Editing Sexual intercourse (section)

==={{anchor|Benefits}}Benefits===
In humans, sexual intercourse and sexual activity in general have been reported as having health benefits as varied as increased [[immune system|immunity]] by increasing the body's production of [[antibodies]] and subsequent lower [[blood pressure]],<ref name="Steptoe">{{cite book| author = Andrew Steptoe| author2 = Kenneth Freedland| author3 = J. Richard Jennings| author4 = Maria M. Llabre| author5 = Stephen B Manuck| author6 = Elizabeth J. Susman|author-link=Andrew Steptoe |author5-link=Stephen Manuck |title =Handbook of Behavioral Medicine: Methods and Applications| publisher = [[Springer Science & Business Media]] | year = 2010 | pages = 60–61 | access-date = December 7, 2014 |isbn = 978-0-387-09488-5| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=Si9TtI5AGIEC&pg=PA60}}</ref><ref name="Hornstein">{{cite book| author = Theresa Hornstein| author2 = Jeri Schwerin|title =Biology of Women| publisher = [[Cengage Learning]] | year = 2012 | page = 205 | access-date = December 7, 2014 |isbn = 978-1-285-40102-7| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=ibgKAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA205}}</ref> and decreased risk of [[prostate cancer]].<ref name="Steptoe"/> Sexual intimacy and orgasms increase levels of the hormone [[oxytocin]] (also known as "the love hormone"), which can help people bond and build trust.<ref name="Hornstein"/><ref name="Sigelman">{{cite book| author = Carol Sigelman| author2 = Elizabeth Rider|title =Life-Span Human Development| publisher = [[Cengage Learning]] | year = 2011 | page = 452 | access-date = December 7, 2014 |isbn = 978-1-111-34273-9| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=8smBuRecmDsC&pg=PT480}}</ref> Oxytocin is believed to have a more significant impact on women than on men, which may be why women associate sexual attraction or sexual activity with romance and love more than men do.<ref name="Freberg"/> A long-term study of 3,500 people between ages 18 and 102 by clinical [[neuropsychologist]] David Weeks indicated that, based on impartial ratings of the subjects' photographs, sex on a regular basis is associated with people looking significantly chronologically younger. However this does not imply causality.<ref>{{cite book|last=Northrup|first=Christiane|author-link=Christiane Northrup|title=Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing|year=2010|publisher=Bantam|isbn=978-0-553-80793-6|page=232|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=V9S3keMnie8C&pg=PA232|access-date=October 21, 2015}}</ref>

Vaginal intercourse for the first time increases vaginal immune activity.<ref name="10.7554/eLife.78565">{{cite journal |last1=Hughes |first1=Sean M |last2=Levy |first2=Claire N |last3=Calienes |first3=Fernanda L |last4=Martinez |first4=Katie A |last5=Selke |first5=Stacy |last6=Tapia |first6=Kenneth |last7=Chohan |first7=Bhavna H |last8=Oluoch |first8=Lynda |last9=Kiptinness |first9=Catherine |last10=Wald |first10=Anna |last11=Ghosh |first11=Mimi |last12=Hardy |first12=Liselotte |last13=Ngure |first13=Kenneth |last14=Mugo |first14=Nelly R |last15=Hladik |first15=Florian |last16=Roxby |first16=Alison C |title=Starting to have sexual intercourse is associated with increases in cervicovaginal immune mediators in young women: a prospective study and meta-analysis |journal=eLife |date=October 25, 2022 |volume=11 |pages=e78565 |doi=10.7554/eLife.78565 |pmid=36281966 |pmc=9596159 |doi-access=free }}</ref>