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A third of women become depressed after sex
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Despite the fact that sex should bring only pleasure and enjoyment, some women feel a sense of emptiness, irritability and dissatisfaction after intimate relations. However, this feeling may not be related to the attitude towards the partner.
Experts call this behavior illogical, because sex implies the emergence of pleasant sensations that arise as a result of the spiritual and physical closeness of two people.
Lead author of the study, Dr Robert Schweitzer from the University of Queensland, said: "Under normal circumstances, feelings of well-being and mental and physical relaxation occur immediately after sex. But some people, instead of positive feelings, experience sadness, irritability and become very depressed. The reason for this phenomenon is not easy to explain, because this is an area that is not well studied."
Scientists conducted a survey among 200 young women. It turned out that approximately every third woman (about 33%) experiences negative emotions and melancholy after sexual intercourse. Some ladies experience this constantly, while others experience these feelings at a certain moment. Moreover, the quality of sex had nothing to do with the mood of the women. Even if there were no problems in the intimate sense, and the woman was completely satisfied with her partner, many still felt depressed and even cried after sex.
This condition is called "postcoital dysphoria" and its causes, unfortunately, remain a mystery. Postcoital dysphoria can last from five minutes to two hours.
Scientists suggest that some women experience feelings of depression and sadness due to past traumas that still haunt their memories and are not forgotten. Also, the lack of joy, relaxation and positive emotions can be caused by hereditary and biological factors.
Postcoital dysphoria is a serious condition. For some people, it is sometimes better not to have sex in order to maintain peace of mind and nerves. Dr. Schweitzer plans to continue the study and study the emotional characteristics of women who suffer from this condition.
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