Hormones in Semen Shown to Make Women Feel Good

Reuters (London) ^ | Wed Jun 26, 2:09 PM ET

[Oldeconomybuyer]

LONDON (Reuters) - Hormones in semen may help to ease female depression because women whose partners don't use condoms are less likely to feel down.

Scientists at the State University of New York suspect the mood-altering hormones are absorbed through the vagina and make women feel good but they stressed that their results are not an excuse for unprotected sex.

"I want to make it clear that we are not advocating that people abstain from using condoms," Gordon Gallup, who led the study, told New Scientist magazine on Wednesday.

"Clearly an unwanted pregnancy or a sexually transmitted disease would more than offset any advantageous psychological effects of semen," he added.

The researchers assessed the moods of 300 female students using a standard questionnaire. A score of more than 17 was considered moderately depressed.

Women whose partners never used condoms scored about eight on the test while those who never had sex without condoms scored 11.3. Women who weren't having sex at all scored about 13.5.

Depression in the students who sometimes or never used condoms was more severe the longer they went without sex.

The scientists said they looked at other factors, such as the use of oral contraceptives, frequency of sex and personality type, but found that none could account for the findings.

The magazine said the results are not a complete surprise because scientists know that semen contains several mood-altering hormones including testosterone.

"Some of these have been detected in a woman's blood within hours of exposure to semen," the magazine said.

The scientists suspect semen will have the same effect on women regardless of how they are exposed to it.

[Age of Reason]

The researchers assessed the moods of 300 female students

I wonder how many of those "students" were married.

And I wonder what they're being taught.

[5by5]

I haven't seen the research so it's hard to account for its quality but I wonder if the researchers considered the impact of long-term vs. short-terms relationships.

This could be important because condoms are more likely to be used for "quickies," or sex in meaningless relationships. On the otherhand, not using a condom implies a longer-term relationship with a trusted partner. Might not sex in the latter case simply be more satisfying? Or that sex in the first case is depressing?

The control for this would be testing women in long-term relationships that use condoms for birth control.

[Billthedrill]

(Sigh!) I never get invited to the good conferences...

[Snowy]

Ya know, I heard a guy spouting this theory at a conference three years ago, and I thought he was a lunatic. It offended even us conservative women. Sounds like he was right.

I don't feel offended. I am starting to get a bit cranky, though... ;-)

[Snowy]

What about placebos? Maybe a "roll in the hay" releases endorfins much like the high you get when you exercise.

[Delbert]

thats pretty funny, some people get jobs with all the perks!

[Senator Pardek]

Q. How do you make a hormone?





A. Kick her in the teeth!

[Redcloak]

This would explain the smile...

[Delbert]

Ya know, I heard a guy "spouting" this theory at a conference three years ago, I thought he was a lunatic.

Maybe not a lunatic , but perhaps an angry Seaman?

[Delbert]

Those are some pearly whites!

[Slip18]

". . .as investors moved to cover their shorts."

Hahahahaha!

[hobbes1]

I bet they are the whitest teeth Bill clinton ever came across....

[Inge_CAV]

Yes, but we know what she uses as a toothbrush.........

[Snowy]

I bet they are the whitest teeth Bill clinton ever came across....

LOL! Absolutely rotten!

[NeoCaveman]

I bet they are the whitest teeth Bill clinton ever came across....

I see a toothpaste ad in Monica's future. LOL.

[hobbes1]

LOL

[Delbert]

One of those "bent" toothbrushes for hard to reach cavities.

[Inge_CAV]

The "Bent" to the left kind........ : )

[jpl]

I wonder if that goes for blue dresses as well as women.

[Wordsmith]

bump