Post-coital tristesse

Post-coital dysphoria, or post-coital tristesse, is the term used to describe feeling of tearful, sad, anxious, irritable, aggressive, agitated or generally melancholic after sex. Many say sexual climax leaves them empty and despairing. These feelings might be attributed to present psychological distress, childhood sexual abuse or sexual dysfunctions.

Researchers from the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Australia asked 230 female university students to participate in a survey about their experiences with PCD. The women ranged in age from 18 to 55 with an average age of 26 years. Forty-six percent of the women said they’d experienced PCD in the past. About 5% said they’d had symptoms over the past month. And about 2% reported having PCD “always” or “most of the time.”

Companion research also revealed that 41 per cent of men had suffered from the condition at some point, with between three and four per cent on a regular basis. The study’s results suggest that many men are more sensitive about intimacy than society usually gives credit for.