Love, Romance and Your Health
It is February and love is in the air. It is almost Valentine’s Day, the day that people all over the United States and the world celebrate love and romance. But how did Valentine’s Day come to represent love and romance? No one knows absolutely how this came about but Valentine’s Day contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. It is named after a patron saint, St. Valentine or St. Valentinus, who was martyred. One legend contends that he was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. At that time, the Emperor decided that single men made better soldiers than men with wives and families. For this reason, he outlawed marriage for young men. St. Valentine realized the injustice in this decree and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, he was put to death. That is just one theory out of many.
Today, Valentine’s Day has come to represent a time when we celebrate love and romance and give cards and gifts to those we love to as a token of our affection. For this reason, the card companies, candy companies and florists have come to love Valentine’s Day! Some remain cynical about celebrating love on Valentine’s Day because of the fact that it has become overly commercialized. However, the fact is, love, romance and sex can be good for your health. Studies have shown that engaging in regular sexual activity has many beneficial effects on your overall health. Having sex regularly can lower your stress level and your blood pressure and can also help to boost your immunity and help you to resist colds and other types of viruses. Other studies have shown that people who are married have less of a risk for heart attacks than those who are single. These are good reasons to celebrate love and romance on Valentine’s Day!
But what if you are just not in the mood for romance? Stress, fatigue, hormonal changes and other health problems can take a toll on your sex drive and make it difficult for you to get in the mood. If you are not feeling romantic and are experiencing a lack of libido or a lack of interest in sex, it may be a good idea to talk to your Gynecologist about possible causes and treatments. After an accurate diagnosis, your physician can recommend the appropriate treatment or treatments to help put the spark back in your relationship.
This year, on Valentine’s Day, celebrate by thanking your loved-one for your health! You may want to play it safe and get a card and some flowers or candy too! Happy Valentine’s Day.
