to say their sex life was good. For men, good health meant having sex more frequently as well.

Sex Life Ends at about 70

The average person’s sex life ends by the age of 70, according to a report published today in the British Medical Journal.

Men age 30 have an average of 35 years of sexually active life remaining, compared with 31 years for women, researchers at the University of Chicago’s department of obstetrics and gynecology estimated after reviewing a survey of 3,000 people. A separate survey of older people showed that by 55, men have an average sexual life expectancy of 15 years and women can expect 10 more years, the researchers found.

People in very good or excellent health were almost twice as likely to be interested in sex as people in poorer health, according to the study. Men lost more years of sexual activity as a result of poor health than women, the researchers said. That may motivate men to pursue healthier lifestyles, they said.

“Translation of expectations about the duration and quality of sexually active life may, at the individual level, influence important health behaviors to promote or prolong sexual functioning, such as adherence to medical treatment or maintenance of a healthy lifestyle,” the researchers wrote.

In statistics, projections of how long people will live vary according to age. Life expectancy increases as people reach middle age because they have survived risks that earlier in life reduced their chances of making it to old age.

The team, led by Stacy Tessler Lindau, used data from a 1995-1996 survey of 3,000 men and women between ages 25 and 74 and a 2005-2006 survey of 3,000 men and women between 57 and 85. Men were more likely than women to be sexually active, report a having a good quality sex life and be interested in sex, according to the study.

The gap was largest among 75- to 85-year-olds. About 40 percent of men in that group were sexually active, compared with 17 percent of women, the researchers found.

Sex, health, and years of sexually active life gained due to good health: evidence from two US population based cross sectional surveys of ageing

Stacy Tessler Lindau, associate professor, Natalia Gavrilova, senior research associate
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Eli Lilly & Co., the maker of the impotence pill Cialis, bought exclusive rights from Acrux Ltd. to an underarm testosterone lotion called Axiron for men with limited sex drive due to low levels of the hormone.

Indianapolis-based Lilly will pay Acrux of West Melbourne, Australia, a $50 million license fee plus $3 million when manufacturing assets are transferred, the companies said today in a statement. Acrux may earn $87 million more if U.S. regulators approve the drug for marketing, $195 million in commercial milestone payments as well as royalty payments on future sales, the companies said.

Acrux filed a marketing application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January in an effort to enter a global market for testosterone therapies valued at more than $1 billion a year. More than a third of American men older than 45 years have low testosterone, doctors found in a 2006 study. It can sap sex drive and cause impotence, osteoporosis and memory loss, according to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

“The addition of Axiron reinforces Lilly’s commitment to men’s health and, if approved, could provide a new treatment option for men suffering from low testosterone,” said Bryce Carmine, president of Lilly’s Bio-Medicines.

Results of a clinical trial released in September showed Acrux’s lotion, called Axiron, normalized testosterone levels in 84 percent of men after four months.

Acrux, which has never made a profit, was spun off from Monash University a decade ago and now has the chance to make a profit and provide dividends to shareholders, Ross Dobinson, the company’s chairman, said in a statement released today.

The company’s agreement with Lilly is “believed to be the largest licensing deal ever stuck by an Australian biotech company,” Dobinson said.

Acrux rose 3 cents, or 1.3 percent, to A$2.41 in trading on the Australian stock exchange as of 11:20 a.m. in Sydney. The shares have surged more than fivefold in the past year.

Axiron is a fast-drying, pleasant smelling testosterone 2% solution to be applied to the armpits once daily

Axiron, testosterone underarm to boost sex drive in men developed by Acrux Ltd will reach markets soon.

Axiron spray, when applied underarm in men with low sex drive because of decreased amounts of testosterone, restored the normal level of the hormone in most of the men, studies found.

Axiron spray restored levels of testosterone to normal in 84 percent of testosterone-deficient men after four months, Acrux said in a statement. Axiron has been studied 155 men in six countries and 26 sites.

Men were permitted to use an underarm deodorant or antiperspirant during the trial. More than half of the men continued to apply an underarm deodorant or antiperspirant as part of their daily routine and an analysis of these subgroups showed that this had no impact on the efficacy of Axiron treatment.

Mood, sexual desire, sexual activity and sexual performance before and after 4 months of treatment showed significant improvement from baseline across all measures.
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Sexually dysfunctional women in the United States are, well, mostly out of luck.

Unlike men, there are no approved drugs to take. If you go strictly by the rules, the best medical science has to offer is counseling, or a device that applies suction to your clitoris, or physical therapy for your vagina. While not to diminish these choices, where’s that convenient, little blue pill for women?

That’s what Joanne wanted to know. This isn’t her real name, but she’s a 26-year-old nurse at the Cleveland Clinic who felt no sex drive — nothing, nada, zilch — for eight years. She wasn’t happy, and neither was her boyfriend.

When Joanne asked her gynecologist for help, she told her to talk to her psychiatrist. Her psychiatrist said her antidepressants were to blame — they’re known to decrease libido in about a third to a half of women, experts say.

“My psychiatrist just kind of shrugged her shoulders,” Joann says. “It was just like, well, that’s a side effect of the drug. That’s just the way it is.” Watch more on how women can get their groove back

Finally, fate intervened on behalf of Joann’s sex life. Last year, the anti-depressants she was taking stopped working, and her psychiatrist had to switch her to a new one. “All of a sudden, my sex drive went through the roof. It was awesome. It was wonderful,” she says.

But it wasn’t perfect, or even close to it. Probably because of her long-dormant sex drive, Joanne could get sexually excited, but couldn’t reach orgasm. Again, after being shuffled around to various doctors, Joanne ended up with a urogynecologist at the Cleveland Clinic.

That doctor prescribed the anti-impotence drug, Cialis. At first Joanne thought it strange to take a drug meant for a man. But she tried it, and she says it’s helped somewhat. “I’m still not able to achieve orgasm, but I’m getting closer each time,” Joanne says. “We’re working with changing the dosage.”

Getting help for women’s sexual problems is often a long and complicated road. “This is an area that’s highly neglected,” says Dr. Sharon Parish, an internist at the Albert Einstein School of Medicine who treats sexually dysfunctional women. “Many primary care doctors have no idea what to do.”

So if you want help for your sexual problems, you may have to make suggestions to your doctor. “I feel like if I hadn’t aggressively pursued it, I’d still be stuck in the same spot,” Joanne says.

Here are some treatments for sexual dysfunction you can discuss with your doctor. Women’s sexual dysfunction is an area of medicine that’s highly neglected, experts say.

5 ways to get sex life going for women

1. Impotence drugs such as Viagra, Levitra and Cialis

Some studies, like one out this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, show they work for some women with sexual problems; others have shown they don’t work.
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A diminished sex drive may be linked with chronic oxygen deprivation in patients of obstructive sleep apnea, especially during episodes of obstructed breathing.

University of Louisville researchers found that after a week of being subjected to chronic oxygen deprivation (CIH), mice showed a 55% decline in their daily spontaneous erections. After five weeks of such exposure, average interval between mounting a mate increased 60-fold.

The study examined the behavioural and physiological effects in mice exposed to CIH for anywhere from five to 24 weeks. Control mice were kept under identical conditions, but were not subjected to nocturnal CIH.

In five out of seven mice tested, ejaculation did not occur at all, whereas in control mice the median time was only a few minutes, said Gozal.

The Simple Secret for More Sex

When women are rushed, sleep suffers — and so does your sex life

A recent survey of American women confirmed what most women already knew (and men suspected): They’re so rushed during the day that they don’t get enough sleep, and that means less sex for everyone. According to the National Sleep Foundation, women who are short on time first cut back on sleep and exercise. Next to suffer cutbacks: social life, healthy eating…and sex.

“This is the largest survey in the U.S. of women in all stages of their life,” says Dr. Meir Kryger, director of research and education of Sleep Medicine at Gaylord Hospital in Wallingford, CT. “It’s one of the first to take into account both biology and lifestyle.

“If poor sleep patterns are a daily occurrence for women, it severely impacts their energy towards sex in the bedroom — which is going to then affect men. It’s all interconnected, and recognizing the problem will help any relationship.”

Does this explain the “I’m too tired” excuse?

Clearly some women and men do say “I’m too tired” when they mean “I don’t want to”, “I’m too stressed”, “I have other things on my mind”, or “I’m annoyed with you”. What it means probably depends on the person. Often it is a way of getting out of sex without a confrontation — she could just be mad that you came home late and didn’t call or didn’t empty the dishwasher.

But the take-home message from this study should be that women (and likely men) are not getting enough sleep, bottom line, and that there are ways men and women, as partners, can improve this. Sleep has a very important effect — including having enough energy for sex as well as sexual performance, meaning orgasms for women and men, and erections for men.

Guys can always find time for sex. Why not women?

Men do not always budget time for sex, either; they may say that, but research shows that they don’t. Fatigue is a common reason that both men and women opt out of sex. Many people who deal with fatigue instead try to have sex in the morning when they may be less tired, if they tend to get more tired in the afternoon or evening. This may be a good solution for some men and their partners, too.

If more sleep equals more sex, what can men do to help women get more rest?

We know from years of research that even when couples start out in “equal” relationships, they tend over time to settle into more traditional roles, with women taking on more home and family tasks like homework, cooking, and cleaning, while men serve as breadwinners. Men may be able to ease their wife or girlfriend’s burden — and help her get more sleep — if they work with their partner to make the last few hours of the day more peaceful.

Here are some ideas:
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There’s new advice for older men who want to preserve their sexual function: have sex, and have it often, researchers say.

In a study that followed nearly 1,000 older Finnish men for five years, researchers found that those who were regularly having sex at the start of the study were at lower risk of developing erectile dysfunction (ED) by the study’s end.

In fact, the more often the men had sex, the lower their ED risk.

The implication, say the researchers, is that men should be encouraged to stay sexually active into their golden years.

Dr. Juha Koskimaki and colleagues at the University of Tampere in Finland report the findings in the American Journal of Medicine. The study included 989 men who were between the ages of 55 and 75 at the outset.

Overall, those who said they had sex less than once per week were twice as likely to develop ED over the next five years as men who had sex at least once a week. Furthermore, compared with men who had sex three or more times per week, their ED risk was increased nearly four-fold.

A number of factors contribute to ED development, many of which could also affect a man’s sexually activity — such as age, diabetes and heart disease. However, after taking account of those factors, sexual activity itself remained linked to ED risk, Koskimaki’s team found.

It may be a matter of “use it or lose it,” according to the researchers. Just as exercise boosts physical fitness, they note, regular sexual activity may help a man preserve his erectile function.

ED occurs when there are problems with blood flow to the penis. Regular sexual activity, Koskimaki’s team writes, may help maintain healthy blood vessel function in the erectile tissue.

Sex Tips for older men

Getting older changes sexual function and desire. Senior sex isn’t the same as it was in your 20s — but it can still be satisfying. Contrary to common myths about sexuality and older adults, sex is not just for the young. Many seniors continue to enjoy their sexuality into their 80s and beyond.

A healthy sex life is not only fulfilling, but it’s also good for other aspects of your life, including your physical health and self-esteem. Adapting to your changing body can help you maintain a healthy and satisfying sex life. But you may have to make a few changes, such as allowing yourself more time to become aroused and talking more openly with your partner.

What changes as men get older?

As men age, testosterone levels decline and changes in desire and sexual function are common. These changes can include:
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It’s a common complaint of some postmenopausal women - painful sexual intercourse. The condition is medically known as dyspareunia and it’s no fun at all.

Doctors often attribute the problem to declining estrogen levels, which can lead to changes in the genital tract, including vaginal atrophy. The usual treatment is hormone replacement therapy, which can be applied directly to the sensitive region or taken in pill form.

But McGill University researchers have found that a significant number of women - up to 20 per cent - don’t respond to hormone therapy and they are seldom offered other treatments.

“Pain during intercourse can affect your relations with your partner, your image as a woman, your mood, all sorts of things,” said Irv Binik, director of the sex and couple therapy service at McGill University Health Centre in Montreal.

He said it is a mistake for doctors to assume all cases of painful intercourse after menopause are linked to the reduction in female hormone levels that occur with normal aging.

“It just isn’t that simple for a lot of women,” said Dr. Binik, senior author of the study that will be published in the journal Pain Research and Management.

Lots of other factors, including problems with pelvic floor muscles, dermatological conditions and infections, can make sex an unpleasant experience, according to Alina Kao, a PhD student who led the research project.

That also means there are a variety of different treatments - from physical therapy to traditional pain management - depending on the underlying cause.

However, Dr. Binik cautioned that these options are not usually quick fixes. “All of them take time and effort,” he said. “It’s not like popping a pill or putting on a cream.”

Myths About Postmenopausal Pain During Sex Shattered

Using hormone replacement therapy to alleviate painful sexual intercourse in post-menopausal women is not effective for a significant proportion of sufferers, according to a review study by McGill doctoral candidate Alina Kao, a student of Professor Irv Binik’s Laboratory for the Biopsychosocial Study of Sexuality. “This often-prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has mainly been studied in women who suffer from vaginal atrophy, a condition caused by declining estrogen levels, and changes in the genitals,” Kao said.

Although postmenopausal dyspareunia is a widespread problem which seriously affects a woman’s quality of life, Kao’s research team found that little is known about women’s primary complaint: pain.

Traditionally, postmenopausal dyspareunia has been attributed to declining estrogen levels and the changes this decline causes in the genital tract. Postmenopausal women have been prescribed hormonal replacement therapy to alleviate this problem.

Roughly one in three postmenopausal women suffer from dyspareunia, Kao said.

In questioning the effectiveness of HRT, Kao’s team found the therapy is not effective for a substantial proportion (10 – 27 per cent) of women. There may also be factors other than declining estrogen involved and these should be considered in future studies, the researchers concluded.

Although the use of a lubricant does help to decrease friction during intercourse, it generally does not alleviate the pain of dyspareunia, Kao said. This is likely because pain is often caused by factors other than lack of lubrication.

“In looking at the evidence, it seems there are numerous types of conditions that cause pain during intercourse in postmenopausal women, such as infections, dermatological conditions, problems with the pelvic floor muscles and chronic vulvar pain syndromes, to name a few,” Kao said. “However, these conditions are being overlooked by most treatment guidelines and healthcare providers,” she said. “Women shouldn’t have to ‘live with their pain;’ they deserve appropriate treatment geared to the causes of their individual pain conditions.”

Kao and her research team are conducting a multidisciplinary investigation, based on the emerging findings of this review, to classify the different factors associated with pain during intercourse in postmenopausal women. Women who take part in this research receive comprehensive medical and psychosocial evaluations of the causes and effect of their dyspareunia, as well as individualized treatment recommendations and referrals.

How Does Menopause Affect Sex Drive?

The loss of estrogen following menopause can lead to changes in a woman’s sexual drive and functioning. Menopausal and postmenopausal women may notice that they are not as easily aroused, and may be less sensitive to touching and stroking — which can result in decreased interest in sex.

In addition, lower levels of estrogen can cause a decrease in blood supply to the vagina. This decreased blood flow can affect vaginal lubrication, causing the vagina to be too dry for comfortable intercourse.

A lower estrogen level is not the only culprit behind a decreased libido; there are numerous other factors that may influence a woman’s interest in sexual activity during menopause and after. These include:
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Men and women in their early seventies are having sex more often and enjoying it more than their counterparts three and four decades ago, according to a Swedish study published Wednesday.

Septuagenarian women in particular expressed satisfaction with their amorous activities, suggesting they may have benefited more from the loosening of sexual mores.

Despite an array of literature on the sexual habits and attitudes of younger adults, very little is known about what happens between the sheets for healthy men and women aged 70 and older.

Previous research has tended to focus on what goes wrong, sexually speaking, which has created the impression that the sex life of older people is dismal or non-existent.

Not true, according to Nils Beckman, a doctoral candidate at the University of Gothenburg.

“Our study shows that most elderly people consider sexual activity and associated feelings a natural part of later life,” he said.

Compared to the same age group in 1971, nearly twice as many married female septegenarians reported having sexual intercourse in 2001, and a sharply higher percentage said they “always or usually” experienced orgasms, noted the study.

And while more than 10 percent of women interviewed 40 years ago had never had sex at all, by century’s end that percentage had dropped to 0.4 percent — a single respondent out of 229.

For men, too, sex at 70 on the cusp of the 21st century seemed to bring more pleasure than for older men of a previous generation.

But the news was not totally good: more men in 2001 also complained of low or no satisfaction, perhaps reflecting a cultural shift in openness in talking about sex.

And while the number of men reporting erectile dysfunction dropped, a higher number of men said they had ejaculation problems. The rate of premature ejaculation did not change.

Beckman and colleagues studied attitudes towards sex in later life based on interviews with Swedish 70-year-olds at four different points in time: 1972, 1977, 1993 and 2001.

The study is published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

“The implication is that a generation’s sexual change — perhaps linked to the sexual revolution of 1965-75 — is evident in this latest cohort of 70-year-olds,” Peggy Kleinplatz, a professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada, wrote in a commentary, also in the BMJ.

More over 70s ‘are enjoying sex’

More couples over 70 are having sex - and finding it satisfying - than in previous generations, a British Medical Journal survey suggests.

Swedish researchers asked 1,500 older people across a 30-year period about their sex lives.

The number of people saying they had sex increased - as did the number of women reporting having orgasms.

A UK expert said the older people of today grew up in more sexually liberated eras.
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We all know that regular sex is an important part of a healthy, happy relationship, but did you know that regular sex is also an important part of a healthy, happy body? Indeed, sex is more than just a pleasurable activity - it is a big part of who we are, both emotionally and physically.

A recent Newsweek article found that regular sex has six amazing health benefits - it can increase a youthful appearance, it can promote the production of germ-fighting antibodies, it can strengthen a woman’s pelvic floor, it can burn calories, it can stabilize a woman’s menstrual cycle and it can offer natural pain relief in the form of orgasms.

While a healthy sex life can contribute to a healthy body, an unhealthy body can also contribute to an unhealthy sex life. If your sex life has been lackluster or sub-par lately, the reasons might be more obvious than you might think:

Poor nutrition: Fast food not only does a number on your waistline, it can also do a number on your sex life. This is particularly true as we age and reach menopause. During menopause, estrogen levels get out of whack, which causes insulin levels to increase and thyroid levels to go down. Thus, women end up eating more food and burning fewer calories, which causes weight to accumulate. Healthy food choices are imperative during this time, as is daily exercise. (Don’t forget to take advantage of Newsweek’s findings - sex is a cardiovascular exercise, so trade it in for the stationary bike and you can still burn up to 300 calories an hour!)

Stress: Expanded waistlines can also be due to another hormone: cortisol. Otherwise known as the stress hormone, cortisol can lead to all kinds of health problems, including excess abdominal fat. Cortisol is also a known libido-killer, so it is no wonder that sex is the last thing on your mind after a bad day at work. Exercise and meditation can decrease cortisol to a healthy level, which can improve your blood pressure and your love life. Another good way to decrease stress is to keep a “gratitude journal” - researchers have found that people who express gratitude and appreciation daily feel less stressed out than people who do not.

Lack of sleep: Insomnia is often a vicious cycle, beginning with a caffeine overdrive in the morning, and ending with exhaustion in the evening. Most Americans would agree that they barely have the energy for sex at the end of the day! Improve your sleeping habits - and consequently, your sex habits - by cutting back on caffeine throughout the day. Substitute your giant cup of a coffee with a small cup of tea, and snack on foods like almonds throughout the day - they give you a natural burst of energy without the sugar dip that comes from a candy bar.

Last but not least, get the television out of your bedroom! A recent study found that the blue lights emitted from TV can disrupt sleeping patterns and restfulness throughout the entire night. And, finally, if you really just don’t have the energy for sex in the evening, make an effort to rise a little early in the morning in order to have time for sex before work.

Good health and good sex go hand-in-hand. And, since most of us are making resolutions to be healthier in 2008, it is good to know that regular intercourse is a big part of being in tip-top shape. Finally, a resolution that will be fun to keep!

Major Health Benefits of Sex

Many people simply enjoy a healthy sex life because sex is pleasurable. Now there’s another reason to stay under the sheets; there are substantial health benefits of sex. Enjoying a rigorous romp can do wonders for everyone both physically and psychologically. Now, men everywhere can tell their ladies that sex is not only for fun, but, since there are health benefits of sex, their lives may depend on it.

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When you’re in the mood, it’s a sure bet that the last thing on your mind is boosting your immune system or maintaining a healthy weight. Yet good sex offers those health benefits and more.

That’s a surprise to many people, says Joy Davidson, PhD, a New York psychologist and sex therapist. “Of course, sex is everywhere in the media,” she says. “But the idea that we are vital, sexual creatures is still looked at in some cases with disgust or in other cases a bit of embarrassment. So to really take a look at how our sexuality adds to our life and enhances our life and our health, both physical and psychological, is eye-opening for many people.”

Sex does a body good in a number of ways, according to Davidson and other experts. The benefits aren’t just anecdotal or hearsay — each of these 10 health benefits of sex is backed by scientific scrutiny.

Among the benefits of healthy loving in a relationship:

1. Sex Relieves Stress

A big health benefit of sex is lower blood pressure and overall stress reduction, according to researchers from Scotland who reported their findings in the journal Biological Psychology. They studied 24 women and 22 men who kept records of their sexual activity. Then the researchers subjected them to stressful situations — such as speaking in public and doing verbal arithmetic — and noted their blood pressure response to stress.

Those who had intercourse had better responses to stress than those who engaged in other sexual behaviors or abstained.

Another study published in the same journal found that frequent intercourse was associated with lower diastolic blood pressure in cohabiting participants. Yet other research found a link between partner hugs and lower blood pressure in women.

2. Sex Boosts Immunity

Good sexual health may mean better physical health. Having sex once or twice a week has been linked with higher levels of an antibody called immunoglobulin A or IgA, which can protect you from getting colds and other infections. Scientists at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., took samples of saliva, which contain IgA, from 112 college students who reported the frequency of sex they had.

Those in the “frequent” group — once or twice a week — had higher
levels of IgA than those in the other three groups — who reported being abstinent, having sex less than once a week, or having it very often, three or more times weekly.

3. Sex Burns Calories

Thirty minutes of sex burns 85 calories or more. It may not sound like much, but it adds up: 42 half-hour sessions will burn 3,570 calories, more than enough to lose a pound. Doubling up, you could drop that pound in 21 hour-long sessions.

“Sex is a great mode of exercise,” says Patti Britton, PhD, a Los Angeles sexologist and president of the American Association of Sexuality Educators and Therapists. It takes work, from both a physical and psychological perspective, to do it well, she says.

4. Sex Improves Cardiovascular Health

While some older folks may worry that the efforts expended during sex could cause a stroke, that’s not so, according to researchers from
England. In a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, scientists found frequency of sex was not associated with stroke in the 914 men they followed for 20 years.

And the heart health benefits of sex don’t end there. The researchers also found that having sex twice or more a week reduced the risk of fatal heart attack by half for the men, compared with those who had sex less than once a month.

5. Sex Boosts Self-Esteem

Boosting self-esteem was one of 237 reasons people have sex, collected by University of Texas researchers and published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

That finding makes sense to Gina Ogden, PhD, a sex therapist and marriage and family therapist in Cambridge, Mass., although she finds that those who already have self-esteem say they sometimes have sex to feel even better. “One of the reasons people say they have sex is to feel good about themselves,” she tells WebMD. “Great sex begins with self-esteem, and it raises it. If the sex is loving, connected, and what you want, it raises it.”

6. Sex Improves Intimacy

Having sex and orgasms increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, the
so-called love hormone, which helps us bond and build trust. Researchers from
the University of Pittsburgh and the University of North Carolina evaluated 59
premenopausal women before and after warm contact with their husbands and partners ending with hugs. Tey found that the more contact, the higher the oxytocin levels.

“Oxytocin allows us to feel the urge to nurture and to bond,” Britton says.

Higher oxytocin has also been linked with a feeling of generosity. So if you’re feeling suddenly more generous toward your partner than usual, credit the love hormone.

7. Sex Reduces Pain

As the hormone oxytocin surges, endorphins increase, and pain
declines. So if your headache, arthritis pain, or PMS symptoms seem to improve after sex, you can thank those higher oxytocin levels.

In a study published in the Bulletin of Experimental Biology and
Medicine, 48 volunteers who inhaled oxytocin vapor and then had their fingers pricked lowered their pain threshold by more than half.

8. Sex Reduces Prostate Cancer Risk

Frequent ejaculations, especially in 20-something men, may reduce the risk of prostate cancer later in life, Australian researchers reported in the British Journal of Urology International. When they followed men diagnosed with prostate cancer and those without, they found no association of prostate cancer with the number of sexual partners as the men reached their 30s, 40s, and 50s.

But they found men who had five or more ejaculations weekly while in their 20s reduced their risk of getting prostate cancer later by a third.

Another study, reported in the Journal of the American Medical
Association, found that frequent ejaculations, 21 or more a month, were linked to lower prostate cancer risk in older men, as well, compared with less frequent ejaculations of four to seven monthly.

9. Sex Strengthens Pelvic Floor Muscles

For women, doing a few pelvic floor muscle exercises known as Kegels during sex offers a couple of benefits. You will enjoy more pleasure, and you’ll also strengthen the area and help to minimize the risk of incontinence later in life.

To do a basic Kegel exercise, tighten the muscles of your pelvic floor, as if you’re trying to stop the flow of urine. Count to three, then release.

10. Sex Helps You Sleep Better

The oxytocin released during orgasm also promotes sleep, according to research.

And getting enough sleep has been linked with a host of other good things, such as maintaining a healthy weight and blood pressure. Something to think about, especially if you’ve been wondering why your guy can be active one minute and snoring the next.

And in short: :)

1. Scientific tests find that when women make love, they produce double amounts of the hormone estrogen, which make hair shiny and skin smooth.
2. Gentle, relaxed lovemaking reduces your chances of suffering dermatitis, skin rashes and blemishes. The sweat produced cleanses the pores and makes your skin glow.
3. Lovemaking can burn up those calories you piled on during that romantic dinner.
4. Sex is one of the safest sports you can take up. It stretches and tones up just about every muscles in the body. It’s more enjoyable than swimming 20 laps and you don’t need special sneakers!
5. Sex is an instant cure for mild depression. It releases the body endorphin into the bloodstream, producing a sense of euphoria and leaving you with a feeling of well-being.
6. The more sex you have, the more you will be offered. The sexually active body gives off greater quantities of chemicals called pheromones. These subtle sex perfumes drive the opposite sex crazy!
7. Sex is the safest tranquillizer in the world. It is 10 times more effective than Valium.
8. Kissing each day will keep the dentist away. Kissing encourages saliva to wash food from the teeth and lowers the level of the acid that causes decay, preventing plaque build-up.
9. Sex actually relieves headaches. A lovemaking session can release the tension that restricts blood vessels in the brain.
10. A lot of lovemaking can unblock a stuffy nose. Sex is a natural antihistamine. It can help combat asthma and hay fever.

There’s only 8 reasons to make love in the next abstract:

Back in the 1940s, a renegade shrink named Wilhelm Reich recommended an orgasm every day to stay healthy. It was part of his reasons for sex he called the “sexual revolution.” Unfortunately, folks were strung pretty tight back then, and they threw Reich’s ass in prison, where orgasms aren’t nearly as much fun.

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