Flutterby™! : sex is good for you

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sex is good for you

2004-04-07 16:32:33.674247+00 by Dan Lyke 9 comments

Anti-news: Sex is good for you. In particular, yet more evidence that ejaculations help prevent prostate cancer. In fact this may be a rehash of previous evidence, I'm too lazy to go back and check right now, but I will quote one call-out:

Australian epidemiologist Graham Giles at the nonprofit Cancer Council in Melbourne said one of the big remaining questions was the effect of frequent orgasms during one's teenage years. Like early childbirth in women, a lot of orgasms early in a man's life span may be "like running an engine," he said, prompting youthful cells in the critical region to "fully develop into a whole lot of nice prostate cells."

[ related topics: Sexual Culture Health Current Events Physiology ]

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: made: 2004-04-07 16:59:01.079464+00 by: Dan Lyke

This is a rehash, here's the previous Flutterby mention.

#Comment Re: made: 2004-04-07 17:11:29.633058+00 by: Larry Burton

Yeah, but it always bears repeating.

#Comment Re: made: 2004-04-07 18:12:11.404413+00 by: Diane Reese

So let's see, we'd best be sure to tell our teenaged sons to beat off a lot, but, um, if we had a teenaged daughter should we tell her to get pregnant early and often? Hmmm, I think not. Sigh, yet another sexual inequity...

#Comment Re: made: 2004-04-07 18:15:36.007397+00 by: Dan Lyke

Not to mention the health risks of pregnancy seem to dramatically overshadow any of the benefits (like the reduced breast cancer risk later in life).

#Comment Re: made: 2004-04-07 19:10:45.323916+00 by: polly

i agree with diane, inequity of the sexes!! just figures that a study of male ejaculation is really good for men, then considering that there are 6,000+ sperm created every day, i guess it IS best to get rid of them, lol.

wonder what a lot of orgasms does for a woman...besides feel good.

#Comment Re: made: 2004-04-07 19:33:55.808231+00 by: Dan Lyke

I've mentioned the book Devices & Desires before, but for a good part of the 1800s and early 1900s, orgasms were prescribed for quite a few "women's ailments". Of course they'd never be couched in those terms...

#Comment Re: made: 2004-04-08 02:21:21.780289+00 by: Shawn [edit history]

Apples and oranges. I don't think male masturbation != female conception. We should be encouraging young women to masturbate just as much as we encourage young men - which isn't nearly enough.

As for equity...

This article on Forbes is mostly aimed at men, it's true, but it also mentions benefits for women. CoolNurse also outlines Orgasm Benefits for women. The Erotic University starts off referencing the male ejaculation/cancer issue but also includes a healthy dose of female benefits. And finally, NewShe focuses mostly on emotional benefits, but also mentions:

There are physiological benefits. Regular orgasms induce a state of peaceful relaxation by releasing your body's pleasure chemicals, called endorphins, which may help alleviate menstrual cramps and promote better sleeping.

#Comment Re: made: 2004-04-08 02:36:56.537721+00 by: polly

woohoo, more endorphins! works for me :)

#Comment Re: made: 2004-04-08 18:19:46.374218+00 by: Dan Lyke

So discussion that came up yesterday at the office, especially since it's tax season: How can we leverage this news in conjunction with healthcare cost deductions?