What I regret not putting in this piece — because I don't edit because if I did, I'd never publish anything, because my perfectionism is debilitating — is tying that last knot to bring it all together.

Sex (and love) are second-order after survival. When we are stressed the way we are to the point of being stuck in survival mode, sex (and dating, and relationships) get backburnered until the more elemental needs get met.

But also, when our hearts and bodies are satisfied romantically, we tend to curtail our survival instincts, no matter how precarious things are for us.

I had data for all that, too, but at some point I just figured I'd already stacked the wall of data too high to add any more to the Jenga tower.

So, in conclusion: you're totally right. Sex, done right, is therapeutic and good for society, but a damning society makes sex, done right, difficult, dangerous, and largely inaccessible.

Another ouroboros, on top of the ouroboros. Thank you for reading. Good to have you here. 💙