Ladies, we’ve got good news for you: women who participate in sexual activity more frequently may experience menopause later rather than sooner, a new study suggests. And we’re not saying this, it’s science.
The Royal Society Open Science researchers from University College, London have found out that more sex for women means later menopause. They analysed data collected from about 2,936 women, aged between 42 to 52 years, who live in the United States. The study also took in factors like smoking habits, when they had their first period, what their ethnic group was and found out that women who engaged in sexual activity weekly were 28% less likely to experience early menopause. This was compared to women who engaged in sexual activity less than once a month.
And if you’re wondering what exactly sexual activity involves- the study includes all things from sexual intercourse, oral sex to masturbation in it. Woah!
Women of any age who had sex every week were less likely to have been through menopause compared to those who had sex less than once a month. The scientists also say that if a woman is not having sex and there isn’t a chance of pregnancy then the body ‘chooses’ to stop investing energy into ovulation. Yup.
A woman’s immune system is hampered during ovulation and it makes the body more susceptible to diseases. And so if a pregnancy is unlikely because of a lack of sexual activity, the body diverts its focus from ovulation.
If you don’t know what menopause is, here’s what it means:
It is the process of natural aging in women and occurs when they’re between the age of 45 and 55 years. It is when the number of mature eggs in the ovaries drops below a critical threshold. The main timing could be genetic but also factors like health, smoking and overall lifestyle.
On the other hand, if a woman has sex regularly that could lead to a pregnancy, the body decides that it may be better to maintain regular menstrual cycles for a while longer. These findings are based on the data collected from women who are either perimenopausal or premenopausal. The former shows symptoms of hot flashes and changes in period cycles and the latter is when a woman has regular cycles with no perimenopause or menopause symptoms.
The questionnaire included questions about their healthy lifestyle, members of their household, and their sexual activity in several interviews with the researchers over a period of 10 years.
So ladies, shut those doors and get boom-booming!
