Nearly half of all women who engage in sexual intercourse experience a sudden feeling of depression, anxiety, or aggression toward their partners following the act, according to a new research conducted by the Queensland Institute of Technology (QUT) in Australia.
In a study featured in the Journal Sexual Medicine, researchers from QUT's School of Psychology and Counseling examined data collected from female students regarding their sexual activity.
The team discovered that out of the 230 total respondents of their online survey, around 46 percent of these reported of experiencing symptoms of post-coital dysphoria (PCD) almost immediately after having sex at least once in their lifetime.
One in every 20 respondents (5.1 percent) of the survey said they experience symptoms several times within the past four weeks.
Post-coital dysphoria, or more commonly known as post-sex blues, is a condition wherein a female individual exhibits a strong sense of melancholy and anxiety within five minutes to two hours after engaging in sexual intercourse.
Dr. Robert Schweitzer, lead author of the study, said the results support an earlier study that explored the aspect of sexual functioning in women. He said that the findings of their previous research in the area have now been confirmed through an international study regarding negative emotions after coitus, which appear to have functions in evolution.
The earlier study, which was published in the International Journal of Sexual Health in 2012, found that out of 200 women surveyed, 32.9 percent of them experienced symptoms of PCD at some point in their lives and around 10 percent of the respondents said they sometimes experience depression or distress after sex.
Schweitzer pointed out that they want to achieve a better understanding of the experience of women after engaging in consensual sex.
He said that the latest study could potentially help individuals who suffer from PCD to realize that they are not alone. Once they understand women's experience, they can begin determining the role of doctors in helping PCD patients to understand and address their condition.
The researchers noted that while the earlier research suggested that PCD is the result of hormonal changes following a sexual climax, further studies are required to fully understand this phenomenon.
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