【Conversation】What's the point of sex?

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Were sex only important for procreation, it would more than do its job from an evolutionary perspective. However, evidence suggests that at a physical and social level, sex is about much more than making babies.

Most nonhuman animals have no interest in sex outside of a reproductive context. But women have sex throughout their menstrual cycle despite being fertile for only a few days each month, and go on having sex long after menopause renders them infertile. And of course, couples who are of the same sex, using contraception or infertile are no less keen for congress than any pregnancy-focused counterparts.

Ultimately, no one knows for sure what the point of all this sex is, but its other biological effects may provide clues.

Sex brings people together

Have you ever met someone who is right for you “on paper”, but when push comes to shove their scent seems wrong, or the spark isn’t there? Our bodies can tell our minds who we don’t want to be with. Similarly, our bodies can give us strong signals about whether we want to stay close to somebody.

When we touch, kiss and have sex, our body responds with a release of hormones linked to bonding. Most important among these appear to be oxytocin and vasopressin.

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