Though sex serves a pretty obvious functional purpose—it gets sperm cells closer to their end goal—it also serves some interesting psychological ones. A central effect of sex is that it enhances pair-bonding, the connection between the individuals having sex. And though it probably evolved for a different purpose, the “afterglow” sensation that lingers after sex seems to contribute to that bonding, a new study reports. The research, out this week in Psychological Science, finds that newlyweds who report an afterglow counted in days, rather than hours, also report more marital satisfaction months later.
