What are the scientific reasons for having sex?

The Register (UK) ^ | 10 oct 06 | Dr Stephen Juan

[white trash redneck]

What are the scientific reasons for having sex?

Asked by Jill Howard of Alexandria, Virginia, USA

The reasons for not engaging in sex include transmission of diseases, heart attack due to exertion, and many others. The reasons for engaging in sex are numerous. Among these are:

• Sex helps boost the immune system. According to Dr Carl Charnetski of the Department of Psychology at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, people who reported one or two sexual "episodes" per week enjoyed higher levels of Immunoglobin A. This is an antibody that helps fight disease.

• Sex helps boost longevity. In one study cited by Dr Charnetski, men who had more orgasms over a 10 year period boosted their longevity compared with those who had fewer.

• Sex helps ward off cancer. In another study cited by Dr Charnetski, men who had more ejaculations over a 35 year period had 33 per cent less prostate cancer compared to those with fewer ejaculations.

• Sex results in a more youthful appearance. According to a study by Dr David Weeks, a clinical neuropsychologist at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland and co-author of Superyoung (1999), men and women who reported having sex an average of four times per week looked approximately 10 years younger than they really were.

• Sex helps reduce stress. Numerous studies show that it does this through lowering anxiety levels, boosting relaxation, and aiding sleeping.

• Sex helps fight depression. A study by Dr Gordon Gallup of the Department of Psychology at the State University of New York at Albany found that women who regularly engage in heterosexual sex in which they come in contact with semen were significantly less depressed than those women that did not. he causal relationship is unclear. Dr Gallup speculates that "possibly because when absorbed through the vagina, semen may have an effect on mood in women". However, Dr Gallup is quick to point out: "Regardless of the findings, this study does not advocate that people abstain from using condoms. Protecting oneself from an unwanted pregnancy or a sexually transmitted disease is far more important."

• Sex helps coping with middle age. This is the inference drawn from research by Dr GA Bachmann at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Brunswick, New Jersey and published first in 1995 in the International Journal of Fertility and Menopausal Studies and continuing in The Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2006.

• Sex is good exercise. Exercise helps circulation, lowers cholesterol, and releases helpful endorphins.

• Sex helps in losing weight. Well, at least a little. One burns approximately four to five calories per minute or perhaps 300 calories per hour during sex (depending upon how, shall we say, "vigorous" the sex is). About 7,000 to 8,000 excess calories must be burned to lose one kilogram of fat (3,500 to lose one pound). You do the calculations.

Stephen Juan, Ph.D. is an anthropologist at the University of Sydney.

[Pyro7480]

He's not saying that such people are potential converts to the false religion of Mohammed. But if we continue the way we are, many of our descendants will either be killed or forced to convert.

I got a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ and if you think for one moment that I would ever turn my back on Him to accept a cult of death, satanic religion, then you're nuts

You're going to love what I'm going to say in response to that. Before 1930, people who believed in Christianity, regardless of denomination, thought contraception is inherently sinful. After the Lamberth Conference, the false teaching that contraception is ok in marriage spread, and this kind of "theology" was and continues to be a turning away from God's plan for us.

[steve-b]

Huh? People take (ostensibly) green-eyeshade columns by Paul Krugman about the deficit personally because they perceive an agenda (You selfish people should pay more taxes!). People take (supposedly) sympathetic comments from Sarah Brady about the Lancaster County school shootings personally because they perceive an agenda (You right-wing troglodytes ought be let the government take away your guns!).

What part of this progression eludes you?

[teenyelliott]

I don't care. Freepmail, hijack the thread, whateva.

This thread, about why sex is good for you, has already been hijacked by the religious right.

Why not make it about kitties, instead?????

[steve-b]

Wideawake has gone out of his way to explain it to people on this thread. Read them all.

I tried the "read them all" approach when faced with a shelf of Dr. Bronner's soap products, and my head almost exploded. I fear that wideawake might push it over the top.

[teenyelliott]

Yes, but I haven't had eleventy gillion babies, so I suppose some could pass judgment.

[Pyro7480]

It is common courtesy to ping the person when you're speaking of them.

[wideawake]

Oh wait, I can't afford anymore kids.

Oh, of course not.

But Salimah in Yemen has eight children and she and her family scrape by on an income of less than 5% of yours.

And she has no welfare.

Yet her children are clothed and fed and get an education at a government school and at least two or three of them will eventually live in America or Norway or Holland or Canada.

They may not have good jobs themselves, but their kids will. Especially since so many Americans' kids will simply not exist at all.

Because no one could afford to have them in the world's richest country.

[Allegra]

FREERIDERS RULE!!

Oops...I just mailed my absentee ballot in a couple of days ago.

I forgot that I'm not supposed to vote because I don't have kids. You know, I'm too busy freeriding.

[Lawdoc]

"...printing out the reasons to give to my Wife later tonight..."

I just sent my bride the link. Saves toner and paper :)

[spunkets]

" Oh yes. Just let the "Wester Civ" take care of you.

If they've not taken care of freedom by establishing essential protections that can't be infringed upon, regardless of the number of those that insist on destroying that condition, then it's not taking any care of me at all.

"Don't expect to have to do your part."

I'll repeat. The purpose of giving the gift of life is not to provide you, or anyone else with allies.

" "Ask not what you can do for your civilization""

Civilization is the condition of freedom. There is no civility in anything else. "Ask not what you can do for your civilization""

[Tijeras_Slim]

I'm too busy freeriding.

That probably explains this post. :)

[Pyro7480]

I wouldn't accuse of that Allegra, because you have made an enormous sacrifice to help the cause against Islamism.

[steve-b]

They may not have good jobs themselves, but their kids will.

That's the point at which they stop breeding like flies. Duh.

[najida]

Yeah,
I grew up wanting to be a freerider (heavy sarcasm) just to drive the wackjobs crazy.

[Hemingway's Ghost]

Aye.

Apply a dose of this, et no problemo.

[wideawake]

That's the point at which they stop breeding like flies. Duh.

Statistics indicate that they still continue to reproduce at a sub-fly, but healthy, above-replacement rate.

Meanwhile their Western cohorts continue to reproduce like mules.

[najida]

So those of us who were and are sterile (by the will of God) are what?

Dead already?

[spunkets]

Re: I don't believe in having babies for purposes of outnumbering my enemies. "Nor do I. However, I am not ashamed of my culture, my beliefs and my way of life and I think it is a positive affirmation of that culture, those beliefs and that way of life to propagate it physically.

Regarless of your denial, you're still claiming the purpose of giving life and living life, is to propagate your own concerns. You are advocating the production of workers, nothing more.

[najida]

Cannon fodder!

(OK, and maybe Xerox confetti)

[NRA2BFree]

Not at all. I am pointing out that when such people die, there place will be taken by the children of people who did decide to have a replacement level children.

And practically the only population of any size on this planet who do decide to have a replacement level of children are Muslims.

They have abdicated the next generation to those who do reproduce at replacement levels.

Bingo! You just proved my case for NOT wanting to bring children into this world. Thank you very much! LOL! IF all they have to look forward to is ISLAM, then why subject them to such a potential future? So, why not just go ahead and have sex for pleasure? ;o)