Does Semen Act As an Antidepressant to the Recipient?

[n2doc]

By Jennifer AbbasiPosted 05.04.2011

Back in 2002, psychologists at the State University of New York at Albany published a study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior looking at the potential role of semen in alleviating depression in women. The researchers presented evidence supporting an earlier hypothesis that the hormones in semen have a mood-boosting effect on women. For any woman who has had sex -- and enjoyed it -- this may not come as a huge surprise.

Cut to this past February. Lazar Greenfield, the incoming president of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), wrote a short Valentine's Day-themed editorial about mating in Surgery News. In it, he discussed the sex lives of fruit flies, rotifers and humans. He cited the SUNY Albany study before concluding: "So there's a deeper bond between men and women than St. Valentine would have suspected, and now we know there's a better gift for that day than chocolates." That gift, of course, being semen.

Greenfield's editorial sparked a controversy among ACS members, many of whom felt it was blatantly sexist. In response to the flap, Greenfield -- a highly respected retired professor at the University of Michigan with a reputation for supporting women in surgery -- apologized and stepped down from his post as editor of Surgery News; two weeks ago, as the controversy continued, he also resigned from his position at the College. In an interview with the Detroit Free Press Greenfield said, "The editorial was a review of what I thought was some fascinating new findings related to semen, and the way in which nature is trying to promote a stronger bond between men and women."

Setting aside the unfortunate politics of this story, I decided to look into the science behind "Semengate" for my first Sex Files column. Could the stuff in semen actually be nature's own antidepressant?

more

http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2011-05/controversial-ideas-semen-natures-antidepressant

[Ian David]

1. My semen spreads happiness and sunshine wherever it goes. n/t

[ZombieHorde]

4. My armpits are very, very sad. (wink wink) nt

[Ian David]

5. I don't know if you want happy armpits. They're enough trouble to begin with. n/t

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. I would think that the way it is delivered might have something to do with it.

:yoiks:

[robinlynne]

10. Dont forget what happens before it is delivered.

[postulater]

3. I know that it usually does to the donor.

[Lance_Boyle]

6. Read the studies Dr. Greefield cited for your answer.

My understanding was that feminist groups, not ACS members, got Dr. Greenfield canned from his editor position at Surgery News. Real nice work, there, silencing science for ideology.

[DailyGrind]

14. I was very disturbed that they were able to get this guy to quit

The medical/scientific community should have stood up for him. Shame on them for giving in to the people that just didn't like the implication of the study. Would you want one of them as your doctor? Doubtful.

[damntexdem]

7. By prescription only.

;-)

[tridim]

8. Quck, take out a patent.

Yep, semen pills.

[bvar22]

9. Only if you do it right.

:hippie:

[rfranklin]

11. But you have to take injections!

Good thing I have a needle dick!

[JBoy]

12. Yeah, and for men it's not the orgasm that's pleasureable

it's the knowledge that you're about to move on to the cuddling and sharing of feelings phase.

[Dennis Donovan]

13. Is it a coincidence that Lazar Greenfield is also a MAN?!?1

Why, I think NOT!!!1!

:D

[Curmudgeoness]

15. OK, I see a glitch in this theory already....

"For any woman who has had sex -- and enjoyed it"....

And if I woman does not enjoy the experience, she gets no boost out of depression from the semen. Or that seems to be the case. So, if "enjoyable sex" lifts a woman's spirits, and just "sex" doesn't, I wonder what the case is....but it ain't the semen injection.

FAIL

[Lance_Boyle]

16. The studies Dr. Greenfield cites use barrier-method control groups.

So there is still enjoyable sex (insert witty comment about how there's no such thing with a condom here) but no semen exposure.

Try reading the articles before you go and FAIL yourself in public like that.

[Curmudgeoness]

20. I did read the article, and I am arguing that the group

who had unprotected sex (since the protected and abstainers did not show differences in mood/depression) did not get the boost from semen---or at least this study did not include enough factors to show that it did.

Ask any woman who has had shitty unprotected sex, and they will not still feel a boost in mood. Ask any woman who was raped if her mood is better because she was exposed to semen. If semen acted like other drugs, the effect would be predictible and would give the same results even in situations where you were totally unfulfilled.

I want to know how many of the unprotected sex subjects were using birth control pills, which are horomones. And if they are not using any birth control at all, is it because they are in a committed relationship, and is it probable that this is why they are less depressed? Or are they just the happy-go-lucky types who don't let anything worry them, which would mean that they are normally going to be less depressed and more upbeat.

But maybe I am wrong to question semen as the new magic potion. It could be that a woman who is having a bad day "just needs a good fuck". Like I haven't heard that too many times to count! Keep dreaming, guys.

[DailyGrind]

17. The control was on protection vs non-protection

Not how good it was. i.e., the whole point of the study.

[Sherman A1]

18. Hmmm.....

Interesting.:shrug:

[buddysmellgood]

19. I think we need to know if it's effective orally and topically.

[petronius]

21. But that would mean that the longer I hoard my semen, the happier I should be

Yet, I find that the opposite is true... :shrug: