The evidence comes from several recent analyses of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data. A study published in Scientific Reports in December 2024 analyzed over 17,000 participants and found that those having sex less than 12 times a year (less than once a month) faced the highest risks of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. However, it did not explicitly cite a "2.3 times" increase as a universal standard; rather, it noted that risks reached a "nadir" (lowest point) at 52–103 times per year (1 to 2 times a week).
Regarding the claim about daily sex, the evidence is even more nuanced. One study mentioned in ScienceAlert found that men engaging in daily sexual activity were six times more likely to experience premature death than females, but this was a specific subgroup finding, not a general rule for all adults. Another study in the Journal of Psychosexual Health found that women having sex less than 52 times a year were three times more likely to die, which actually suggests a higher risk for infrequent sex than the 2.3 figure claimed.
Crucially, these studies are observational, meaning they show correlation, not necessarily causation. Factors like existing health, marital status, and mental health (depression) play massive roles. For instance, the association between low sexual frequency and death was significantly higher in individuals with depression. Therefore, while the general trend of the claim (that moderate sex is linked to longevity) is supported by science, the specific statistics provided in the post are inconsistent with the primary research papers.
Source quality: The evidence includes recent peer-reviewed studies from Scientific Reports (Nature) and PubMed indexing, providing specific data points on the NHANES datasets mentioned in the claim.
