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Sex Eases Stress Today, But Not Tomorrow: Study

2/4/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The researchers found sex reduces stress on the same day, but benefits do not persist into the next day.
The study, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, examined newlywed couples.
It tracked 319 couples who reported daily sexual activity and stress over 14 days.
Engaging in sex to avoid conflict was linked to higher stress afterward, and the study notes correlational design and a homogeneous sample.

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Story summary

The researchers found sex reduces stress on the same day, but benefits do not persist into the next day.
The study, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, examined newlywed couples.
It tracked 319 couples who reported daily sexual activity and stress over 14 days.
Engaging in sex to avoid conflict was linked to higher stress afterward, and the study notes correlational design and a homogeneous sample.