Seems to me the basic conflict between men and women, sexually, is that men are like firemen. To men sex is an emergency, and no matter what we are doing we can be ready in two minutes. Women, on the other hand, are like fire. They are very exciting, but the conditions have to be exactly right for it to occur.”
~ Jerry SeinfeldI just couldn’t decide if he was really sponge worthy.
~ Elaine, Fictional character on the TV show. SeinfeldThere seems to be rather compelling evidence that semen may be a natural antidepressant for women. The intriguing feature about this finding is that it emerged from research with lesbians.
In the September issue of Scientific American an article (see source below) focused on the many virtues of semen. No kidding. It would seem an article like this would be a comic’s dream to find. But even Jerry Seinfeld would have to give the facts a second look.
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I would also point out the obvious alternative explanation not seriously considered by the researchers — that condom use is correlated with a greater risk of depression. Not because of a lack of semen absorption, but because of the psychological and personality differences between women who use condoms versus women who don’t.
Also, the fact that the original study is nearly a decade old and still hasn’t been replicated is a little telling.
The phenomenon of women having their periods at the same time occurred for me in college with roommates and suitemates. We were not having sex, but slowly came into the same schedule on our periods (I can’t, of course, say for sure no one was having sex, but I went to a VERY conservative christian college where guys weren’t even allowed in the girls dorms and we were very closly monitored and this was 25 years ago) it also occurred in my own household when both my girls were menstrauting as well as I. I was the only one having sex and my husband had long before had a vasectomy.
Well they apparently actually took that into account and noticed higher tendency toward depression in women who hadn’t had sex/been exposed to semen in a while, which would allude to more of a withdrawal effect and less of a base personality difference.
nice to see some one thinking out side the box. Thank you
There’s a more thorough review of this here:
The Straight Dope: Is semen an antidepressant?
re: the McClintock effect: When studying abroad in college, I lived with a a house of women and we synced our periods. But we weren’t having sex (allegedly, none of us were, all being away from the boyfriends, but I can only speak for myself) so that would discount the effects of semen on menstrual synchronization.
Please tell me Jesse did not receive a government grant to study this.
I wonder how much longer any government will be credible in the eyes of the people they live off.
V for vendetta was an interesting film :>
Actually, Denise, Yes Jesse probably did receive a government grant to study it. It’s quite important psychological and biological research, and whilst it may be a taboo subject (as sex etc is in the modern day world), it’s one of those things that is very important to study as part of the human nature.
The guess here is that it is more than semen that provides women more peace and happiness and less depression. If a woman is having sex, regardless of the content of the male semen, she is likely feeling good enough about that man, her body and the emotional connection that the emotional/physical is creating endorphins and lasting connectivity, pumping up her self esteem.
Just a thought. Not scientific based but certainly with a thread of common sense.
Still, a fascinating story to read. Thank you.
Can a woman also absorb these antidepressant chemicals if she swallows my semen, or is it only effective if she absorbs it through her vagina? I would think that swallowing semen would be just as good for the woman, but without the issue of a potential pregnancy.
It’s certainly worth a study, but there’s every reason not to assume an equivalent result. The vaginal absorption is directly through the lining. Ingesting it would subject it to the highly destructive digestive process prior to any chance of uptake.
I wonder if it’s possible that it’s not only the semen but what the lack of a condom may represent…a mutually exclusive relationship based on trust and intimacy.
too bad we can’t test for that. it would be tough to rustle up sufficient number of subjects for study.
So what about the effect of women’s vaginal secretions on men’s moods? Why didn’t anyone test for that?
Actually, Denise, Yes Jesse probably did receive a government grant to study it.
whatever chemicals are in the semen, i think that the ultimate possession of the partner, orally or sexually through absorbing his semen is in itself a kind of – whatever is the motivation – power? love? completion? unity? and that in itself is the greatest healing power, the pairing of two totally unlike people, the miracle of love
I’m still waiting for someone to answer Mr. Grady’s question, as it was the question weighing most heavily on my brain.
Also, hypothetical question. (I look forward to the insults on this one..)
If a male were to swallow his own seminal fluids, would it have the same effects as a woman swallowing/vaginally absorbing it?
It is my understanding the skin is extremely absorbent. If one were to lather themselves with seminal fluids, would it effect them as the study suggested it would with vaginal absorption?
I am not joking, this is just questions I figured someone else would ask, and since no one has I figured hey, what the heck.
Honestly, I like the idea of this – for people in a monogomous relationship. A little healthier than popping Zoloft every day – don’t you think? One slight problem I see is – what about couples who are trying to concieve? That’s a lot of regular, unprotected sex. This co-hort isn’t exactly known for being stress free and happy.
What about the effects of female ejaculation on men? Squirting? Where is the research in this???? Why hasn’t there been anything published?? I have not found any information on Google. There was a time where clitoris was not even heard in sex ed classes but penis and semen were.
Thanks, i was wondering if i had a sex whitout obsorb any semen in the vagina, could i be happy and reducing the depression may you help the answer
I have had a vasectomy and have been married for 20 years to an emotionally volatile woman. Eventually (maybe I’m a bit slow) it is dawning on me that my semen does indeed stabalise her mood and she is definitely happier and more at ease with herself for a day or so after sex in which I ejaculate inside her. Other sex just doesn’t seem to do this for her, even though she has orgasms. In fact I have noticed that she is more satisfied by sex where she gets semen than sex where she has orgasms – though she does like both at once.
None of this is really surprising when you think about it and it has nothing to do with gender politics and everything to do with human biology.
I can only speak from my personal experience with my husband.
Most mornings when I wake up I love to get on top and ride his “morning wood” until I have pumped every last drop of sperm out of him.
After this I always feel really happy and ready to face the day. It really “puts a spring in my step” and I feel on top of the world.
I notice the days when I have not had my “morning semen fix” are the times when I feel down and irritable, and things just don’t go right.
Anti-depressants are big business for the pharmaceutical industry, but there is no reason why they should have a monopoly. Mankind may well be sitting on nature’s own equally effective natural depression remedy.
To the author: “… the rest of the seminal fluid has more than 4 dozen other chemicals. One of which is serotonin: The main neurotransmitter in antidepressants like Prozac Lexapro, Zoloft and Paxil.” You can’t possibly not know how wrong the latter half of this statement is. Please edit more carefully – there are people who will read this and not know any better.
For those others of you who may not know what may seem to be a subtle difference, ingesting neurotransmitters has not been shown to be effective at all. (Hence my expectation that no, ingesting semen would not have the same effect as vaginal absorption – if it does, then this would probably support those readers who are suggesting that the source of the reported effects is psychological rather than biological.)
These drugs do not contain serotonin. They contain chemicals which interfere with the body’s regulatory processes, such that the serotonin produced by the body remains available in the synapses for longer than it would if left to its own devices.
Another ‘common sense’ angle in this is that women who engage in regular unprotected sex – because they are not worried about conception or infection for whatever reasons – are more likely to be happy with their sex life (lives!) and to engage in more fulfilling sexual relations than women who cannot engage in uninhibited sex for various reasons.
I’ve always felt that women who have strong sex drives and are uninhibited in sexual intercourse, or are willing to do whatever pleases their male partners (from fellatio and swallowing to anal sex etc), that is, who do not have hang-ups about many or any aspects of sex, are more likely to be happy and psychically healthy than women who do have various hang-ups.
Anyway, I’m pretty sure that the causes of depression do not lie in chemistry alone, whether brain or general metabolic.