Want To Delay Menopause? Study Says You Should Have More Sex

Menopause symptoms can be a pain. Disrupted sleep, low sex drive, and hot flashes are just a few of the side effects women may experience during the hormonal changes. Thankfully, a study published in Royal Society Open Science found a new (and, let's be honest, fun) way to delay menopause in middle-aged women. 

A study conducted by University College London found middle-aged women who engage in sex weekly or monthly will delay menopause, compared to women who have sex less frequently. 

Using data from a U.S. study, researchers analyzed more than 2,000 women before and during menopausal transitions. Over the course of 10 years, participants responded to survey questions regarding their sexual activity. 

The majority of women (64%) were having sex weekly, and those women were 28% less likely to experience menopause at any age than those who had sex less than monthly. This included all types of sex, not just intercourse. The study also found women who have sex monthly were 19% less likely to go through menopause than women who had even less sex. 

Studies have shown women's immune systems are weaker during ovulation. If pregnancy is not likely, the body might naturally shut down ovulation to protect middle-aged and older women from infection or disease. 

Lead researcher Ph.D. candidate Megan Arnot said the findings suggest "if a woman is not having sex...then the body 'chooses' not to invest in ovulation." Instead, the body might invest energy into other resources, "such as keeping active by looking after grandchildren," (known as the Grandmother Hypothesis).