“Plane and sex travel stories often refer to the ‘Mile High Club’—sex on air. But there are actually direct and indirect impacts of flying on our bodies that might have an impact on our sex life,” Morice explains. “It has become such a common way to travel that people mostly tend to underestimate the potential impacts it can have on their bodies, minds and sex lives.”
“There is no doubt that aircraft cabins are peculiar and potentially highly stressful places for humans to spend any (regular) amount of time, even if they do take us to beautiful and relaxing places,” she tells us. “They are a weird environment where the air pressure is similar to that atop an 8,000 foot mountain. The humidity is lower than in some of the world’s driest deserts while the air pumped into the cabin is cooled as low as 10°C (50°F) to whisk away the excess heat generated by all the bodies and electronics onboard.”
“The cumulative effects of hypoxia, sleep deprivation, and dehydration are definitely not conducive to a healthy sex life—you ideally want to feel the exact opposite: oxygenated, rested, and hydrated.”
“On top of that, research shows that there is a direct link between anxiety, claustrophobia, uncertainty and your libido—hormones that go up in the brain, like norepinephrine and epinephrine, will lower testosterone and that will immediately have an effect on libido and even sexual function.”
Does flying have an effect on your menstrual cycle?
I regularly hear exclamations from friends on girls’ holidays, bemoaning the change of their cycle due to travel. In the past, I’ve found that the flight has “brought on” a period earlier than expected, but that belief was purely based on lived experience from myself and friends or family— I’ve never actually known if there was any science behind it. I asked Morice whether there was any connection between flying and menstrual cycles.
“Not directly, but the factors associated with air travel can affect your menstrual cycle indirectly: the jet lag, the overall stress, the disrupted sleep patterns linked to long flights can disturb your hormonal balance and potentially lead to cycle irregularities,” she explains. “It’s your body reacting to a rather hostile environment.”
Can traveling by plane cause any long-term impacts on your sex life?
“Frequent travelers might be experiencing heightened versions of the various symptoms described above,” says Morice. “One way to find out is to understand the long-term health impacts of flight attendants. In 2007, the Harvard’s School of Health launched ‘The Flight Attendant Health Study’ to improve working conditions for cabin crews around the world. It is the longest-running longitudinal health study focused on understanding the health effects on flight attendants of working in the airplane cabin environment.”
“Flight attendants are some of the most understudied workers, yet flight crew are exposed to many physical and psychosocial stressors, such as cosmic ionizing radiation, higher ozone levels, stressful interactions with passengers, severe circadian rhythm disruption, and other exposures. Although the study encourages flight crews to report about their health on the Flight Health App on a range of indicators, sexual health doesn’t seem to be part of the measurements—this would be a relevant additional criteria to continue researching the long-term impact of flying exposure on our sex lives.”
What can you do to combat these side effects of flying on your sex life?
“Exercise before and after your flight to get the oxygen pumping,” Morice advises. “Start hydrating at least 24 hours in advance of a flight, drink lots of water during and after the flight, and avoid overconsumption of caffeinated or alcoholic drinks. Remember to walk around during long flights, try meditating and deep breathing, and change your sleeping routines before flying to reduce the risk of jet lag.”
This article was originally published on Condé Nast Traveller UK. Condé Nast Traveler does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
