Use it or lose it. Weve all heard that expression, often used in reference to the strength of our muscles or even parts of our brain. But is the saying also accurate for women when it comes to sex and fertility?

A study publishedon January 15, 2020, in the journal Royal Society Open Science found that women who had sex at least once a week were 28 percent less likely to go through menopausecompared with women who engaged in sexual activity less than once a month. Women who had monthly sex were 19 percent less likely to experience menopause than women who had sex less than that.

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The authors of the paper suggest sexual activity, or the lack of it, could be sending messages to the body about whether or not continuing to ovulate is a good use of the bodys resources. If a woman isnt sexually active, the body may choose not to invest in ovulation because there would be no point, according to Megan Arnot, a PhD candidate at University College London, and coauthor of the study.

Conversely, if the woman is still engaging in sex regularly, then it may be adaptive for her to continue ovulating for slightly longer, the authors wrote.

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Investigators looked at 2,936 women in the United States who were part of the Study of Womens Health Across the Nation (SWAN), a multisite longitudinal, epidemiologic study thats designed to examine womens health during their middle years. At the start of the study, women were all between 42 and 52 years old and hadnt reached menopause yet.

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Women were asked how often they engaged in sexual activity of any kind, not just intercourse. Any sexual touching or caressing, oral sex,and masturbation counted as sex.

Sexual activity other than intercourse was included because of the authors hypothesis that the cues from these behaviors could all potentially trigger the same signal in the body that could indicate a possible pregnancy to the body, according to the authors.

The maximum amount of sexual activity from any of those behaviors was used as the sexual frequency number, or sex index. If a woman reported having intercourse once a month but oral sex every week, then weekly was recorded as her sex index. Due to the small number of responses in some categories, all responses were placed into one of three categories:

Climax, or female orgasm was not included as part of the questions or considered in the signaling hypothesis, Arnot responded via email. We arent 100 percent sure on the exact mechanism, but sexual activity can cause fluctuations in estrogen, which would send signals; it might just be that vaginal stimulation signals possible pregnancy, she wrote.

Although the study cant prove that the extra sex postponed menopause onset or that lack of it does the opposite, the authors suggest that the relationship is the result of an adaptive trade-off relative to the likelihood of pregnancy when approaching menopause.

To conclude that a lack of sex would somehow trigger the body to divert resources elsewhere is a bit of stretch, according to Lauren Streicher, MD, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago. You have to keep in mind that theres a big difference between causation and association. They found that women who are sexually active tend to go through menopause later than women who are not sexually active, says Dr. Streicher.

This doesnt mean that if you have more sex you wont go through menopause, according to Streicher. Theres a correlation between women who go through menopause earlier and who are not as sexually active, which is no surprise, she says. That doesnt mean that this earlier menopause is caused by the lack of sex, she adds.

Streicher uses a popular headline from last year as an example. It was in the news that people who exercise have better sex, she says. Yes, but the exercise doesnt make them have better sex; people that are physically fit tend to have better sex. Again, its about causation versus correlation, says Streicher.

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Keep in mind that biologically the reason we have sex is to reproduce, she adds. If biologically youre no longer able to reproduce, than biologically youre going to have more difficulty with sexual function.

Technically, menopause occurs after a woman goes 12 consecutive months without a monthly period. The months or years leading up to that milestone is called the menopause transition, or perimenopause, and symptoms can include hot flashes, mood changes, disruptions in sleep, and changes in the monthly cycle.

Genetics is probably the number one factor that determines when you will go through menopause, according to Streicher. It doesnt have anything do with when you start your period; thats a common myth. You dont go through menopause because you run out of eggs, she says. Its because your eggs age; you still have plenty of eggs, she says.

If your mother went through menopause early, in the absence of some medical reason, then you may too, says Streicher. There are still many things we dont understand about why some women go through menopause earlier than others, but it can be health-related. People with autoimmune diseases or thyroid disfunction tend to go through menopause earlier, as well as those with chronic disease in general, she says. Smoking has been linked to earlier menopause, too, she adds.

Research indicates that naturally going through menopause later in life is associated with a longer life expectancy as well as a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, and osteoporosis.

Having more sex can improve relationships, quality of life, and intimacy, says Streicher. Will it prevent heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, or other chronic diseases? The answer is no. Sex doesnt make you healthier, but if youre healthier, you tend to have more sex, she says.

Streicher points to research published in the The New England Journal of Medicine by Stacy Lindau, MD, and colleagues that looked at sexuality and health in older adults in the United States. They found that age was less important than the persons medical condition. A healthy 70-year-old is far more likely to be sexually active than a sick 40-year-old, says Streicher.

People love saying, If you have more sex youre going to live longer. No, if you live longer, youre more likely to have more sex, she says with a laugh. And having more sex might make you happier, it might give you a better relationship, but it wont make you live longer.

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Will Not Having Sex Trigger Early Menopause? - Everyday Health

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