Factors That Increase Your Risk Of Death During Sex

Not only is sex one heck of a good time, it's also amazing for us. From lowering blood pressure and boosting the immune system to relieving stress and anxiety and even reducing prostate cancer (in those with a prostate), and just overall making us feel good, the list of benefits that come with sex goes on and on. We can thank oxytocin and the other feel-good hormones that are released during sex for all these wonderful things that can often be euphoric-inducing. Sex is so great, in fact, that it's enough to make one wonder if there are any downsides to it. Not to burst your bubble, but in short: There can be. 

While it's certainly not a common occurrence, sometimes people can die mid-sex or shortly afterward. According to a 2003 study in Herz, death during sex isn't just some dark humor punchline we see in movies, but something that can actually happen, accounting for 0.6% of cases in which someone passes away suddenly. While the majority of people who suffer this kind of death are usually older (59+) and the reason for their sudden passing is a heart attack, research is discovering that men as young as in their 30s can also die during or after sex. What's even more disturbing is that there isn't just one reason why young men can die during sex, but a handful of possibilities that might lead to it. In other words, youth can't save you from everything.

It goes without saying that drugs, both prescription and illegal, can do a number on the body in their own way. Then, if you combine them, you can really be asking for trouble. Illicit drugs, such as cocaine and meth, can really put your body through the wringer, the heart especially. Both these drugs are stimulants that speed up the heart, which can lead to long-term health problems or even sudden death — no matter your age. According to Medical News Daily, when you combine these types of drugs with the physical stress that comes with sex, you are basically whipping up a recipe for disaster. Granted, going out on an orgasm high may sound like the best way to cash in your chips, but if you're only 36, with a lifetime of living (and orgasming) in front of you, it's just not worth it. 

It's also worth noting that if you're someone who's been prescribed Viagra or similar medication for erectile dysfunction and you partake in cocaine even recreationally, you're increasing your chances of heart-related death, both in and out of the bedroom. Because the two drugs are essentially fighting against each other in what their purpose serves. While Viagra is meant to encourage blood flow so an erection can be achieved and maintained, cocaine does the opposite, reducing blood flow through constricting of the blood vessels. This battle for control isn't just stressful on the heart, but can cause it to just give up. 

A 2022 study published in JAMA Cardiology examined the sudden deaths of 6,847 people, 17 of whom died during or shortly after sex. What the researchers found was that in more than half of the deaths (53%), the heart looked structurally healthy, meaning that a heart attack hadn't been the cause of death. Instead, these people died from sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS). According to the SADS Foundation, SADS is a genetic disorder in which the heart has an abnormal rhythm. If a parent has SADS, there's a 50% chance that it will be passed on to their children.

According to the 2022 study, the second reason why those so young died during sex was due to aortic dissection; cardiomyopathy and channelopathies ranked third. Affecting 30 per every one million people a year and mostly those over 60 years of age (per Michigan Medicine), aortic dissection is when the aorta's layers tear and eventually burst. Similar to SADS, cardiomyopathy and channelopathies are genetic in nature, so there's a good chance you know that you're at risk for these things if you've yet to be officially diagnosed.

Although dying during sex is extremely rare, especially if you're on the younger side, it's still something you want to be aware of, especially if you use drugs or are predisposed to certain heart-related conditions. While death mid-orgasm isn't the worst way to die, it's still death, and that's a one-way ticket with no return.