Have it several times: this is how sex affects your brain

This is how sex affects your brain…

... it's like a drug.

Sex is supposed to make you feel good. That's why we want him, we enjoy him, and that's why, among other things, we spend so much time looking for a suitable partner. The pleasure we experience during it is largely due to the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that activates the part of the brain that is responsible for pleasure. Among other things, dopamine is one of the chemicals that also determines the limit of "hit" or pleasure when using drugs. Cocaine and sex are not the same, of course, but both involve the same part of the brain to some extent.

... it's like an antidepressant.

A 2002 study at the University of Albany found in a sample of three hundred women that women who had sex without a condom had fewer symptoms of depression than women who had sex with a condom. Researchers hypothesized that various compounds in men's semen, including estrogen and prostaglandins, have antidepressant properties that are then absorbed into the body after intercourse. This is good news for anyone who is in a serious and committed relationship, but if you are still looking for the right partner, don't give up the condom. There are other ways to improve your mood, but there are no other ways to prevent an STD.

… causes a drop in mood.

Feel-good chemicals can be in full swing during intercourse itself. What about after? According to researchers, there is a so-called "post-coital blues" or PCT (post-coital tristesse), which causes a feeling of melancholy and sadness after sex. About one-third of the women who participated in the study were said to have experienced it.

... relieves pain.

Don't give up sex if you have a headache. Research shows that this will supposedly ease symptoms. Namely, in one of the German studies, 60 % participants with migraine and 30 % participants with burst headaches experienced at least partial, if not complete, relief of symptoms by having sex during the headache. Another study found that women who stimulated their G-spots increased their pain threshold. Some researchers attribute this effect to oxytocin – the hormone of love, trust, relaxation and bonding, which, among other things, relieves pain.

… can erase the memory.

Each year, fewer than 7 people per 100,000 experience so-called transient global amnesia, a sudden and temporary loss of memory that cannot be attributed to any other neurological condition. It can happen during more passionate sexual intercourse as well as during emotional stress, pain, minor head injuries, medical procedures and jumping into cold or hot water. A memory can be erased for a few minutes or a few hours. During this time, the person is unable to create new memories or recall recent events. Fortunately, there should be no lasting effects.

… improves memory.

Or they could if they were rodents. Indeed, a 2010 study found that rats that had sex at least once a day for fourteen consecutive days had an increase in the number of neurons in the hippocampus, the part of the brain associated with memories, compared to rats that had “ one-night stand”. The findings were supported by another study conducted on mice. Whether intercourse has the same effects on humans remains to be proven.

... soothes.

The same study, which demonstrated an improvement in the memory center of the brain in rats, found, among other things, that these rats were calmer. And it works in humans too. One study showed that people who had sex responded better to stressful situations, such as public speaking, than people who had no sex or engaged in other types of sexual activity. Sex lowers blood pressure.

... puts him to sleep.

Men are very likely to be more sleepy than women after sex, and scientists think they know why: the activity of the frontal cortex slows down after ejaculation. In combination with the release of oxytocin and serotonin, it is responsible for feeling tired and a strong desire to sleep.