A Link Between Sex And Immunity

You might not feel like having sex when you’ve got a cold or a flu, and many people don’t even think that the two are connected with sex in any way shape or form. However, in recent news, there has been a clear link between sex and immunity drawn together that will have many people enjoying a little more adult fun. Scientists have evaluated how good immune systems are by measuring levels of immunoglobulin A, aka IgA, an antigen found in saliva and mucosal linings. Sex and Immunity might be linked at the hip, and that’s fascinating to see.

Alright, at this point you’re wondering what in the world is immunoglobuiln A and why does it matter. It’s not exactly the most simple thing to explain, but here’s a shot at it. Immunoglobulin A is an antibody that plays a major role in mucosal lining and is secreted in the body up to five grams a day. IgA helps plasma cells and interact with receptors in the body that when together are expressed on immune effector cells to initiate inflammatory reactions. To put this all in basic English, IgA helps keep the body immune to certain communicable diseases. A lack of IgA or deficiency can be a huge problem and is one of the main problems with those that suffer from gonorrhea.

But how does that all tie into sexual activity and health?

Scientists using control groups in which measurements of IgA were taken before and after the participants engaged in sexual activity shown that those who had sex less than once a week had a decrease in IgA. But those that had very frequent sex up to three times a week or more had lower levels than those that abstained completely. Those who had one or two sexual encounters each week saw a rise in IgA levels up to thirty percent! The studies determined that those that had moderate sexual activity were more immune to the flu and common cold than those that either abstained from sexual activity or those that had frequent sexual encounters.

Scientists also tried to determine whether or not outside factors would play into the sexuality role. Meaning that they were trying to figure out whether or not stress in a relationship had something to do with the production of this chemical in the body. It is not quite clear whether or not anxiety or temperaments have anything to do with the IgA secretion, but it is clear that sexual activity can either raise levels or deteriorate levels depending on the frequency of encounters had.

Many in the medical community argue that the claims found in BBC studies, really don’t amount to heavy evidence that the common cold or flu could be fought of by sexual activity. However, it is interesting to note that this antigen increases, which primarily functions in the body to fight off these infections. Of course it is always suggested that sexual activity be done in a safe environment, and it wouldn’t hurt to enjoy sex in moderation, and until there’s more studies on the matter it is important to at least consider the data as a link between sex and immunity.