Nurse Maureen‘s Health Show

The Surprising Medical Benefits of Sex

• Maureen McGrath

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Speaker 1:

Sexual health plays a big role in overall well-being and quality of life for both men and women. Now, if you search online, you'll find plenty of claims about the benefits of sex. You'll maybe read things like reducing anxiety, boosting happiness, strengthening the immune system and, I even read, lowering the risk of prostate cancer. Now it's also said that sex and orgasm release feel-good chemicals, helping us bond with partners, improve self-worth and enhance relationships, and some even suggest that frequent sex can lead to a higher quality of life and maybe even a longer lifespan. But how much of this is actually true? To get some expert insight, we turn to Maureen McGrath, registered nurse, sexual health educator and host of Nurse Maureen's Health Show podcast. With years of clinical practice in North Vancouver and a 14-year run in radio, she's the perfect person to help us separate fact from fiction. Hello Maureen, hello Linda, how are you? I am great. It is such an honor to have you here to talk about this big topic of sex.

Speaker 2:

It's a huge subject, indeed. It's one of my favorite subjects, of course. Which?

Speaker 1:

is so good, because people just tend to shy away from this. Still to this day. Right, it's like oh, you know, I don't talk about sex. I do want to talk about why sex is important, including the health benefits. What can you say to that? To give us just a little bit of perspective and insight.

Speaker 2:

Well, overall, sex is very good for us from an emotional standpoint, psychological relationship and, yes, indeed, it can reduce the risk of cancer, and we find the evidence from a Harvard University study of about 32,000 men that found that men who masturbated to ejaculation let's get right, started with it, love it, let's go for it About 21 times a month it was actually associated with a 39% reduction in prostate cancer later in life. Sex is very important and, you're right, we don't talk about it because it's still stigmatized in our society, in our very parochial, patriarchal society. We don't discuss it. But I have noticed an upswing in healthcare professionals wanting to learn more about it, in fact, so I've given about four talks to healthcare professionals this week alone, and so I'm getting more requests and patients are coming in, because things that happen as people age, like erectile dysfunction or vaginal dryness, can lead to painful sex that can actually put an end to a sex life.

Speaker 2:

We have so many myths to dispel as well, like around perimenopause and menopause, where people think that sex stops, and another thing I think is that people believe there's no help for them and it can actually lead to a shorter life and early death for people who are in a relationship and a committed marriage, a committed relationship or partnership, and they're not having sex. It can actually lead to early death. We don't talk about it. People are embarrassed, they're ashamed about it or people want the quick fixes around it. And education is so important, especially around things like low desire and anorgasmia or erectile dysfunction. You know, explaining issues and explaining medications and explaining the treatments are so important and you're right, it's so much more of a satisfying relationship when you have sexually satisfying events Now. When you have sexually satisfying events. Now that's a clinical research term, but it's important that we have SSEs in our lives.

Speaker 1:

That's going to be my new thing SSEs. I love it. Sexually satisfying events. Well put.

Speaker 2:

And it can bring us closer to our partners and it can actually promote intimacy in the relationship, and it's related to emotional well-being as well. You know, sex and finances are two of the top reasons for divorce in a relationship, and so it's such an important subject that we must educate our healthcare providers about it and must educate people so that people are comfortable talking about it, and I see that in my clinical practice. Patients will come in and I'll have to finish their sentences because they're so embarrassed to talk about it.

Speaker 1:

I want to go back because you talked about the study with men and orgasm and I think that it's not enough, as talked about women and orgasm and the health benefits there are for women, and I think that that's something that women really need to understand. It's got to be beneficial for women as well.

Speaker 2:

And it is indeed More men masturbate than women. But women do masturbate Newsflash we just don't talk about it. We don't talk about it. It's a big piece of shame, but many women are masturbating, you know self-stimulation or utilizing sex toys. One of my favorite sex toys, if not my favorite sex toy, is the Womanizer, in part because it's educational and it's also a great device. It's a clitoral stimulation device and 70% of women require clitoral stimulation in order to experience an orgasm, and so this is a great device. I often recommend it in my practice for women who have primary anorgasmia, so in other words, they have never experienced an orgasm, or oftentimes, as women age, it takes them a little bit longer to experience orgasm, and then that impacts the intimate moments. So the Womanizer has about 10 different settings on it and it actually can advance your experience from 15 minutes down to five, or maybe five minutes down to one, or like a rocket ship.

Speaker 1:

I love it, so write it down. Women Womanizer this is great, fantastic device. It's available on my website. I think one of the biggest changes, the big topic right now, of course, is all around menopause for women, perimenopause, all of these things and the changes that we have in our bodies when this happens and a big part of this is the dryness, the Sahara Desert down under, the things that can happen, not to mention the lack of sleep, the hot flashes all these things can put a halt on your sex life and I wanted to really talk about that, the steps they might be able to take, maureen, to get through that, so that they don't lose that intimacy with their partner.

Speaker 2:

Women want the quick fix, and lately they all want testosterone for their low libido. But I would say that there are better treatments than testosterone for your low libido. You mentioned the dryness. That can often be something that's very confusing for women. All of a sudden they're lubricated, and then it can happen overnight, or it can happen over a period of time where they get vaginal dryness and that can lead to painful sex, which is dysperionia. It can also lead, of course, to low sexual desire, because nobody wants to have sex when it hurts, so neither partner wants to do that, so they don't realize there's treatments. The first line of treatment is a lubricant during intimacy, as long as you just have vaginal dryness. Then the second is personal moisturizer. I often say it's just as important to moisturize the vagina as it is the face, and in fact it works better on the vagina, and so that's a suppository or a gel that's inserted two or three times a week and that keeps the vaginal tissues healthy.

Speaker 1:

I think too, then it's the mental piece of it that women are uncomfortable because it is painful or they've gained weight and they don't feel good about themselves, and I think those can be barriers to being comfortable with that intimacy with their partner. I think often we put more pressure on ourselves than our partner. They're like oh, I think you're still great, like it's no problem. So what can we do about those things?

Speaker 2:

Absolutely. Just have sex with me. I really don't care that you have so gay. I still think you're hot, exactly Well, turn the lights out. Who cares? And you know that's the most common sex position. Is the doggy position really setting the mood there? Yeah, that's right. No candles, not a flicker of light. No, you know, none of us are perfect. And when you feel good about your body and when you feel good about your intimate life, it makes you feel better about your own self and your self-esteem and your sexual self-esteem, which is very important as well so it's all of that together that can then make you feel more confident, happier and, you know, wanting to kind of have a little more fun.

Speaker 2:

We often tell people to schedule sex because women are exhausted at the end of the day and that can be the worst time to have sex. Have it on a Saturday afternoon or have it right after work. Scheduling sex might sound clinical as well, but it's not. We schedule everything else in our lives.

Speaker 1:

Talk a little bit about the five minute compared to the long half hour hour, whatever plus it could possibly be. Do we need a balance of?

Speaker 2:

that Quickies are important and an important aspect of the sexual repertoire. They have their place, for sure, and then longer lovemaking sessions can also be a nice mix. But I often say to women who have low sexual desire, who are in a sexless marriage it's really going to take about two minutes. Honestly, that's all the time that you need, because that's approximately the time it's going to take for your male partner if you're in a heterosexual relationship.

Speaker 1:

And just creating that space, as you said, even if it's scheduled and knowing, can be that quick. It doesn't have to be a long drawn-out process.

Speaker 2:

I think people have been experiencing this in secret and in shame and when they should look at it like shampoo. It's an everyday, common occurrence. For me anyway, I have to wash my hair every day. I don't know about you.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, I love it. Well, at least two, three times a week is good, Like we all got to start somewhere. Maybe work up to the daily shampoo Gets you out of that sexless marriage category.

Speaker 2:

So go for it. Exactly, sex is to be enjoyed. Much like life, it's not to be endured, it's to be enjoyed. You deserve a good sex life, and oftentimes women will get to a stage and they'll think you know, I haven't really enjoyed sex my entire life. It's time that I woke up and started to, and you know, and no shame around it and just enjoy it. It's a gift you give to yourself, and sometimes it's just with yourself, and that's fine too.

Speaker 1:

As we started, Exactly when can people find you if they want to connect or want to listen to your podcast?

Speaker 2:

They can go to my website, maureenmcgrathcom or Apple Spotify Anywhere you listen yeah, Nurse Maureen's health show. And they can always email me nursetalk at hotmailcom directly.

Speaker 1:

That's wonderful, thank you, it was a real joy. You are awesome, thanks.

Speaker 2:

Maureen, you're welcome. You're awesome as well. Thank you so much. Thanks so much for tuning in. I'm Maureen McGrath and you have been listening to the Sunday Night Health Show podcast. If you want to hear this podcast or any other segment again, feel free to go to iTunes, spotify or Google Play or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. You can always email me nursetalk at hotmailcom or text the show 604-765-9287. That's 604-765-9287. Or head on over to my website for more information. Maureenmcgrathcom, it's been my pleasure to spend this time with you.