The Best Part Of Sex Happens In The Two Days After You Have Sex, Science Says

Sex is like a regrettable drunk order from Taco Bell: Even at its worst, it's still pretty damn good.

While there's no denying an explosive orgasm ranks pretty high when it comes to everyone's favorite part of intercourse, a new study found the best part of sex is actually what's called an "afterglow."

It happens post-bang and makes you happy as a goddamn clam for two whole days after.

That's right, TWO DAYS.

The study, published in Psychological Science, found that this magic "afterglow" effect after sex is actually what contributes to stronger relationships for couples who have sex pretty frequently.

Lead study author and psychological scientist Andrea Meltzer said,

Our research shows that sexual satisfaction remains elevated 48 hours after sex. And people with a stronger sexual afterglow — that is, people who report a higher level of sexual satisfaction 48 hours after sex — report higher levels of relationship satisfaction several months later.

To reach their conclusion, Meltzer and her team looked at data gathered from two studies with over 200 newlyweds.

Before going to sleep, the couples were told to jot down in a diary whether or not they had sex. And no matter what they said, the pair also had to rate exactly how content they were with their sex life at the moment and how content they were with their spouse and their marriage that day.

With this data, researchers were able to conclude that every time couples boned, both partners felt significantly happier over the following two days.

Another cool thing they found was that factors like age and gender actually didn't matter; the afterglow didn't discriminate.

According to the study, those couples who felt strong levels of the afterglow also said they were more satisfied in their marriage as a whole. They reported fewer conflicts throughout the early stages of their newlywed phase, as opposed to those who didn't have sex frequently.

That's not to say they were happy forever, but any decline in happiness was not as steep in comparison to those who didn't have sex so often.

"This research is important because it joins other research suggesting that sex functions to keep couples pair bonded," Meltzer added.

This work also supports another study by a different team of researchers, who found happy couples favored cuddling rather than orgasms in comparison to those who didn't have sex as much.

But even with all this scientific backing, sex in 2017 just isn't happening as much as you think.

Despite the clear health benefits that can come from sexual intercourse — and being able to brag about it to all your friends — research has shown that the millennial generation still isn't having as much sex as previous generations. 

Clearly, we need to step up our game, guys. I want to feel the glow, and I want to feel it now.

Anyone free?

Citations: Why More Sex Makes You Happy: Sex Afterglow Lasts 2 Days, Increasing Couple Bonding And Relationship Satisfaction (Medical Daily)