New data from Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study, which is following over 1,000 people born in the 1970s in Dunedin, New Zealand. A study in the February 2013 issue of Archives of Sexual Behavior revealed that those who have several sex partners throughout early adulthood are more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol as they age, especially women who have 2.5 partners or more per year; they’re between seven and 17 times more at risk for substance abuse. The results were consistent even after taking previous disorders, including drug and alcohol addiction, into consideration. Researchers suspect that substance abuse may be linked to promiscuity.

They might be right. Speaking for myself I had more than 2.5 partners per year in my teenage years and I love to have more than just one glass of wine quite often. Promiscuity is not so bad. I’m enjoying it. If your head hurts and you pass the opportunity for making hot wild love, you’re losing out on an effective treatment. I have tried this method and I must say it is working. It is better for you than aspirin.

Even though past research has hailed romps as headache-healers, a study in the February 2013 issue of Cephalalgia tested the hypothesis on a larger scale, surveying 800 headache sufferers and 200 migraine sufferers. Symptoms lessened for 60% of those who had sex during a migraine episode, while 37% of those with headaches saw improvement in their condition. The release of painkilling endorphins during intercourse is most likely why aches dissipate.

You just might be disappointed when you find out that in a study from the February 2013 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that the oft-reported statistic of 300 to 400 calories burned from sex is the opposite of what we have believed so far. More findings: Intercourse lasts an average of six minutes and burns just 21 calories in that time, equivalent to walking 2.5 miles. Although the overall study is questioned for bias due to a half-page worth of conflicts of interest, these particular conclusions may be heading the right way. If the average half-hour sex session burns at least 144 calories, a 15-minute quickie zaps off 72, and seven-and-a-half minutes of between-the-sheets time is worth only 36. Taking sex positions, stamina and other circumstances into consideration, 21 calories isn’t so much.

Oh, well. Who cares if we don’t burn calories during sex? That was never what it is all about. On the other hand finding out you can produce painkilling endorphins yourself isn’t bad news at all. And you should try it: I promise you won’t be sorry. And that’s what the statistic say nowadays – and this time I was part of the research.