The goodness of sperm

Sperm makes you feel good. This is the conclusion of a study comparing women whose partners wore condoms with those whose partners did not.

Women who were directly exposed to sperm were less depressed. The doctors who did this research thought that this was because mind-altering hormones in the sperm were absorbed in the vagina.

A group of 239 women were divided into groups depending on how often their male partners wore condoms.

The women’s happiness was assessed using the “Beck Depression Inventory”, a standard questionnaire for assessing mood. People who scored over 17 were considered moderately depressed.

The doctors found that the women whose partners never used condoms scored 8. Those who sometimes used them scored 10.5. Those who usually used them scored 15 and those who always used them scored 11.3. Women who were not having sex at all scored 13.5.

In addition, the longer the interval since they last had sex, the more depressed the women who never or sometimes used condoms got. But the time since the last sexual encounter made no difference to the mood of women who usually or always used condoms.

The doctors also found out that depressive complaints and attempts at suicide were more common among women who used condoms regularly as compared with women who did not.

But is it really the sperm that is affecting the mood of the women?

Sperm does contain several mood-altering hormones including Testosterone, Oestrogen, Follicle Stimulating hormone, Luteinising hormone, Prolactin and several different Prostaglandins. Some of these hormones have been detected in a woman’s blood hours after exposure to sperm.

The question will be asked can oral sex have the same mood-altering effects?

We must realize that the chemicals in the birth control pills survive the digestive process and this may occur for sperm as well.

Why would this effect of sperm have evolved? Men whose sperm promotes a long-term mood enhancing effect may get more chances to indulge in sexual activity and it may serve the effect of having women stay faithful to the men.

However, this is not an endorsement for unprotected sex. An unwanted pregnancy, a Sexually Transmitted Disease, or AIDS will offset any advantageous psychological effect that sperm may have.

Dr. Neil Persadsingh is a Dermatologist and author of the book, “The Hair in Black Women”