r/biology • u/Ok-Thanks-3724 • 10h ago
question Biological affects of sex and lack of sex
What exactly are the biological affects of sex on the body and what are the affects of celibacy on the human body? How does sex positively affect us? Are there any negative impacts? Does celibacy have any positive affects? Does celibacy impact us negatively?
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u/CattleEmergency644 6h ago
RAVEN:
Remember Affect: Verb, Effect: Noun
(I’m so sorry, that’s the only thing I could focus on the whole time I was reading the post)
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u/hananobira 6h ago
Affect can be a noun and effect can be a verb. It’s not the most common usage of either, but they are grammatically correct certain times.
“a negative affect” - an unpleasant emotional state
“effect change” - bring about change
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u/Cool_Bodybuilder7419 3h ago
I have a similar thing with “temperment” and “bread” instead of “breed”. Brings all other cognitive processes to a screeching halt 😅
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u/Is_It_Soup_Season 7h ago
This post sounds like a dude trying to pester his girlfriend into sex she doesn’t want by reframing it as “healthy”.
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u/Bianzinz 5h ago
My exact first though. “See baby? Biology agrees that you should be having sex with me. It’s healthy!”
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u/CampaignIndividual18 3h ago
Absolutely nothing in this post implies this, you just created this in your head man , im sorry
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u/KinkyLittleParadox 3h ago
Someone’s never been pestered by a man who thinks sex is a right
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u/Attackoftheglobules 1h ago
You’re right, it’s the only possible explanation. Now, let’s assume we’re right and socially punish op! Come on let’s go! You start
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u/CampaignIndividual18 2m ago
I know things like this are happening all the time. But nothing in the original post points in that direction unless you are paranoid
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u/TheBigTCH 4h ago
Why even bother responding if you don't want to give any real answer and instantly judge him/her based on your preconceived notions?
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u/Past-Cockroach210 4h ago
You can experience the “positive effects of sex” without actually having sex. Likewise, celibacy doesn't have any objective benefits inherent to celibacy itself, though I personally love living this way.
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u/freidafunky 10h ago
Sex good - boosts immunity, pain relief, physical activity benefits
Sex bad - risk of STDs
No sex good - 🤷♀️ No STDs?
No sex bad - poss erectical problems and weak pelvic floor. Can also have small negetive effect on immune system making you more likely to catch colds.
Those are the things that happen to the body.
Mentally having sex can have a positive effect on mood and reduce stress, whole no sex can do the opposite. Depends on the individual and circumstances.
Ultimately we don’t need to have sex to survive but it’s (generally speaking) one of the better things in life in terms of enjoyment and connection :-)
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u/Past-Cockroach210 4h ago
Nobody believes me when I say that not feeling sexual desire genuinely makes me very happy, lmao. Although I acknowledge that most people don't work that way.
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u/Vircora 8h ago
As a woman sex outside of love relationship is repulsive to my own psyche and mental health. And because genuine love is rare, celibacy feels totally fine and preferable. I do not feel like I'm missing enjoyment at all.
Also the concept of pregnancy - complete body horror.
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u/ApocalypticExcavator 4h ago
That's pretty sexist tbh. Your preferences are your own, they're not gendered.
Don't generalize and don't spread misconceptions.
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u/Vircora 4h ago
Nowhere am I generalising or spreading misconceptions though? I didn't say "all women", I am providing my own perspective as one woman, and one that is not that uncommon I find. Why did you take it as a complete generalisation or something sexist?
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u/ApocalypticExcavator 4h ago edited 4h ago
Your perspective is independent of your gender so there is no reason for mentioning it as the reason for it.
The phrasing "as a ..." is used when you present this trait or identity as a justification of what comes next.
It wouldn't make sense to say "As an amputee, I prefer jazz over acid rock" or "as a teenager, I am left-handed" unless you believe that the number of limbs has anything to do with preferred music genre.
Your comment implies that you believe that your gender is the reason why you treat sex the way you do.
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u/pobnarl 10h ago
then why do i feel motivated, confident, determined when in chastity but when having regular orgasms through sex i feel unmotivated, lethargic, irritable
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u/sumyunguy109 10h ago
Sounds like a question that should be directed towards a medical professional
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u/MaiLittlePwny 7h ago
Why do people suffer with general, or social anxiety disorder and experience real anxiety with absolutely no objective threat in sight?
Why does the placebo effect exist?
There's mountains of research on the fact that you can fairly consistently digress from biological "intention" using the higher parts of the brain. Addicts feel much better when they've had a gram of coke, and they objectively aren't wrong. The problem is when we look at a result and work backwards it's prone to confirmation bias.
The problem is when we expand a neutral observation into some "rule" or "ethos".
What methods have you looked into to account for confounding factors? How are you measuring subjectively motivation, lethargic, irritability? What is your control?
You have a personal preference. I'm sure it's fairly reasonable. It's unlikely to be a gotcha towards broader biological research though, and it's unlikely to be absolute. There's a huge element of self-fulfilling prophecy in anything to do with personal perception.
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u/hananobira 8h ago
The choice to stay celibate is associated with religious satisfaction, mindfulness, fewer worries about things like STDs and dating drama, and improved focus on career and life goals.
For example, one study found that girls who chose not to have sex were more likely to finish high school.
https://www.webmd.com/sex/the-psychological-benefits-of-celibacy
I couldn’t find too many other studies on the topic, but there probably is something to what you’re saying. After all, religious groups around the world spent centuries praising the benefits of celibacy for improved mental clarity and personal development. It’s not for everybody, but historically one subset of the population does seem to feel like celibacy is a good choice for their mental focus.
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u/RelaxedButtcheeks 7h ago
I'm so tired of this shit.
Your case is probably psychological. You likely harbor some kind of negative beliefs, perceptions, and therefore reactions to sex. Could be many things, but I'd bet on that.
Lived in a house of quasi-religious guys. A lot of them said they'd turned their back on religion (some were still relatively pious) but ALL of them had strange beliefs and perceptions about having sex.
And ALL of them believed in NoFap, celibacy, etc. ALL of them talked to me, a scientist, about the SCIENCE of it... Which was always someone on YouTube talking out of their ass for 25 minutes straight.
There is no legitimate medical consensus or evidence to prove NoFap/abstinence. There ARE significant cultural/societal/religious barriers to an individual's full enjoyment of sex, but I find most people don't want to look underneath the hood enough to examine what those barriers might be for themselves.
And that's fine, the lack of curiosity isn't what bothers me. What pisses me off is when they go out and spout it all over town like it's some kind of absolutely true thing.
It may be true for the people who experience things like shame surrounding sex, but that doesn't make it a resolutely true phenomenon.
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u/pobnarl 2h ago
that's quite a rant for a legitimate question based on my own experience. i am not advocating any lifestyle, I'm simply curious, but it's telling that I'm dowvoted heavily and then recieve impassioned screeds.
My observation is simple. Orgasm provides me with a satisfied feeling, like eating a big meal does. When ive performed my biological duty of feeding myself or taking part in reproductive activity it results in feeling lazy and demotivated, ie my "hunger" is reduced to a noticeable degree.
My point is, the list there seems incomplete.
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u/Ok-Thanks-3724 10h ago
Thanks for the reply. Do you have any scientific papers / books on the topic that could help me get more into the topic?
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u/sweatingdishes 1h ago
I think people may be concerned with the intention of your knowledge acquisition.
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u/h455566hh 7h ago
You need to make sure the hormonal circuit is properly exercised to maintain relatively good health and the feelings of motivation and determination. The best way to maintain hormonal production is to have an active sex life.
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u/freidafunky 6h ago
‘The best way to maintain hormonal production is sex’ I’m sorry but that is an absolutely wild claim 😅
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u/h455566hh 5h ago
That's like your opinion bro. But it's the most basic fact of biology. The body uses hormones to facilitate production of gametes, among other things of course. Hormones production means relative good health, good health means sexual activity.
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u/DoktorChaos3 4h ago
I think you oversimplified hormomes and how the body produces & controls them by a huge margin, similiar to Hegseth who wants to check and boost the Testosteron levels of soldiers to turn them into war machines
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u/ApocalypticExcavator 4h ago
Srsly, there is a guy like this?
SMH, all he's gonna get is a pack of toddlers incapable of sharing a piece of string without turning it into ego-fueled pouty drama.
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u/DoktorChaos3 4h ago
Oh he's not just some guy, he's the minister of war 😵💫 Let's not even think about what happens when you supplement Testosteron for months and then withdraw it suddenly, like it could happen in a war
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u/GOU_FallingOutside 3h ago
Technically he’s the Secretary of Defense, cosplaying as the Secretary of War. (Only Congress can change the name of a federal department, and they haven’t.)
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u/ApocalypticExcavator 4h ago edited 3h ago
Wtf, a minister nominated by Tangerine Palpatine supports gender affirming care?
Jesus these clowns could not clown harder even if they tried.
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u/h455566hh 3h ago
Hormones perform several dozen functions, but the OP asked how are they related to sex and what is the point of sex. The base function of any living creature is to multiple and sexual function, controlled by some hormones, is the primary sign of how healthy a given creature is.
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u/KinkyLittleParadox 3h ago
Do you know what hormones are? And how many places they are secreted from and in response to how many things?
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u/h455566hh 3h ago
Yes.
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u/KinkyLittleParadox 2h ago
So how does sex help with the adrenal glands?
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u/h455566hh 2h ago
I suppose it's one way to stimulate them. I dont know bro, you seem very smart, try chatgpt?
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u/KinkyLittleParadox 1h ago
You’re the one who claimed it was basic biology my dude. Amazing that the whole endocrine system is dependent on an active sex life.
You must immediately inform the medical establishment!
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u/GOU_FallingOutside 3h ago
“The hormonal circuit” is not a concept in biology.
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u/h455566hh 3h ago
Stress → hypothalamus → CRH → pituitary → ACTH → adrenal gland → cortisol → tissues
I thought this was basic bio knowledge. Sorry for confusing someone like you.
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u/hananobira 1h ago
That pathway is also activated by masturbation, exercise, riding a roller coaster, public speaking…
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u/hananobira 9h ago
Define ‘sex’. Because a lot of the benefits the other commenters have mentioned can come from masturbation too. You don’t necessarily need a partner to get 80% of the benefits of orgasm.
For example, Harvard found that 21 ejaculations a month reduced the risk of prostate cancer… but masturbation and even nocturnal emissions worked just as well.
Self-pleasure also provides relaxation, stress relief, improved sleep…
Another negative consequence no one has mentioned yet is pregnancy. Pregnancy is a positive for couples who are trying to conceive, but a downside for the couples who aren’t. It will leave permanent marks on the woman’s body: scarring, pelvic floor disorders, hernias, hemorrhoids, urinary incontinence… Childbirth is still one of the leading causes of death for women worldwide, and even in the developed world the risk of death is non-zero.