Karezza is sex without the goal of female orgasm or male ejaculation. With karezza, lovers receive the benefits of sexual love without the feeling of lost energy. And without the temporary hormonal swings that naturally follow conventional orgasm-driven sex. So what is the link between karezza and wellbeing?

Many people claim orgasm “balances their hormones.” In fact, ejaculation and orgasm initiate a cycle of measurable hormonal fluctuations. Days later, the body returns to balance (homeostasis).

The primary purpose of sex in humans and other animals is reproduction. From the standpoint of genes, human sex has essentially the same purpose as sex in other animals. Sexual attraction acts as a magnet, drawing mates together – at least for long enough to make a baby.

Yet once “the job is done”, lovers often find it challenging to sustain long-term attraction. This is so even for a pair-bonding species like ours. Karezza offers a possible solution. Does it work because of its effects on human physiology?

Stabilising beneficial metabolism

Having trained as a physician in my native country, I suspect that karezza may stabilise body metabolism in beneficial ways. We know that conventional, orgasm-driven sex pushes hormonal activity to high levels for a short time. The good feelings and enjoyment during lovemaking stem mostly from these changes throughout the body.

With conventional sex, the joyful feelings of wellbeing ‘burst’ at orgasm or ejaculation. Swiftly, we feel very different. This shift is a natural consequence of the hormonal aftermath.

Lovemaking during conventional sex is often mechanical and focused on striving for climax. In contrast, karezza lovemaking is slow, with few or no intense peaks. You focus on yourself and your partner.

It seems that this slower approach to sex may sustain beneficial hormonal activity at a pleasurable level for as long as you both desire. Think of karezza as sipping a glass wine for hours with your lover. In contrast, conventional sex is like quickly getting drunk, and then throwing the glass at the wall.

After engaging in karezza, you don’t feel tired, drained, or exhausted. You feel energized, bright, and as if your brain is sharper.

Homeostatis

Conventional sex is like a roller coaster, an extreme fluctuation of hormones. As a consequence, feelings between lovers can fluctuate dramatically too. Mysterious feelings of dissatisfaction are not uncommon during the days after conventional sex, as lovers’ physiology returns to homeostasis (balance).

Recurring disharmony serves evolution, but not lovers. Evolution doesn’t favour monogamy. The more combinations of male and female chromosomes (i.e., the more novel partners), the better a species’ potential to adapt to a wide range of environments.

Karezza foils the genetic program that can push mates apart. Karezza lovers typically eliminate orgasm and ejaculation. This may help explain why the couple continues to feel the same love and attraction outside the bedroom as they did during the sex. Their wellbeing is more consistent.

Does karezza keep the female body hormonally “primed”?

Nature expends tremendous effort to make sure that a woman is prepared to become pregnant. It “revs up” whenever it receives the right signals. The primary signal to a woman’s body that she is ready to become pregnant is ovulation, which happens in the middle of her menstrual cycle. A woman is most likely to initiate sex around that time.

A second signal arises from sex-hormone activity during stimulation of her vagina. Such stimulation tends to be brief during conventional sex. As soon as orgasm and ejaculation happen, the female body often becomes less enthusiastic about receiving new sperm. Perhaps climax delivers a strong signal of “mission accomplished.”

Karezza breaks all these rules. Because karezza lovers sidestep orgasm but continue vaginal stimulation, the vagina keeps sending signals to the brain that keep the sexual response heightened. The message is “pregnancy could be imminent!”

No climax dampens this beneficial, enlivening sex-hormone activity. Does this natural pregnancy-preparation increase wellbeing? It would be interesting to investigate.

Karezza and immunity

Might karezza also have positive effects on the immune system? People who practice karezza sometimes report that they feel healthier, that they experience less illness, and that the intervals between illnesses increase. For example, some women who practice karezza report fewer urinary-tract and vaginal infections.

No one has yet done a thorough study on the immune function of karezza lovers. However, given people’s reports and experiences, formal investigation seems to be in order.

On average, a woman experiences 6 urinary tract infections (UTIs) per year. Vaginal infections are common complaints too. A common cause is when microbes from the genital area make their way to the urethra and bladder.

The primary mechanism of vaginal defence is its acidic secretion, which naturally disinfects the vagina. Karezza’s lengthy, slow stimulation of the vagina is protective because it increases vaginal sections, keeping the vagina more acidic.

This may help explain why some women report reduced vaginal difficulties with karezza lovemaking.

One day, researchers will perhaps investigate the potential in karezza. For now, lovers can make their own experiments.