Benefits

In humans, sexual activity has been claimed to produce health benefits as varied as improved sense of [109] [110][111] [112] smell, stress and blood pressure reduction, increased immunity, and decreased risk [113][114][115] of prostate cancer. Sexual intimacy, as well as orgasms, increases levels of the hormone oxytocin, also known as "the love hormone", which helps people bond and build [116][117][118] trust. Sex is also known as one of many mood repair strategies, which means it can be used to [119] help dissipate feelings of sadness or depression. A long-term study of 3,500 people between 30 and 101 by clinical neuropsychologist David Weeks, MD, head of old age psychology at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital in Scotland, found that "sex helps you look between four and seven years younger", according to impartial ratings of the subjects' photos. Exclusive causation, however, is unclear, and the benefits may be indirectly related to sex and directly related to significant reductions in stress, greater contentment, [120][121][122] and better sleep that sex promotes.

Risks
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) can be spread by person-to-person sexual contact, including sexual intercourse. There are 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases every year in the [123] U.S., and, in 2005, the World Health Organization estimated that 448 million people aged 1549 were [124] being infected a year with curable STIs such as syphilis, gonorrhoea and chlamydia. In 2006, The Independent newspaper reported that the biggest rise in sexually transmitted infections was in syphilis, [125] which rose by more than 20%, while increases were also seen in cases of genital warts and herpes. STIs are caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites, which are passed from person to person during sexual contact. Some, in particularHIV and syphilis, can also be passed in other ways including from mother to child during pregnancy and childbirth, through blood products, and by shared hypodermic [124] needles. Gonococcal or chlamydial infections often produce no symptoms at all. Untreated chlamydial infection can lead to female infertility and ectopic pregnancy. Human papillomavirus can lead to genital and cervical cancers.Syphilis can result in stillbirths and neonatal deaths. Untreated gonococcal infections result in miscarriages, preterm births, andperinatal deaths. Infants born to mothers with untreated gonorrhoea or chlamydia can develop serious eye infections, which can lead to [124] [126] blindness. Hepatitis B can also be transmitted through sexual contact. Globally, there are about [127] 350 million chronic carriers of hepatitis B. Some STIs can cause ulceration, but even if they do not, they increase the risk of both acquiring and [124] passing on HIV up to ten-fold. HIV is one of the world's leading infectious killers, and, in 2010, approximately 30 million people were estimated to have died because of it since the beginning of the epidemic. Of the 2.7 million new HIV infections estimated to occur worldwide in 2010, 1.9 million (70%) were in Africa. "The estimated 1.2 million Africans who died of HIV-related illnesses in 2010 comprised [128] 69% of the global total of 1.8 million deaths attributable to the epidemic." It is diagnosed by blood tests, and while no cure has been found, it can be controlled with antiretroviral drugs, and patients can [129] enjoy healthy and productive lives. The most effective way to avoid sexually transmitted infections is to abstain from sexual intercourse, including oral, vaginal, and anal sex, or to have sexual intercourse only with one long-term, uninfected partner, who also remains entirely monogamous. The World Health Organization says that "Male latex condoms, when used consistently and correctly, are highly effective in reducing the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, including gonorrhoea, chlamydial infection

and trichomoniasis." In cases where infection is suspected, early medical intervention is highly beneficial in all cases. People, especially those who get little or no physical exercise, have a slightly increased risk of triggering heart attack or sudden cardiac death when they engage in sexual intercourse, or any other vigorous physical exercise which is engaged in on a sporadic basis. Increased risk is temporary with incidents occurring within a few hours of the activity. Regular exercise reduces but does not eliminate the [130] increased risk.

[124]

Nature-versus-nurture debate
Main article: Nature versus nurture Certain characteristics are believed to be innate in humans, although they may be modified by [10] interactions with the physical and social environment. Human sexuality is driven by genetics and mental activity. Normative characteristics, as well as social, cultural, educational, and environmental [11] characteristics of an individual also moderate the sexual drive. The sexual drive affects the [11] [12] development of personal identity and many social activities. There are two well-known theorists who formed the opposing positions in the nature versus nurture debate. Sigmund Freud, a firm supporter of the nature argument, believed that sexual drives are instinctive and viewed sexuality as the central source of human personality. John Locke, on the other hand, believed in the nurture argument, using his theory of the mind being seen as a tabula rasa or blank slate, the environment in which one develops [13] drives their sexuality. [edit]Thomas

Aquinas

Medieval philosopher Thomas Aquinas held sexuality in accordance with virtues such as temperance and charity not to be evil in itself:"If we suppose the corporeal nature to be created by the good God we cannot hold that those things which pertain to the preservation of the corporeal nature and to which nature inclines, are altogether evil; wherefore, since the inclination to beget an offspring whereby the specific nature is preserved is from nature, it is impossible to maintain that the act of begetting children is altogether unlawful, so that it be impossible to find the mean of virtue therein; unless we suppose, as some are mad enough to assert, that corruptible things were created by an evil god, whence perhaps the opinion mentioned in the text is derived (Sent. iv, D, 26); wherefore this is a most wicked [14] heresy." The virtue of temperance tempers excess in acts and habits according to Aristotle and Aquinas's virtue ethics, where the aim is not necessarily total abstinence (although Aquinas holds this as easier to achieve), but a perfect mean according to good (i.e. such things as virtue, reason, natural law, Divine [15] Law, and intelligence). Hence, chastity and the habit of virginity, defined as "the continual meditation on [16] incorruption in a corruptible flesh" are the parts of the virtue temperance related to sexuality, and are opposed by excess by lust. Aquinas argues that a reasoned use of sexuality should be according to its end, which is human procreation, again in accordance with charity and other virtues, i.e. "true good": "A sin, in human acts, is that which is against the order of reason. Now the order of reason consists in its ordering everything to its end in a fitting manner. Wherefore it is no sin if one, by the dictate of reason, makes use of certain things in a fitting manner and order for the end to which they are adapted, provided this end be something truly good. Now just as the preservation of the bodily nature of one individual is a true good, so, too, is the preservation of the nature of the human species a very great good. And just as

the use of food is directed to the preservation of life in the individual, so is the use of venereal acts directed to the preservation of the whole human race. Hence Augustine says (De Bono Conjug. xvi): "What food is to a man's well being, such is sexual intercourse to the welfare of the whole human race." Wherefore just as the use of food can be without sin, if it be taken in due manner and order, as required for the welfare of the body, so also the use of venereal acts can be without sin, provided they be performed in due manner and order, in keeping with the end of human procreation." Aquinas reckons lust to be a "mortal sin" and a "capital vice." The daughters, or consequences, of lust are described as "blindness of mind, thoughtlessness, inconstancy, rashness, self-love, hatred of God, love of [17] this world and abhorrence or despair of a future world." Moreover, as with any "mortal sin," Aquinas [18] reckons that lust destroys the charity, and consequently also the happiness, in humans. [edit]Sigmund

Freud

Freud's theory assumed that behavior was rooted in biology. He proposed that instincts are the principal motivating forces in the mental realm, and held that there are a large number of instincts but that they are reduced into two broad groups; Eros (the life instinct), which covers all the self-preserving and erotic instincts, and Thanatos (the death instinct), which covers instincts toward aggression, self-destruction, [19] and cruelty. Freud gave sexual drives a centrality in human life, actions, and behaviors that had not been accepted before his proposal. His instinct theory suggested that humans are driven from birth by the desire to acquire and enhance bodily pleasures, thus supporting the nature debate. Freud successfully redefined the term "sexuality" to make it cover any form of pleasure that can be derived from the human [19] body, raised the notion that the pre-genital zones are primitive areas of preliminary enjoyment [20] preceding sexual intercourse and orgasm. He reasoned that pleasure lowers tension, while displeasure raises it, influencing the sexual drive in humans. His developmentalist perspective was governed by inner forces, especially biological drives and maturation, and his view that humans are biologically inclined to [13] seek sexual gratification demonstrates the nature side of the debate. [edit]John

Locke

British philosopher John Locke rejected the assumption that there are innate differences among people, [13] and argued that people are shaped strongly by their social environments, especially by education. He believed that it would be accurate to view a childs mind as a tabula rasa or blank slate; whatever goes [13] into the mind will come from the surrounding environment. As the person develops, they discover their identity. Locke proposed to follow a child from its birth and observe the changes that time makes, saying that one will find that as the mind, through sensory information, becomes furnished with ideas, it becomes more awake and aware. He said that after some time, the childs mind begins to know the objects which are most familiar. As the childs brain develops, he or she begins to know the people and social surroundings of daily life and can then distinguish the known from the unknown. This view supports the [21] nurture side of the debate. Locke believed that there are no natural obstructions that would block the development of childrens inherent potential for acting freely and rationally and that everyone is born to [22] become independent beings and benefit from the environment. Human sexual behavior is different than the sexual behavior of most other animal species, in that it seems to be affected by several factors. For example, while most non-human species are driven to partake in sexual behavior when reproduction is possible, humans are not sexually active just for the sake [23] of reproduction. The environment, culture, and social setting play major roles in the perception, attitudes, and behaviors of sexuality. Sexual behavior is also affected by the inability to detect sexual

stimuli, incorrect labeling, or misattribution. This may in turn impede an individuals sexual [24] performance.

Social effects
Adults
Alex Comfort and others posit three potential advantages of intercourse in humans, which are not [8][131] mutually exclusive: reproductive, relational, and recreational. While the development of the Pill and other highly effective forms of contraception in the mid- and late 20th century increased people's ability to segregate these three functions, they still overlap a great deal and in complex patterns. For example: A fertile couple may have intercourse while contracepting not only to experience sexual pleasure (recreational), but also as a means of emotional intimacy (relational), thus deepening their bonding, making their relationship more stable and more capable of sustaining children in the future (deferred reproductive). This same couple may emphasize different aspects of intercourse on different occasions, being playful during one episode of intercourse (recreational), experiencing deep emotional connection on another occasion (relational), and later, after discontinuing contraception, seeking to achieve pregnancy [131] (reproductive, or more likely reproductive and relational). Nearly all Americans marry during their lifetime; yet close to half of all first marriages are expected to end [132] in separation or divorce, many within a few years, and subsequent marriages are even more likely to [133] [133] end. Sexual dissatisfaction is associated with increased risk of divorce and relationship dissolution. According to the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB), in 2010, men whose most recent sexual encounter was with a relationship partner reported greater arousal, greater pleasure, fewer problems with erectile function, orgasm, and less pain during the event than men whose last sexual [99] encounter was with a non-relationship partner. According to the Journal of Counseling & Development, many women express that their most satisfying sexual experiences entail being connected to someone, [134] rather than solely basing satisfaction on orgasm.

Adolescents
With regard to adolescent sexuality, sexual intercourse is often for relational and recreational purposes as well. However, teenage pregnancy is usually disparaged, and research suggests that the earlier onset of puberty for children puts pressure on children and teenagers to act like adults before they are emotionally [135][136] or cognitively ready, and thus are at risk to suffer from emotional distress as a result of their sexual [136][137][138][139][140] activities. Some studies have concluded that engaging in sex leaves adolescents, and [141] especially girls, with higher levels of stress and depression. A majority of adolescents in the United [142] States have been provided with some information regarding sexuality, though there have been efforts among social conservatives in the United States government to limit sex education in public schools [143] to abstinence-only sex education curricula. One group of Canadian researchers found a relationship between self-esteem and sexual activity. They found that students, especially girls, who were verbally abused by teachers or rejected by their peers were more likely than other students to engage in sex by the end of the Grade 7. The researchers speculate that low self-esteem increases the likelihood of sexual activity: "low self-esteem seemed to explain the link between peer rejection and early sex. Girls with a poor self-image may see sex as a way [144] to become 'popular', according to the researchers".

In India, there is growing evidence that adolescents are becoming more sexually active outside of marriage, which is feared to lead to an increase in the spread of HIV/AIDS among adolescents, as well as the number of unwanted pregnancies and abortions, and add to the conflict between contemporary social values. In India, adolescents have relatively poor access to health care and education, and with cultural norms opposing extramarital sexual behavior, "these implications may acquire threatening dimensions for [145] the society and the nation". Not all views on adolescent sexual behavior are negative, however. Psychiatrist Lynn Ponton writes, "All adolescents have sex lives, whether they are sexually active with others, with themselves, or seemingly not at all," and that viewing adolescent sexuality as a potentially positive experience, rather than as something inherently dangerous, may help young people develop healthier patterns and make more [135] positive choices regarding sex. Likewise, others state that long-term romantic relationships allow [146] adolescents to gain the skills necessary for high-quality relationships later in life and develop feelings of self-worth. Overall, positive romantic relationships among adolescents can result in long-term benefits. [147] High-quality romantic relationships are associated with higher commitment in early adulthood and are [148][149] positively associated with self-esteem, self-confidence, and social competence.