# Women that have sex are more likely to get pregnant than those that abstain **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 7, 2015, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-that-have-sex-are-more-likely-to-get-pregnant-than-those-that-abstain/733802 "2015-10-07T13:14:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-that-have-sex-are-more-likely-to-get-pregnant-than-those-that-abstain/733802/1 "2015-10-07T13:14:57Z")
Wow, who knew? > **[Sex dramatically increases fertility](http://www.universityherald.com/articles/24530/20151007/sex-dramatically-increases-fertility.htm)** > > A new study shows that sexually active women have a much better chance of getting pregnant than those who remain abstinent. > [@](#): > > A new report shows that sexually active women have a much better chance of getting pregnant than those who remain abstinent, a press release from Eurekalert reports. Eureka! ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-that-have-sex-are-more-likely-to-get-pregnant-than-those-that-abstain/733802/2 "2015-10-07T13:20:29Z")
Funny! But the story and study is actually a bit more interesting than that. Bodies are fascinating things, they are. ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-that-have-sex-are-more-likely-to-get-pregnant-than-those-that-abstain/733802/3 "2015-10-07T13:25:07Z")
:p, but there’s actually something here, as clumsily as it was expressed. They’re saying that even if conception doesn’t occur, sex causes biological changes that make future conception more likely. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-that-have-sex-are-more-likely-to-get-pregnant-than-those-that-abstain/733802/4 "2015-10-07T14:14:51Z")
In regards to: > [@](#): > > “We’re actually seeing the immune system responding to a social behavior: sexual activity,” Lorenz said. “The sexually active women’s immune systems were preparing in advance to the mere possibility of pregnancy.” > > Read more: [Sex dramatically increases fertility](http://www.universityherald.com/articles/24530/20151007/sex-dramatically-increases-fertility.htm#ixzz3nt9WMQ5I) Is this study based on unprotected PIV sex? When they say ‘abstinent women,’ do they mean those who do not even masturbate? They keep saying ‘sexually active,’ and to my understanding that means two folks engaging in intercourse. Are the differences in the antibodies and helper T-Cells triggered by a foreign body entering the vagina? Pre-ejaculate from unprotected sex? Or something psychological? Is this a result of experiencing orgasms? Does it stem from the amygdala, pituitary gland, cerebellum, or the other parts of the brain involved in sexual arousal? What is causing this to occur? The act of unprotected PIV sex, an orgasm, a part of the brain/sexual arousal in general, or having a foreign object/sheathed penis enter the vagina? Combination of some/all versus a lack of some/all for those who are abstinent? A better definition of ‘abstinent’ is wanted, with a clarification regarding the part(s) of sexual activity that causes the boost in fertility/health. Mostly the frequency of sexual activity? Would really like to know if the abstinent participants do not even masturbate. This seems to be frequency-based, so the ‘abstinent’ participants-- do they masturbate less frequently than the sexually actives have sex? Would that matter? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-that-have-sex-are-more-likely-to-get-pregnant-than-those-that-abstain/733802/5 "2015-10-07T14:28:38Z")
At least some of that is presumably covered under the obligatory “more research is needed” at the end of every research paper ever. They probably don’t know yet precisely what causes the effect… but now that they know that there is an effect, they can study it further to figure that out. ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-that-have-sex-are-more-likely-to-get-pregnant-than-those-that-abstain/733802/6 "2015-10-07T15:01:23Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > At least some of that is presumably covered under the obligatory “more research is needed” at the end of every research paper ever. They probably don’t know yet precisely what causes the effect… but now that they know that there is an effect, they can study it further to figure that out. According to this: > **[8 Benefits of Male Masturbation | Health & Fertility](https://www.spermbankcalifornia.com/sperm-bank-resources/male-masturbation)** > > Did you know masturbation can be good for your health? Read about "8 Benefits of Male Masturbation" from the experts at Sperm Bank of California. Masturbation boosts the immune system in males. So any type of sexual stimulation can be responsible for boosting the immune system in either males or females is what it looks like. Which leads me back to the question of the definition of ‘abstinent’ regarding the OP. I saw somewhere I just Googled [[kinseyinstitute.org](http://kinseyinstitute.org)] that the sample consisted of 20 females having sex with males and 20 females not having sex with males. Are they accounting for masturbation at all? Lesbians? Where’s the actual study? I looked, can’t find it. It’s from 2013, should be easily available. I’ll keep looking then. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-that-have-sex-are-more-likely-to-get-pregnant-than-those-that-abstain/733802/7 "2015-10-07T15:20:27Z")
It will be interesting if they can eventually pin down the cause. Is it sexual activity alone (including solo activity)? Is it physical contact with a male? Is it physical contact with sperm? Fascinating questions! ---
**Author:** ![brovolone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@brovolone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brovolone)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-that-have-sex-are-more-likely-to-get-pregnant-than-those-that-abstain/733802/8 "2015-10-07T15:30:41Z")
[http://www.academia.edu/16130772/Interaction\_of\_menstrual\_cycle\_phase\_and\_sexual\_activity\_predicts\_mucosal\_and\_systemic\_humoral\_immunity\_in\_healthy\_women](http://www.academia.edu/16130772/Interaction_of_menstrual_cycle_phase_and_sexual_activity_predicts_mucosal_and_systemic_humoral_immunity_in_healthy_women) Found it > [@](#): > > Further specification of sexual events (e.g., separating out vaginal penetration by a penis vs. dildo) may also improve future investigations regarding the mechanisms of the reported immune effects of sexual activity. Would love to read more about this. Correction on the n=40 from the random Google, per the study, it is actually 32 participants, 80% White-- 17 ‘abstinent,’ and 15 sexually active with a male partner using condoms sometimes, never, or always. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2015, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/women-that-have-sex-are-more-likely-to-get-pregnant-than-those-that-abstain/733802/9 "2015-10-07T19:23:37Z")
> [@](#): > > (e.g., separating out vaginal penetration by a penis vs. dildo) Well, yeah. There may not be room for both.