Less Sex Linked to Shorter Lifespan—At Least for Some

New research suggests that a lonelier bed might make for a shorter life, at least for some people. Scientists have found a link between reduced sex frequency and a higher risk of dying earlier in women as a whole. They also found a link between less sex and an earlier death among depressed men in particular as well.

Numerous studies have pointed to a clear connection between our sex lives and overall health. Sex can be an invaluable stress reliever, as are the relationships that make it happen more frequently. Our sexual health can also be a barometer of our general wellbeing. Several chronic ailments can impair sexual function, such as diabetes, and erectile dysfunction in men can even predict problems like heart disease before they become apparent. 

Researchers at Walden University wanted to get a better sense of this connection between sex and longevity, particularly in relation to other factors like depression. They examined data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, a long-running and nationally representative poll of Americans’ dieting and lifestyle habits run by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

They tracked the health and reported sex lives of nearly 15,000 adults over the age of 20. People who reported having sex less than 52 times a year (weekly) were considered low frequency, based on other research showing that Americans on average have sex about once a week. Only one-third of the people in the survey reported having sex weekly or more, though nearly everyone reported having sex at least 12 times a year, or about once a month. 

The researchers found that in women overall, but not men, low sex frequency was associated with dying earlier (about 70% higher). This pattern could be seen along a dose-response curve, meaning that the less sex a woman had, the larger her risk of dying earlier. And even after the researchers adjusted for other factors, such as depression or existing health conditions, there was still a (smaller) link between less sex and dying sooner in women. For men, the picture was a bit more complicated. Men who were depressed and had less frequent sex were over twice as likely to die early than depressed men who had sex more often, for instance.

“A unique finding of this study is the long-term effect of low sexual frequency on premature mortality after long follow-up in a large-scale nationally representative population,” the researchers wrote in their paper, published Thursday in the Journal of Psychosexual Health.

These findings can only show a correlation between sex and living longer, not a clear causal relationship. But they do suggest that a good sex life is key to staying healthy in general. Aside from the mental health benefits, the very act of sex might be good for the body. The authors note that “sexual activity is important for overall cardiovascular health possibly due to reduction of heart rate variability and blood flow increase.”

So just in case you and your partner need a little more incentive to get in the mood this weekend, here you go.