# Poll: Would you give up the sex to someone who saved your life? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 17, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932 "2004-03-17T23:08:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/1 "2004-03-17T23:08:14Z")
First a little backgroung to this silly question: The other day me and some friends were watching that old 80’s animated movie “Heavy Metal” and in the movie there’s this part where a dude saves this girls life and she in turn basically gives him sex as a payback. This got me and my friends to talking. (two guys two girls) If someone saved your life would you give them sex if they wanted it? The girls in my group were like “ewe, no way, thats just gross” where me and my friend where like “Sure why the hell not? She saved our life for crying out loud!” So I pose this question to you now, my fellow dopers. Would you give it up to someone who saved your life? Before you answer though some guidelines. 1.) At the time your life was saved lets just assume you were single. 2.) For obvious reasons this has to be somebody you’re REALLY not atracted to. 3.) Please state if you’re a guy or girl. ---
**Author:** ![Risha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/5fc32e/32.png) [@Risha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Risha)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/2 "2004-03-17T23:31:42Z")
Ew. No. He’d get a firm handshake out of me, however. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/3 "2004-03-17T23:36:33Z")
Guy here, and no. ---
**Author:** ![swingchick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@swingchick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swingchick)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/4 "2004-03-17T23:39:23Z")
No, but he would get a good kiss. Maybe even some tongue. ---
**Author:** ![kitarak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kitarak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitarak)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/5 "2004-03-17T23:39:48Z")
No. Also I’d be extremely creeped out if (s)he asked such a thing for saving my life. I’m a guy. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2004, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/6 "2004-03-17T23:45:42Z")
I’d suggest that it’s hard to know what one might do if one thought death was imminent. (There’s also a big difference between a “person X is trapped in the mountains and person Y rescues him/her, and then they spend the next 5 days together as they hike out of the mountains” scenario vs. a “person X pulls person Y out of a burning car, and then person Y goes home” scenario.) ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/7 "2004-03-18T00:07:45Z")
Well, I’ve done so for people who haven’t even bought me a drink before, so…am I just not attracted to her or am I actually repulsed by her? 😃 I’m a guy, obviously. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/8 "2004-03-18T00:29:38Z")
> [@SHAKES](#): > > The other day me and some friends were watching that old 80’s animated movie “Heavy Metal” and in the movie there’s this part where a dude saves this girls life and she in turn basically gives him sex as a payback. Was this a payback when she didn’t want to but thought he deserved it, or did she just like him because he saved her life? The second would seem the most likely to me. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/9 "2004-03-18T00:35:35Z")
When I was younger and single, prowlin’ the bars at night and a woman gave me sex, that was pretty much the defination of “Saving my life”! 😃 * * * Fagjunk Theology: Not just for Sodomite Propagandists anymore! ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/10 "2004-03-18T00:46:18Z")
I would not have sex with a balding, middle-aged guy, whether he saved my life or not. Then again, I AM a balding, middle-aged guy. ---
**Author:** ![owlofcreamcheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@owlofcreamcheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/owlofcreamcheese)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/11 "2004-03-18T01:42:39Z")
if they were really heroic… maybe. like if they really risked life and limb, and had to do something really extrordinary just to save me. or if some stranger payed a billion dollars to fund my spine transplant after I came down with spine cancer or something. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/12 "2004-03-18T03:53:43Z")
If he was _demanding_ sex as payback, no way(I’m female, BTW) But(and don’t tell my mother this 😛 ) if later he made a polite, non-aggressive, overture, I probably would. As long as I knew he would have been willing to take “no” for an answer. I can’t believe I’m saying this! ---
**Author:** ![RandomLetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/13 "2004-03-18T04:52:22Z")
I am a guy, and assuming the women who saved me doesn’t have VD or isn’t terrible looking, then I would sleep with her. Of course, that applies to girls who didn’t save me too. ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/14 "2004-03-18T05:01:58Z")
> [@RandomLetters](#): > > I am a guy, and assuming the women who saved me doesn’t have VD or isn’t terrible looking, then I would sleep with her. Of course, that applies to girls who didn’t save me too. LOL 🙂 I agree with **Baker** , I couldn’t do it if it was demanded from me, but if I knew that saying no was an option, it make me more willing to do it. Nothing says thanks for saving my life better than a good lay. ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/15 "2004-03-18T05:11:23Z")
I’d have caveats enough for the prospective saver that I’m reasonably confident none but the most sex-starved of either gender would be willing. ---
**Author:** ![Reader99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df788c/32.png) [@Reader99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reader99)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/16 "2004-03-18T05:22:52Z")
i think feelings get jumbled easily, and i don’t think “payback” would be the primary issue. if two people shared a life-threatening experience (one carries the other out of a burning building, saves him/her from drowning, rescues h/h from a kidnaper etc.) their feelings about the event would have to be intense. and it would be a short step from sharing intense feelings with another person to feeling sexual attraction to that person. as a male, i have to say that if a woman saved my life it would be hard not to think of her as enrapturing. and if i saved a woman’s life, i would probably feel pretty close to her, which could easily become sexual interest. but i wouldn’t think of it as a reward or payback in either case. i have read that it’s an occupational hazard for police officers, emts etc. who save lives every day that the people they help want to establish a personal relationship, or may even imagine that there already is one. in therapy the same process is transference. it’s not payback; it’s having and recognizing basic human feelings. ---
**Author:** ![Starguard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Starguard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Starguard)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/17 "2004-03-18T08:24:56Z")
Oh Yea! As long as she was clean and pretty. If she offered it up, I’d knock the bottom of of her 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 8:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/18 "2004-03-18T08:42:31Z")
Probably, if they were attractive enough and not pushy. Then again, if they were all that then I’d do them anyway, regardless of the life saving thing. Come to think of it, sex right after coming back from the brink of death would be life-affirming and pretty damn hot. Uhh, assuming I wasn’t coming back from the brink of death with two broken legs and third degree burns. Then it would be painful. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/19 "2004-03-18T15:18:42Z")
See, this is why ugly horny people with VD shouldn’t be lifeguards. I’m a guy and no, sex is something entered into willingly, not as a favor. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2004, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932/20 "2004-03-18T15:55:58Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > Was this a payback when she didn’t want to but thought he deserved it, or did she just like him because he saved her life? The second would seem the most likely to me. A little context for those who haven’t seen _Heavy Metal_ (non-spoiler): The character that saves the girl from drowning, Deng, is explicitly presented as an especially muscular, fit, and attractive character once he appears on the scene. It’s clear in the movie that the girl liked him because Deng saved her life _and on top of that_, she thought he was extremely hot. Therefore, **SHAKES’** Condition #2 from the OP has no real analog in the movie. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-would-you-give-up-the-sex-to-someone-who-saved-your-life/234932.md?page=2)