People who earn more, have more sex, and vice versa

There is an interdependent relationship among making money, having sex, and being physically healthy, according to new research published in the International Journal of Manpower.

The study found that workers who have sex two to three times per week earn an average of 4.5 percent more than coworkers who have sex less often. Based on a behavioral study that surveyed 7,500 individuals, researchers found that “workers with health problems who are sexually active earn 1.5 percent more than those with similar ailments who are not sexually active.”

Dr. Nick Drydakis, who led the study from Anglia Ruskin University, concluded that having a higher income results in leading a more active sex life, and that having more sex supports our efforts at the office:

Does lack of sex lead to lower wages or lower wages lead to less sex? In the literature there are studies that have examined both effects. Celibacy results in lower wages, as well as lower wages leading to less sex. That is, we can provide socio-economic arguments and health- and mental health-based arguments in order to support both effects.

Drydakis also noted that it is the emotional effects of sex that improve our mental well-being such that we perform better at other tasks. So non-sexual forms of care are equally important to sustaining a healthy mental life that allows us to achieve our professional goals.

Without care and support, we fall victim to loneliness, anxiety, and depression, which in turn affects our performance in other areas of life.

But lest you think earning more money allows you to simply have more casual sex, Helen Fisher explains that a majority of men and women are looking to trigger a long-term relationship when they engage in sexual contact.

The research also demonstrated that maintaining a good level of health is absolutely essential. “Workers taking medication were 5.4 percent less sexually active; those with diabetes 2.4 percent less; and those with arthritis and rheumatism 3.9 percent less,” according to the Daily Mail, which also reported on the study. “People whose health is impaired face a 9.5 percent productivity penalty at work, while there is also a health-based discrimination factor on the order of 8.9 percent.”

Photo credit: Shutterstock