Can Your Sex Drive Influence Your Immune System?

We, as human beings, are complex. Most people are aware that exercise is good for us. Exercise is good for the immune system. Just like exercise, sexual activity can also be very good for the immune system. Good sex puts us in a good mood; even not so good sex can have positive influences on our overall health. You will have to define for yourself what good sex is. For some, good sex is sexual activity that always leads to an orgasm. For other people, having an orgasm isn't always the primary objective.

Do your thoughts about your sex life influence your immune system?

Have you ever heard the saying, "you are what you think you are"? All of us have beliefs about ourselves, and we tend to become what we believe we are. For instance, if you believe yourself to unsuccessful in life, you probably will be. If you believe you are not as good as other people, you will most likely have a poor self-image. The same goes for your beliefs about your sex life. If you believe that sex isn't good unless you achieve an orgasm, then if you don't have an orgasm, you may become frustrated. Being sexually frustrated, over time, can have a negative influence on your overall well being. The key to having a healthy sex life is to enjoy sexual activity whether you have an orgasm or not. When you are having a good time during sexual activity, your brain is being flooded with feel good chemicals. In turn, when you are turned on, your endocrine system is also turned on.

How does sex influence the immune system?

We are more than our composite parts. Our immune system can be influenced by many factors, such as our physical, mental and sexual health. We know that stress can influence our immune system. We also know that sex reduces stress in the body. Sexual activity influences our overall well being. When you have sex one or two times a week, you produce more IgA (immunoglobulin A), which is a specific type of antibody which helps you to fight disease causing bacteria and viruses. Thus, it stands to reason, if you have a healthy sex life, you are likely to have a healthy body and a healthy immune system.To have a healthy immune system, all your body systems should be in balance. Your body systems like to stay in a state of homeostasis.

For instance, when you are in a state of good health, your body temperature will be within normal limits, and your fluid and electrolyte balance will be where it should be. When one system gets out of balance, it can influence other body systems and your body can move out of the balanced state of homeostasis. When your body is no longer in homeostasis, your immune system can be negatively affected. Your sex life should be balanced also, to have a healthy immune system.

A scientific study, on the saliva of 112 college students, at Wilkes University in Pennsylvania showed that college students who had sex once or twice a week had higher levels of IgA than students who abstained from sex or had sex less than once a week. The study also showed that students who had sex three or more times a week had less IgA levels than the students who were having sexual activity once or twice a week. What does the test mean? From the results of the test, one can assume that people who have a balanced sex life may be healthier than people who have too little sex or too much sex. Is the study absolute? Does it mean that everyone who has sex less than once a week or more than four times a week are not as healthy as people who have sex at least once a week? Of course not! We must find our own balance. We are not all young college students.

For some of us, having sexual activity once or twice a month may be what we enjoy. Others may enjoy more sexual contact than others. The main objective is to enjoy sex and to feel good. If sex begins to make you feel tired in your everyday life, you might need to cut back to find your balance. You will know what your balance is when you feel good in your everyday life.

We are all individuals, and what we think and feel about our sex lives is specific to our own lives. If you are happy with your sex life, chances are your immune system will benefit from it. If you are not happy with your sex life, your immune system might not be as healthy as it could be. The bottom line is, your thoughts about your sex life influence your overall health.