Women who are chronically stressed, specifically those with children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), can be helped by having more sex. So says a recent study conducted by scientists at the University of California, San Francisco.
Life is tough enough. Every day people are stressed everywhere. Add to that the pressure that comes with being a parent and you already have a recipe for chronic stress. Now imagine a parent who has a disabled child, like one with ASD.
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This study investigated chronic stress in mothers raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Compared to mothers of typically developing children, mothers in this group reported experiencing significantly higher stress levels. Researchers recruited 183 women between the ages of 20 and 50, all with at least one child aged 2 to 16. The women were categorized into high-stress and low-stress groups based on a combination of factors: having a child diagnosed with ASD and their scores on a standardized stress assessment tool, the Perceived Stress Scale.
Participants underwent assessments at four different time points: baseline, 9 months, 18 months, and 24 months. During these assessments, participants completed clinic visits and 7-day diary studies. The researchers focused on data from the 18-month and 24-month follow-ups, as these were the only time points that included questions about sexual activity.
To assess the impact of sexual activity on metabolic health, researchers measured various key hormonal markers. These included insulin levels, a measure of insulin resistance, leptin (the satiety hormone), and ghrelin (the hunger hormone). Blood samples were collected during morning visits while participants were fasted to ensure accurate hormone levels. Additionally, the researchers considered factors like physical activity and relationship satisfaction to account for their potential influence on both metabolic health and sexual activity.
Chronic stress is a state of prolonged mental or physical tension that wears down the body’s ability to function healthily. Unlike acute stress, which arises due to a specific event and subsides quickly, chronic stress can last for weeks, months, or even years.
Chronic stress can have a significant impact on both physical and mental health.
“Considering the deleterious consequences chronic stress can have on metabolic health, it’s crucial to explore protective factors. As a relationship researcher, I am particularly interested in how various aspects of our relational experiences might serve such a protective role,” study author Yoobin Park, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, San Francisco told PsyPost.
“Sexual activity emerged as a promising candidate due to its stress-relieving effects and its positive impact on processes such as sleep, which can suffer due to stress and in turn cause metabolic problems,” she added. “To our knowledge, no previous work has examined whether sexual activity can buffer the biological effects of stress, so this research was exploratory in nature, aiming to fill that gap.”
