







Depression is a serious condition afflicting many people these days and various solutions have been given to combatting this condition. People have been advised all sorts of regimes to follow and medication has been prescribed. Advice ranging from surrounding oneself with good company to enjoying the outdoors, good music and many other positive suggestions are constantly given. However, there is one suggestion that has probably not been prescribed regularly as research has only recently revealed that semen may be good for women battling depression. To be able to avail of the benefits, however, a woman needs to have sex and not just go to a sperm bank and expect everything to work out!

The study in this area that was led by Professor Gordon Gallup from the University of Albany discovered that females who had sex without the use of a condom did not show as many signs of depression as those who used a condom. This led to the speculation that semen exposure might just be the reason for lower levels of depression and better moods in some women.

300 college women at SUNY Albany were surveyed as part of the study. They were asked to fill out a questionnaire regarding their sexual behavior, especially how often they used condoms. The women were then given the Beck Depression Inventory, a standard test for moods. The results were quite revealing! It showed that women who ‘never’ used a condom had significantly better moods than those who ‘always’ or ‘usually’ used condoms. Those women whose vaginas had been directly exposed to semen had fewer bouts of depression and fewer depressive symptoms.

The researchers also took other variables into consideration like whether the woman was in a relationship, how often she had sex or whether she used other contraceptives like the birth control pill. They discovered that the use of condoms had greater effects on women’s mood swings than any of the other variables.

Risky sex is usually linked to low self-esteem and in college women, having sex without a condom is considered risky. So, rather obviously one would think that women who did not use condoms would exhibit negative symptoms of behavior patterns, but on the contrary among the women who ‘never’ used condoms, only 5 percent reported suicidal thoughts as against the 20 percent who ‘always’ or ‘usually’ used condoms.

The findings of the research show that it is possible that the antidepressants present in semen have a positive effect on the mood. However, this is no excuse for promiscuous or dangerous sexual behavior.

“Protecting oneself from an unwanted pregnancy or a sexually transmitted disease is far more important.” Says Professor Gallup.