New study makes worrying find about women who don’t have sex regularly

Perhaps you like a good run around the park to blow off some steam or maybe a night binging telly on the sofa to destress.

For others, a good sh*g does the trick.

Good, consensual sex is something the majority of us will always look forward to – at any time of day. And it’s actually pretty good for us as well, with experts pointing out that it can improve our immune systems and lower our stress levels.

With the athletes at the Olympics reportedly not missing out on a few sessions in the sheets, a new study has made a worrying find about women who don’t have sex regularly.

Medical researchers at Walden University in Pennsylvania used a giant database from the US Centres for Disease Control (CDC) to pool 14,542 men and women.

In this database, participants were asked: “In the past 12 months, about how many times have you had vaginal or anal sex?”

A good boink pays off. (Getty Stock)

It was found that 95 percent of them had sex over 12 times a year, with 38 percent clocking up at least once a week.

Researchers then compared these results with another CDC database on deaths up to the end of 2015. And in part of this, they found that the risk of death increased a huge 197 percent for those with a low sexual frequency and depression, compared to just depression alone.

Lead author Dr Srikanta Banerjee, he told DailyMail.com: “Individuals with depression but high sexual frequency don't feel harmful effects of depression as much.”

However, this altered dependent on gender as he added that, among ‘females only’, there’s a ‘beneficial effect’.

The theory, Banerjee explained, 'would be that depression affects men in different ways than females.'

The study found benefits of getting steamy. (Getty Stock)

He suggested that sex is ‘more effective’ due to the ‘severity of how depression impacts females’, for which there are multiple theories.

“For instance, sex releases endorphins that may prevent severe health outcomes,” he added.

The scientists found that women between 20 and 59-years-old, having sex less than once a week, had a 70 percent higher probability of dying from any cause within five years compared to those having it more.

Sex is good for all of us as the researchers noted: “Sexual activity is important for overall cardiovascular health, possibly due to reduction of heart rate variability and blood flow increase.”

Now, obviously lads, sex isn’t a ‘cure’ for depression, and if you’re struggling, it’s always best to reach out for help.

If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.