According to Australian scientists, every third woman suffers from post-sexual emotional depression. The condition is called postcoital dysphoria. Over 200 young women filled out questionnaires about their sex lives. 33% of them say they have felt depressed after sex at one point in their lives. Researchers are trying to figure out why some people go through this condition. According to lead researcher Robert Schweitzer, under normal circumstances, the period after sex is a period of positive emotions and physical and mental relaxation. Instead, however, some people experience sadness, melancholy, anxiety, or irritability. The phenomenon is difficult to explain, especially since research on the postcoital period is scarce. Interviews with women experiencing post-sexual distress are currently underway. Researchers want to better understand women’s emotions after coitus. This will help people with postcoital dysphoria realize that they are not alone. NEWS_MORE_BOX For now, the reasons for it remain unknown. One of the participants stated that she felt melancholy after sex, but this had nothing to do with her attitude towards her partner. Prof Schweitzer explains that previous sexual abuse can be a cause of emotions such as guilt and shame after sex, but his research shows a weak link between it and post-coital depression in most of the women interviewed. According to him, this indicates that there are other factors – such as biological or emotional predisposition – that play a more important role. The hope of the researchers is that once the pathogenetic mechanism is identified, a way will be found for doctors to be able to help women with the condition.