Having an idea of what goes on in your brain during sex is a vital piece of information you can use to have better sex. It can also bring clarity to other aspects of your health. Research on the matter is still underway. It’s not the easiest subject to get deeper into, but there’s been significant progress, which is why we now know these facts about what goes on in your head when you have sex:
Sex is drug
By this time we’ve already heard how sex is like a drug. It makes us feel good, so people spend a great deal of time and efforts to have sexual partners. The pleasure that sex gives us is all thanks to the release of dopamine. This is the neurotransmitter that activates the reward center of the brain. In fact, dopamine is also one of the chemicals that give people the feeling of elation when they’re on drugs. Thus, taking drugs and having sex don’t exactly feel the same, but the same regions of the brain contribute to the ‘high’ one experiences in drugs and the pleasure one experiences in sex.
Sex improves mood
There was a study wherein female participants who had sex without condoms were found to have fewer depressive symptoms than those who had sex with condoms. This is because there are compounds found in semen that are said to have antidepressant qualities. Of course, these are absorbed into the body after sex. While this is good news for those who are in serious relationships, condoms should still be in the equation for those who are just having fun to avoid sexually transmitted diseases.
Sex also makes you sad
Sex makes you feel good, but sometimes it does the opposite. The chemicals that give pleasure may be doing the job during the sex, but what about after? Researchers said that there’s also the thing called postcoital dysphoria or post-sex blues. In a study, one third of the women who participated said they had experienced sadness after sex. Researches can’t still find the connection, but this gloominess after sex could also be attributed to regret or feeling compelled.
Sex alleviates pain
You’re not in the mood for sex because of a headache? It’s actually the perfect time to have a sex! According to research, sex can actually mitigate this malady. Though the reason for this is still unclear, some researchers have attributed this to oxytocin, which happen to have pain-alleviating qualities.
Sex can make you forget
A mind-blowing one could surely do, at least metaphorically speaking; but did you know that there’s a condition called global transient amnesia? This is an abrupt but temporary memory loss that’s not associated with any other neurological issues. Interestingly, this condition can be a result of intense sex, as well as emotional stress, pain, minor head injuries and medical procedures, among others. This episode can last a few minutes to a few hours. When this happens, an individual cannot make new memories or seem to recall recent happenings. It’s a good thing this is only temporary and it is astounding vigorous sex can actually result to something like this.
Sex may improve memory
On the other hand, sex is said to might make a boost in your memory. In a study, rats who had continuous sex, that’s everyday for 14 days, developed more neurons in the hippocampus compared to the ones which only had sex once. The hippocampus is the region of the brain linked to memory. It is still unclear if regular sex also has the same effect to humans, but there’s no harm in trying to find out yourself.
Sex is soothing
In the same study, it was also revealed that the rats which got regular sex were less stressed than the ones which only had one-time sex. This works for humans as well. Another study found that people who had just engaged in sexual intercourse were more likely to have better response in stressful scenarios than people who had not. One way that sex can alleviate stress is by lowering blood pressure.
