Sexual Healing: And All That Jizz

Mary Freeman, Managing Editor

Mary_Freeman@csumb.edu

April 17, 2008

Generally laid to waste, tied up in a condom in the trashcan, semen has been seen as merely one half of the babymaking

process. Due to recent studies conducted by Gordon G. Gallup, Jr. professor at the State University of

New York (SUNY) in Albany, this might change.

Gallup has found that semen might have more effects on the female body other than impregnation, and that

“semen chemistry has evolved in part to influence and manipulate the female reproductive system in ways that

would benefit the male.”

In the study, titled “The psychobiology of human semen,” Gallup along with colleague and professor

Rachel L. Burch of SUNY Oswego examined the ways in which human semen effects mood, learning ability

and memory, as well as menstruation synchronization. However, Gallup warned, “I’m not trying to promote

unprotected sex. An unwanted pregnancy or a sexually transmitted disease would be a very high price to pay

for mood modulation.”

By comparing the moods of women who were having unprotected sex to those that were using condoms

Gallup and Burch discovered that the moods of women having unprotected sex were generally more elevated

than those who were not. Interestingly, those women that frequently had unprotected sex tended to experience

lows and symptoms of depression after an extended period without sexual contact.

One of the explanations Gallup and Burch gave in their study about the mood elevating properties of semen

is the fact that, “semen may be related to estrogen, serotonin, thyrotropin-releasing hormone, the catecholamine

neurotransmitters, or even endorphins.” They also found that the depression scores of women who refrained

from sexual intercourse and those that used condoms did not significantly differ.

In addition to being an antidepressant, semen may even help with studying. According to the study,

epinephrine, norepinephrine, oxytocin and vasopressin are all compounds found in semen, and all have been

implicated in enhancing memory and learning skills.

The luteinizing hormone found in women that surges just before ovulation, explaining why women’s libidos

are much higher at this time, may also be increased by semen. Semen has a higher concentration of luteinizing

hormone and luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (trickier to say than Viagra, but at least it’s natural!).

This theory can be seen with the higher levels of female-initiated sexual intercourse in women who do not use

condoms or the pullout method.

According to the study, “because so many seminal compounds have the potential to influence ovulation”

semen may be a factor in menstrual-cycle regularity and synchronicity. Women who live with other women and

also engage in unprotected sex seem to be more likely to become synchronized, as well as become more regular

with menstruation.

In another study conducted by Gallup titled, “Preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications as an

adaptive response to unfamiliar semen,” Gallup posits that pregnant women having unprotected sex with

an unfamiliar partner are more likely to experience preeclampsia due to the female body recognizing

unfamiliar sperm and attempting to avoid a situation in which paternal investment is not likely. According to

Gallup, “preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication that occurs during the 15-16 week of pregnancy, where

the fetus fails to undergo a second phase of implantation.” Preeclampsia many times leads to miscarriage

and can also lead to maternal mortality; however, women can further preeclampsia by vaginally, orally or

anally ingesting the semen of their regular partner.