Health Report Reveals Regular Sex Delays Menopause

A new study by some united states researchers has found out that people who have regular sex in middle age enter menopause late.

Naija News learnt that women who reported having sexual activity weekly were 28% less likely to have experienced menopause than those who had sex less than once a month.

Similarly, those who had sex monthly were 19% less likely to have attained menopause — defined as 12 months without a period — than those who had sex less than once a month.
While the study didn’t look at the reason for the link, the authors said that the physical cues of sex may signal to the body that there is a possibility of getting pregnant.

But for women who aren’t having sex frequently in midlife, earlier menopause may make more biological sense.
“If you’re not going to reproduce, there’s no point ovulating — you’re better off using that energy elsewhere,” said Megan Arnot, the lead author of the study and a PhD candidate in evolutionary anthropology at University College London.

It’s the first time a study has shown a link between frequency of having sex and the onset of the menopause, Arnot said.
The next step is to try to replicate the findings in other population groups, although she said there was little available data on sex and menopause.
For women looking to delay the onset of symptoms like hot flashes that can cause discomfort in the years around the menopause, Arnot said more sex probably couldn’t hurt — but that the study didn’t examine this issue.
“The mechanism of the relationship between sex and menopause is a promising avenue for future research and could open the door on behavioural interventions,” Arnot said.