The health benefits of having an orgasm

Although sex doesn’t necessarily have to end with an orgasm, most people do consider it a great part of having sex. An orgasm isn’t just an enjoyable experience, it’s also very healthy! Reaching a climax has various health benefits, both physically and psychologically.

Effects of an orgasm on your mental state

Hormones that make you feel happy

When you come, several hormones are released in your brain. Oxytocin for example, which is also sometimes called the love hormone, gives you the feeling of love and connection and relaxes your body. Oxytocin also helps you fall asleep faster. Endorfin provides an intense feeling of happiness and is a natural painkiller as well. If you have a headache, having an orgasm can help you get rid of it. We’ll tell you more about this later. Another hormone that your body releases during an orgasm is dopamine. It makes you feel good and is even a little addictive. This pleasant feeling is also known as the ‘afterglow’; a warm and fuzzy feeling. Researchers from the Florida State University studied 214 newlyweds and found out that people are able to experience those feelings for no less than 48 hours at a time. The participants experienced both the feeling of satisfaction and stimulation during that time.

Whap happens in your brain during an orgasm?

Researchers have been studying the effects of having an orgasm on the brain for years. There are studies being done where the participants are asked to masturbate while researchers study their brain with a PET scan or MRI scan. “Research shows that during your climax, the blood flow in some parts of your brain decreases,” says clinical psychologist Daniel Sher. The blood flow in the prefrontal cortex decreases for example. This is the area of the brain that gives you control over your body. It’s also the part that’s responsible for social behaviour. Additionally, the amygdala relaxes during your orgasm. This is the part of your brain that creates memories and emotional events. Women might notice a decrease in emotions when the amygdala relaxes, while men might feel less aggression. Many people also experience a decrease in fear and anxiety. At the same time, the blood flow in the cerebellum increases. This causes the muscle contractions that many people experience. The thalamus in your cerebral cortex processes touch, movement, and sexual memories and fantasies to help you reach a climax. 

Physical effects of an orgasm

Besides psychological effects, having an orgasm also has positive physical effects.

An orgasm is good for your immune system

Research from Wilkes University shows that students who had sex once or twice a week had more antibodies in their blood than students who weren’t as sexually active. Antibodies protect your body from bacteria and viruses.

Less chance of developing prostate cancer

Men who have an orgasm at least 21 times per month have 20% less chance of developing prostate cancer than men who orgasm four to seven times a month. This is the conclusion of research that was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Why this is the case is not clear yet.

Less stress and headaches with an orgasm

Research from the University of Munster shows that having an orgasm can help people with cluster headaches (a relatively rare form of intense headaches) and migraines. About 30% of people with cluster headaches and 60% of people with migraine experience less pain after having an orgasm. If you suffer from headaches caused by stress, then sex and masturbation might help you reduce the pain as well.

It’s good for the male heart

Research published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine concludes that if men have sex twice a week, they reduce their chance of a heart attack. This is because the heart starts beating faster and blood flow increases during sex. This has a positive effect on the heart and veins. Even when you’ve already suffered a heart attack, you can have sex again. Your doctor can tell you how long you should wait before having sex again.

Why do we get an orgasm?

Why exactly do people get orgasms? Scientist haven’t figured that out yet. Cognitive psychologist Kayt Sukel says: “It is probably a sneaky way for your brain to encourage you to procreate. Because if you look at it objectively, pregnancy is a danger to your body and health as you let your child borrow your body first and then have to raise your child for years. With an orgasm, Mother Earth can tempt us to have sex, so our species won’t die out.” Scientists think it’s possible that women used to get an orgasm to stimulate ovulation, but that ovulation doesn’t depend on the orgasm anymore thanks to evolution. Sukel adds: “It is also possible that orgasms exist to keep the brain healthy, because of the dramatically increased blood flow in your body during the climax.”