Studies indicate that 28% of Americans over age 45 report they had sexual intercourse once a week or more in the last six months, and 40% report having intercourse at least once a month. More than one in five Americans over age 45 (22%) say they engage in self-stimulation at least once a week. People define sex differently. One person might only consider it to entail penetrative intercourse, while another might consider sex to start with the beginning of foreplay and last beyond each partner’s orgasm.
Having a healthy sex life is good for you both emotionally and physically. Sex can help you create a connection with another person, and sexual pleasure has lots of health benefits — whether you’re with a partner or not. When you have an orgasm, your body gives you a natural high. You release endorphins, which are hormones that block pain and make you feel good.
There’s no amount of sex that’s considered “normal” — everyone’s different. How often you have sex depends on a lot of things, like whether you have a partner, what else is going on in your life, and how strong your sex drive (your desire to have sex) is.
People have different sex drives. Your own sex drive can change based on things like stress, medications you take, and other physical, emotional, and lifestyle factors. Some people want to have sex every day or more than once a day, and some people hardly ever want to have sex. People who don’t experience any sexual attraction for anyone may call themselves asexual.
Studies have shown that sex is extremely beneficial to our health. Sex activates a variety of neurotransmitters that impact not only our brains but several other organs in our bodies.
The benefits of sex for men and women include:
- Better heart health, possibly including a lower risk for heart disease
- Better immune system
- Better sleep
- Decreased depression and anxiety
- Immediate, natural pain relief
- Improved self-esteem
- Increased intimacy and closeness to a sexual partner
- Increased libido
- Lower blood pressure
- Overall stress reduction, both physiologically and emotional
Women, of course, have a variety of different lifestyles, situations, and preferences when it comes to sex. Fortunately, all women can experience the benefits of sex, no matter their situation.
What is nausea?
Nausea is a symptom everyone dreads. You’ve almost certainly experienced that queasy feeling at one time or another — perhaps while reading a book in a moving vehicle, or maybe after eating something that didn’t agree with you.
Whatever the cause, “nausea” is a term that describes the uneasy feeling in your stomach that means you might have to vomit, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Though it’s usually not serious, here’s what you need to know when you feel nauseated — and when you should see a doctor.
Generally, when you are experiencing nausea, you feel sick to your stomach. According to Stanford Health Care, other signs and symptoms of nausea include:
- Weakness
- Sweating
- A buildup of saliva in your mouth
- Urge to vomit
Why do I feel nauseous after sex?
There are several reasons people feel nauseous after sex they include:
Body odor: Sex is just like any physical activity, sex causes an increase in your heart rate, thereby causing the body temperature to rise. And hence, you sweat while having sex. Sweating and body odor are common after sex. If your partner has a strong odor, you might feel nauseated after sex. Hyperosmia may make certain smells particularly distasteful. You can feel nauseated or disgusted, and the odors can even trigger migraines or allergies.
Dehydration: When you’re not adequately hydrated, your body might react in plenty of surprising ways that you might not think are related to how much water you’re drinking. Being dehydrated can impact your sex life — from headaches and fatigue preventing you from getting in the mood to erectile issues and vaginal dryness. It is possible for dehydration to cause nausea after sex, for example, which then causes vomiting. These conditions are unpleasant on their own, but when experienced together, they can take a serious toll on the human body.
Endometriosis: Endometriosis is a condition that can affect females. It happens when tissue that is similar to that of endometrial tissue grows outside the uterus. The tissue responds to hormones that affect the menstrual cycle in the same way that endometrial tissue does. It swells and bleeds like endometrial tissue, but there is nowhere for the waste tissue and blood to go. Endometriosis can lead to GI symptoms like nausea after sex. If you have endometriosis, you may notice that nausea gets worse during your period, after sex, or after eating.
Mental health: Suffering from certain mental health conditions can trigger nausea after sex. Anxiety can cause nausea and other gastrointestinal problems. Your brain and gastrointestinal (GI) system are directly linked. Depression, anxiety, and stress have been shown to affect the movement and contractions of the GI tract, which can cause diarrhea, constipation, and nausea. Outside of your brain, your digestive system contains the second largest number of nerves in your body. Some scientists even call your gut your “second brain”.
Vasovagal syncope: In most women, nausea after sex is triggered by the vasovagal response. A vasovagal response is when the body stimulates the vagus nerve. This results in lower heart rate and blood pressure, which can cause you to feel faint and nauseated.
How can I have a healthy sex life?
If you suffer from nausea after sex, there are several ways you can remedy the situation. Having a healthy sex life is about taking care of yourself, whether you have a partner or not. Physically, that means proper hygiene, practicing safer sex, getting tested for STDs regularly, preventing unintended pregnancies, and seeing a doctor or nurse if you have a sexual disorder or any other health problems.
Feeling good about your body, enjoying sexual pleasure, being comfortable with your sexual orientation and gender identity, and having healthy relationships are also big parts of healthy sexuality. Having a healthy sex life means knowing what you do and don’t want to do sexually and being able to communicate that to your partners. Your partner should respect your boundaries, and you should respect theirs.
