Women: 5 Health Problems Sex Can Cure

To men sex is like going to the bathroom: if they can't do it, they may get sexually constipated. Not being able to empty last week's gorge fest is painful, but avoiding the vertical tango for too long can cause hormones to build up to extreme proportions, wracking havoc on a man's mental and physical well being.

Although women may not face the same problems physically, sex can help in many, many ways. It can help cure several health problems, including incontinence, the common cold, and even debilitating headaches. It can even help regulate menstrual cycles, which in itself may be enough reason to start tousling the sheets again.

Here are five surprising women-related health problems sex can cure, provided you do it regularly.

5 Women-Related Health Problems Sex Can Cure

Health Problem Cure: Incontinence

Regular sexual intercourse helps strengthen the pelvic floor, which controls the release of urine. Older women receive the greatest benefit: they can simply flex these sensitive muscles to avoid accidental leakage. Stronger pelvic muscles equal a better working urinary system.

Health Problem Cure: Migraines

The blinding pain and nausea of migraines may rule out intercourse, but science suggests sex cures away some of its pain. According to a 2001 study published in Headache, women who had intercourse while having a migraine lessened their pain by 30 percent, while 17.5 percent completely eliminated all migraine pain. If medications fail to bring relief, sex itself may be the cure.

Health Problem Cure: Dry, Lifeless Skin

Forget slapping on the latest retinol cream-sex may even cure dull skin. According to Savvy Women Magazine, regular lovemaking causes more blood to rush through the body, revving up womens' age-fighting elastin fibers. The result? Tighter, fresher skin, with an alluring after-sex glow.

Health Problem Cure : The Common Cold

Want to combat the sniffles? Newsweek reports sex can cure even the common cold. It works by raising immunoglobin A during intercourse, an important antibody that helps fight the virus that causes the cold. It is not clear if this also benefits woman exclusive sex, but it wouldn't hurt to try out.

Health Problem Cure: Out-of-Control Periods

Women who have sex at least once per week--and this includes woman-to-woman sex-can also reap the benefits of period regularity. It is not clear why this occurs, but women who are intimate experience less erratic periods. It does not work during a woman's period, however, so steer clear.

Now for some advice: women-related health problems can be cured by sex, but don't use it as an excuse to forgo healthy eating and a trip to the doctor. Sex can offer a easy fix, but it isn't the cure-all for all ailments.

Sources:
Lauren Cox, "Headaches and Sex: Yes, Tonight Dear" (ABCNews.go.com)
Temma Ehrenfeld, "Six Reasons to Have Sex Every Week" (Newsweek.com)
"Good Sex, Good Skin" (Savvy-Womens-Magazine.com)