Sexual Relationships 
Sexual Health 
I'm sure this is a MyTake a lot of people will be interested in!
As the Hollywood cliche goes, post-coital, some of us sit back against the headboard proud of our accomplishment at gratifying our lover/spouse/one-night stand and then light up a cigarette.
"How was it for you?"
"Good enough", you summarised whilst taking a well-earned drag of smoke.
Or are you the kind of person to roll over in an instant, perhaps leaving your partner exasperated and hardly ready to catch some Z's?
Or you just spare just a moment reposing, then compose yourself and go again?
Do you cuddle up, have a chat, talk about deep things or even request a favour from your lover?
According to research and err hmm.. personal experience... these are all common, but what happens to our bodies during and after sex?
That's what you will find out on this MyTake!
On this MyTake I will be covering men and women having heterosexual sex and when I say I mean intercourse, lovemaking, copulation, fornication or as some Brits say, 'having it on'.
What Happens To The Male Body After Sex
At some point during sex, men reach a point of no return, this is sometimes called Ejaculatory Inevitability (yes there a medical term for it!)
His pulse rate and blood pressure rise, the sperm leaves him and his penis has contractions. Then he can return to resting and let his body cool down, which statistically happens faster for men than women.
The penis becomes flaccid and most men will have will have to wait some time before they can go again. The time it takes for a man to recover varies on age, fitness and of course the urge to return to the hearth of passion.
Some guys at this point will just want to go to sleep; is this plain rude or is it a biological necessity?
Well listen up to sexually disgruntled women! Science says it's natural for men to want to sleep and for various reasons.
Not withstanding the obvious, it is often sex is performed mostly at night and tiredness is normal, another reason is because upon reaching orgasm, men release lots of pent-up anxiety.
So of course do women, and they might feel tired too, but it seems men sleep more after sex according to research.
Another thing is brain chemistry. All these chemicals spill out in the brain when men ejaculate including:
- Serotonin (aka the happy chemical)
- Oxytocin (a reproductive hormone and neurotransmitter)
- Norepinephrine (stimulates adrenaline)
- Vasopression (promotes absorption of water in the kidneys)
- Nitric Oxide (increases blood circulation)
Some of these chemicals are related to de-stressing and the readiness to sleep. This can lead to that feeling of 'phew' and then men want to relax, just as they would after any strenuous exercise.
The brain chemicals work as the body's natural hit of morphine and apparently that hit is much stronger when having sex than when masturbating.
One doctor puts it like this when talking about the release of chemicals; "They give you a relaxed feeling, slow down your brain waves and cerebral functioning and make you feel pleasantly tired."
It is thought the hormone that is released called prolactin is the main reason men want to sleep. It gives them satisfaction and the less of it you have, the more likely you will go for round two quicker.
Really satisfied men may just turn over and start to snore.
Another thing men do after sex is that he might need to use the restroom, the reason?
It's chemicals again, oxytocin, prolactin and vasopressin play a role in the functioning of your kidneys and this is what makes a man run off to the bathroom.
Some experts also think it's to clean the urethra from bacteria, a kind of natural need. It might just also be because he's been holding it in during all that messing around.
He then finds that he is struggling to pee. That is normal, because for the sperm to come out, your internal sphincter muscle clamps and they are too close to the bladder. It happens to stop the semen from entering the bladder.
In most Cosmopolitan magazines, it is suggested that men who want to cuddle are keepers.
But it also says that men who don't might just be succumbing to their own bodies demands.
Men can find that their penis feels a bit sore, but this is perfectly normal after sex. This usually doesn't last long (but if it feels sore or painful during sex I would advise visiting your local sexual health clinic).
Also don't be shocked if your testicles have shrunk as this is normal too.
A doctor talking to Men's Health magazine explained it like this; "When men ejaculate, the spermactic cord muscles contract and brings all their testicles up closer to the body, giving them the perception that they have gotten smaller.
Lastly men may get cramp in the toe, I've been told it's common. But in my research it's because orgasm causes stimulation in the nerves, especially the S1 nerve in the spinal column and that nerve affects the toes.
Upon further research, some men's moods can dramatically change after sex. Given the release of all that tension and all the brain chemicals flooding out that's not so surprising.
Some men have said to feel emotionally handicapped after a great orgasm and that's thought to be because huge amounts of dopamine were released.
It's like coming down from a drug that makes you feel happy or ecstatic.
In women, the feelings can be similar, as we shall see further on in this MyTake.
What Happens To The Female Body After Sex
Well, women may not always orgasm.
According to an article in Psychology Today that did a number of studies that around 50% of women will orgasm regularly during intercourse.
When a woman does, it's different from a man's one great push to the sun, as women have "rapid rhythmic contractions". This can be quite an event and some women certainly show this in their face and looking like they've had an ecstatic experience.
These shock waves go through her genitals, anus, uterus, pelvis, breasts and she too will have a magnificent rush of chemicals flooding through her brain.
Women may also experience female ejaculation, which is when a milky liquid will come out her of her urethra and this perfectly normal.
But what about when a lot of liquid comes out?
A neurophysiologist says "it's not the same milky liquid if it comes out in large amounts, it is urine diluted with substances from the female prostate."
Scientists are still not clear as to why some women do this and others don't, but it's certainly not harmful.
Some women could want to talk something as simple as talking about plans for tomorrow or as complex to the meaning of life while some men are already half-way to falling asleep.
It has been studied during sex women are more focused than men during sex, their minds completely set to task of reaching orgasm.
This is because their amygdala and hippocampus that both regulates feelings switches off.
Women are at one with sex.
Once women have come, their consciousness re-calibrates and emotional intelligence returns.
After sex women switch back and they get a lovely hit of oxytocin, also known as the cuddle chemical.
One study found that people with high levels of testosterone release less oxytocin after sex and men generally have high levels of testosterone. Some women do too have high levels of testosterone but not as much.
So men, next time you roll over blame your lack of oxytocin.
Some women may not experience a refractory period after all, this is the downtime men need to get ready to do it again.
Note: teenagers may not need much downtime, but then again due to inexperience, sex doesn't always last that long.
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