With cold and flu season in full swing, new research this winter shows more than 3 out of 4 coupled-up Brits will have a job on their hands to convince their partners one of the best ways to relieve their coughs and sneezes is to have sex – but it’s true!
It’s got to be one of the most unromantic seduction techniques imaginable – suggesting that you’d like to have sex because it could make your cold feel better. And, for the 77% of Brits who say they wouldn’t dream of agreeing to sex with their partner if they had cold or flu symptoms for fear of catching it too, this revelation could beg the question “How deep is your love?” this winter.
Research shows not only can sex help clear a stuffy nose temporarily, it can also result in the production of higher levels of Immunoglobin A (IgA), a hormone that improves the immune system generally. Indeed, oddly enough some people actually find themselves craving sex when they have a cold – the body is subconsciously seeking what it knows can help it.
British women are much more against the idea of sex with a snotty partner than men. Only 1 in 6 (18%) would risk the potential germ exchange. Whereas, men are less concerned, with nearly one three thinking the offer of sex would be worth the germ gamble. This is according to independent research carried out with 32,000 respondents across 16 countries, including 2,000 Brits, on behalf of STADA/Thornton & Ross, makers of Knect personal lubricant.
The STADA research shows 75% of people won’t even give their partners a kiss when they have a cold, for fear of catching the virus themselves. When isolation and free Covid testing kits are a thing of the past, making it difficult to tell if it’s just a cold, or flu, or worse still a dose of Coronavirus people could be tangling tonsils with, who can blame them?
The expert view
Commenting on the findings, leading cold, and flu vaccines expert, Dr Phil Sizer, who taught England’s chief medical officer, Professor Sir Chris Whitty, during his time at Oxford University, said, "This is a timely report in the season of respiratory infections, whether these are due to influenza, rhinovirus (otherwise known as the cold virus), Coronavirus or one of the other many respiratory viruses. The Covid-19 pandemic has made us consider not only our individual susceptibility to infection and consequent potential illness but also the impact of our own infectiousness and transmission to others.
"We can help support our natural immune system to combat these viruses through a healthy diet, exercise - whichever form that might take, and through vaccinations. Flu vaccines help protect against the main strains of influenza in circulation and may also help stop you spreading to other people who could be more vulnerable to infection."
Nigel Stephenson, general manager of STADA UK, makers of Knect personal lubricant, commenting on the findings, said: “In a post-pandemic society, recent events have reminded us of the paramount importance of good health, whether that’s physical or mental. Delivering this and improving healthcare contributing to everyone’s wellbeing requires a broad range of people and organisations acting together based on reliable and verifiable information and data. This light-hearted snapshot of self-preservation is a small part of the much more serious research we undertake caring for people’s health as a trusted partner.
“British men and women ranking the highest in Europe, according to our research, for taking certain precautions to avoid cold, flu and Covid this year, surely indicates a social distancing message remains at the back of many minds.”
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