Want To Prevent Colds? Have Sex Weekly in a Satisfying Relationship.
Close contact of lovemaking reduces risk of colds.
How many times have you heard—or said: “Don’t kiss me. I have a cold.” It makes sense. Close contact spreads colds, so avoiding physical intimacy with cold sufferers looks like a sensible way to avoid humanity’s most common illness. But a study at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania shows the opposite, that the close contact of lovemaking reduces risk of colds. Huh?
Researchers asked 111 college students (44 men, 67 women) their frequency of partner sex—none, less than once a week, once or twice a week, or three or more times a week.
Then the students provided saliva samples. Saliva contains a key component of the immune system, immunoglobulin A (IgA), the body's first line of defense against the many viruses that cause colds. The more IgA in your saliva, the less likely you are to catch colds.
The group saying they made love once or twice a week group had the highest levels of IgA, and enjoyed the most protection from colds. This group had 30 percent more IgA than those who had sex less or more frequently.
The researchers also surveyed participants about the duration of their relationships and how satisfied they were with them. As relationship duration and satisfaction increased, so did salivary IgA.
Talk about counterintuitive. Close contact should increase the likelihood of cold transmission—unless interpersonal closeness provides benefits that override the risk of proximity. Indeed, a happy, sexually active relationship provides two significant immunological benefits—deep relaxation and social support.
How Lovemaking Helps
In good relationships, lovemaking is deeply relaxing. Many studies show that deep relaxation, the kind that results from meditation or visualization/guided imagery, stimulates the immune system. At the Center for Stress Management in Carrboro, NC, researchers measured the white blood cell counts of people with a variety of illness including cancers and AIDS. White blood cells are part of the immune system, and illness often reduces their number. Then the researchers taught the folks deeply relaxing visualization exercises. Over three months, their white blood cell counts increased significantly. Conclusion: Relaxation enhances immune function.
Lovemaking is also a powerful form of social support. Many studies show that social support revs up the immune system, and helps prevent colds. At the University of Pittsburgh, researchers studied 276 healthy volunteers, who completed a survey of their social ties—to lovers, friends, family, and organizations—and then had live cold virus squirted up their noses. Those with the most social support were least likely to catch the cold.
Which brings us back to the Wilkes-Barre study showing a significant cold-preventive effect for sex once or twice a week in satisfying, long-term relationships. People often say, “Not tonight, dear, I feel a cold coming on.” It’s time to update that sentiment: “I feel a cold coming on. Let’s do it.”
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References
Charnetski, CJ and FX Brennan. “Sexual Frequency and Salivary Immunoglobulin A (IgA),” Psychological Reports (2004) 94:839. DOI: 10.2466/pr0.94.3.839-844
Cohen, S et al. “Does Hugging Provide Stress-Buffering Social Support? A Study of Susceptibility to Upper Respiratory Infection and Illness.” Psychological Science. (2015) 26:135.
Donaldson, WV “A Clinical Study of Visualization on Depressed White Blood Cell Counts in Medical Patients,” Applied Psychophysiological Biofeedback (2000) 25:117. DOI: 10.1023/a:1009518925859
Questions & Answers
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