We’re all pretty bizarre. Some of us are just better at showing it. - The Breakfast Club
Recently at the Human Behavior Evolution Society 2005 Conference, one of the presentations submitted for Postdoctoral Research Award was entitled The impact of unprotected vaginal, oral and anal sex on depression by Jose Valdez & Rebecca Burch.
The gist is that human seminal fluid contains dozens of hormones, neurotransmitters, immunosuppressants and other compounds that have been shown to both impact human behavior and readily absorb into the bloodstream. In a sample of sexually active college females, condom use, as an indirect measure of the presence of semen in the reproductive tract, was correlated with scores on the Beck Depression Inventory. In particular, somatic symptoms worsened as semen exposure decreased. For females who did not use condoms, the amount of time since their last sexual encounter was also correlated with depression scores. Other variables such as relationship quality, hormonal contraceptive use, and frequency of intercourse had no effect on depressive symptoms. Results are discussed with particular attention to which seminal compounds may be affecting reproductive behaviors, conception and depressive symptoms.
So, incorporating the details from the rest of the paper and presentation, it comes down to this: semen makes you happy. It has enough of the right chemicals in it to qualify as an anti-depressant and because of the nature of these chemicals and the places where semen usually ends up, it does in fact absorb into your bloodstream very easily. This researcher used a mood/depression test and showed that females having unprotected sex were happier than others.
She covered a lot of questions that come to mind, such as: Are people just happier when they're having sex in general? Nope, she tested virgins and girls who used condoms, and they had the same results (both lower than the girls having unprotected sex). Is it an orgasm thing? The data on orgasms isn't in since it's such a hard thing to pinpoint anyway. However, the data do show that receiving sperm orally or anally has the same anti-depressant effects.
This is really intriguing, but one would think there's not really much practical advice to give out regarding this research...Go have more sex? Stop using condoms? Humm, risky. But still, it's rather cool. Semen instead of Prozac. Good deal all round.
Perhaps we all need to investigate this matter for ourselves...I'd advise in the form of a practical exam.
The gist is that human seminal fluid contains dozens of hormones, neurotransmitters, immunosuppressants and other compounds that have been shown to both impact human behavior and readily absorb into the bloodstream. In a sample of sexually active college females, condom use, as an indirect measure of the presence of semen in the reproductive tract, was correlated with scores on the Beck Depression Inventory. In particular, somatic symptoms worsened as semen exposure decreased. For females who did not use condoms, the amount of time since their last sexual encounter was also correlated with depression scores. Other variables such as relationship quality, hormonal contraceptive use, and frequency of intercourse had no effect on depressive symptoms. Results are discussed with particular attention to which seminal compounds may be affecting reproductive behaviors, conception and depressive symptoms.
So, incorporating the details from the rest of the paper and presentation, it comes down to this: semen makes you happy. It has enough of the right chemicals in it to qualify as an anti-depressant and because of the nature of these chemicals and the places where semen usually ends up, it does in fact absorb into your bloodstream very easily. This researcher used a mood/depression test and showed that females having unprotected sex were happier than others.
She covered a lot of questions that come to mind, such as: Are people just happier when they're having sex in general? Nope, she tested virgins and girls who used condoms, and they had the same results (both lower than the girls having unprotected sex). Is it an orgasm thing? The data on orgasms isn't in since it's such a hard thing to pinpoint anyway. However, the data do show that receiving sperm orally or anally has the same anti-depressant effects.
This is really intriguing, but one would think there's not really much practical advice to give out regarding this research...Go have more sex? Stop using condoms? Humm, risky. But still, it's rather cool. Semen instead of Prozac. Good deal all round.
Perhaps we all need to investigate this matter for ourselves...I'd advise in the form of a practical exam.