Does Sex Protect You Against Cancer?

Sex is more than physical pleasure: it may bring benefits on a long term. Many philosophies plead for total abstinence and preservation of the sexual energy for a prolonged life, but science comes up with another story.

In fact, many researches have showed that sex has a rather healing effect, on both psychical and physical levels. Of course, sex must be healthy, clean as on the other hand there is a wide array of sexually transmitted diseases. Frequent orgasms (about 100 per year) have been linked to an increase of 3-8 years in a person's lifespan and a decrease of death risk of 50%.

Perhaps nobody would have expected this, but sex decreases cancer rates. And in both sexes!

Researches found that sexually active women have a lower risk of developing breast cancer. When it comes to men, numerous researches have shown that a high ejaculation frequency and sexual activity are linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer later in life. A study found out that men who ejaculated 13 to 20 times monthly presented a 14% lower risk of prostate cancer than men who ejaculated on average, between 4 and 7 times monthly during most of their adult life. Those ejaculating over 21 times a month presented a 33% decreased risk of developing prostate cancer than those on the baseline.

Many cancers can be boosted by impairments of the hormonal balance, and perhaps sex and orgasm can fix this. Indeed, increased estrogen levels have been linked with higher risk of many cancers and increased testosterone levels in men has been linked to greater risk for prostate cancer.

But too much sex can be harmful for your health. In fact, over sexual partners increase the risk of infection with papillomavirus (HPV), a common genital virus, which can be transmitted even through anal and oral sex, by 8.6 times.

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the leading cause of cervical cancer (in uterus) (95 % of the cases). Due to oral sex, HPV can provoke larynx, esophagus and oropharyngeal cancer (cancer of the throat, tonsils and back of the tongue), in a rate higher than heavy smoking or alcoholism. This virus can also provoke periungual skin, vulva, vagina, penis, perianal and anus cancer and it is also suspected to provoke breast cancer