All aspects of life are important and contribute to healthy
living. Knowledge creates good health, responsible behavior, and happiness.
Current research has identified the surprising health benefits of sex, which
extend well beyond the bedroom.
According to Kara Mayer Robinson, WebMD Feature writer, “Sex
not only feels good. It can also be good for you. “Sexually active people take
fewer sick days,” says Yvonne K. Fulbright, PhD a sexual health expert.
Research at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania found that
college students who had sex once or twice a week had stronger immune systems
and were better able to defends the body against germs, viruses, and other
intruders.
According to Goldstein, research indicates "women who
have vaginal intercourse often have less risk of breast cancer than those who
do not."
Healthy life patterns create healthy sexual activity. Be
sure to eat right, stay active, get enough sleep, keep up with your
vaccinations, and use a condom if you don’t know both your and your partners
STD (sexually transmitted disease) statuses. Statistics from the U.S. Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention show that, among 45- to 65-year-olds, STD
rates have nearly tripled over the past decade. The best way to prevent an STD,
other than abstinence, is to use a condom.
Benefits of healthy sex
- Strengthens
the immune system
- Boosts
libido
- Improves
women’s bladder control (by strengthening the pelvic floor)
- Lowers
Your blood pressure
- Counts
as exercise (increases heart rate and uses various muscles)
- Lowers
heart attack risk
- Helps
keep your estrogen and testosterone levels in balance
- Lessens
Pain
- May
make prostate cancer less likely (men who ejaculated frequently at least
21 times a month were less likely to get prostate cancer according to a
study in the Journal of the American Medical Association)
- Improves
Sleep
- Eases
stress
- Sex
and intimacy boosts self-esteem and happiness
- Orgasm
can block pain (of chronic back and leg pain, reduce menstrual cramps,
arthritic pain, and in some cases even headache-- Barry R. Komisaruk, PhD,
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey)
What is Healthy Sex?
Healthy sex has a knowledge base that is about less clinical
processes, disease prevention and neurology and more about enjoying sex the way
you want to. Dr. Sonia Borg, an accomplished sexologist and author states
healthy sex is "feeling good about the sex we're having.” You should
define "healthy" or "normal" sex for yourself and as a
couple. Sexuality is a personal and what makes a healthy sex life is going to
be different for different people.
According to Dr Borg, there are no rules for how many times
a week, how long each session should last, or guidelines as to what you should
be doing in the bed. Sexually healthy individuals and relationships have the
common traits of trust, honesty, freedom from guilt or shame, communication,
and allowance for the other person to feel how they feel.
An open, trusting relationship can be exceedingly difficult.
Often we would rather let our sex lives and relationships waste away rather
than share our thoughts. These fears can run deep. Many of us feel intense
guilt and shame when it comes to sex. There is no fault; this is a reflection
on much larger scales of culture and society.
In some countries there is very little sex education. Individuals
are not really allowed to talk about sex to anyone, books on sexual health are
burned, and the stigma regarding sex outside procreation is strong as a result
STI rates are incredibly high.
According to the World Health Organizations (WHO), countries
where sexuality is not a taboo subject have lower rates of sexually transmitted
diseases. Dr. Borg says, "it seems pretty clear that our attitudes about
sex have a lot to do with [STI prevalence]---if even thinking about your
sexuality unsettles you, don't just ignore these feelings. Sex is natural, and
your response to sexuality is just as natural, and it is also incredibly
important to your overall well-being."
Dr. Borg’s Four-steps to a healthier sex life
- Define
healthy sex (be specific--healthy sex, for me, is …)
- Identify
the type of sex life you'd like to have (describe it in great detail…)
- Identify
the gaps between your desired sex life and your actual sex life
- Each
day or week - some defined amount of time - take action on those
items.
According to Dr. Michael Cirigliano of the University of
Pennsylvania School of Medicine, sexual activity is a form of physical
exercise. Making love three times a week burns around 7,500 calories in a year
-- the equivalent of jogging 75 miles. A night of love raises the amount of
oxygen in the cells keeping the organs and tissues functioning at their peak.
Internationally recognized author, speaker and sex
therapist, Wendy Maltz, LCSW, has identified these conditions---Consent,
Equality, Respect, Trust, and Safety---as essentials to healthy sex.
“CONSENT means
you can freely and comfortably choose whether or
not to engage in sexual activity. You are able to stop the activity
at any time during the sexual contact.
EQUALITY means
your sense of personal power is on an equal level with your partner. Neither of
you dominates the other.
RESPECT means
you have positive regard for yourself and for your partner. You feel respected
by your partner.
TRUST means you trust
your partner on both a physical and emotional level. You
have mutual acceptance of vulnerability and an ability to respond to it with
sensitivity.
SAFETY means
you feel secure and
safe within the sexual setting. You are comfortable with and
assertive about where, when and how the sexual activity takes place. You feel
safe from the possibility of harm, such as unwanted pregnancy, sexually
transmitted infection, and physical injury.”
Maltz believes these conditions need to exist in the healthy,
intimate sexual relationship. She recommends spending time together; engaging
in lots of honest, open communication, and a strong friendship with your
partner first before becoming lovers. Knowledge of healthy sex habits minimizes the possibility of
something bad resulting from the sexual experience. Maltz is the author of the
book, The
Difference Between Healthy and Unhealthy Sex.
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