I don’t know about you, but I love that things were once deemed indulgent but are now considered healthy. Dark chocolate? Hand it over. A glass of red wine? Yes, please! Good sex? Yeah, baby!
It seems that we’re gradually moving away from the puritanical ideology of abstinence and restraint and giving into the truth that, well … pleasure not just feels good, it’s good for us. The fact is, humans are hard-wired to seek pleasure. Our brains are designed for it.
It may seem easy to give in to the idea that chocolate and red wine are good for us, but many people still struggle to surrender to the idea that sex can not only be enjoyed for pleasure but is also a health-promoting activity.
Our culture has long shaped the attitudes and beliefs we have about sexuality, especially for women. For instance, lots of women grow up hearing that sex is something done “for a man” or “good girls don’t do that,” messages that don’t encourage you to enjoy your sexuality. Furthermore, sex has long been labeled a “risk” behavior, something that can cause unwanted pregnancy or STIs. Chances are you don’t remember your health class (assuming you were lucky enough to have one) covering anything about pleasure or the health benefits of sex.
In an effort to convince people that it’s okay to enjoy sex, scientists have started to investigate some of the health benefits of sex. It turns out that sex is not only good for our relationships and mental health, which in turn improves our physical health, but it also has many direct benefits to our physical health.
To get to read the top 10 health benefits, you can continue reading the article at HealthyWomen.org.
