Couples skipping in the streets, whistling, and smelling the roses are a few of the ways that media portrays the after-effects of sex. Although exaggerated, those examples resonate with us. Despite our familiarity with images of happy people with lifted moods post-sex, there has been little research examining how sex contributes to well-being [1]. A recent study, led by Todd Kashdan and colleagues, sought to understand the relationship between sex and well-being [1].

We know that sex is commonly a pleasurable experience which reinforces our desire to engage in sex and to seek it more often [2]. When enjoying sex, our bodies release hormones such as oxytocin and dopamine, which are linked to increased positive mood and decreased stress response [3, 4]. Having sex with another person can also contribute to one’s sense of belonging and can bolster feelings of self-worth [5]. Yet, it is unclear whether sex increases well-being or whether people with greater well-being have more sex.

To answer this question, Kashdan et al. asked participants who were either single, in long-term or in short-term relationships to complete daily surveys for three weeks. They predicted that there would be a positive association between sexual activity and well-being. In other words, that sex and well-being are related and that as one increases so will the other. To determine the association between sexual activity and well-being, they investigated whether sexual behaviour affected well-being the following day.