With the second installment of the "Sex and the City" movie franchise rising up over the horizon, female friendships and morning-after “kiss and tell” sessions are once again at the forefront of social media. While easily dismissed by both boyfriends and movie critics alike, the idea of women experiencing enriched sex lives as a result of conversing with their friends is not all that far-fetched.
Women have, on average, 13 percent more people in their lives that they report discussing important issues with. And this pays major dividends in regards to overall sexual health! A 2006 study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology reported that “women with strong social networks are more likely to survive breast cancer than those who are socially isolated.” Another study done by Harvard asserts that female companionship can lead to increased health and vitality in later stages of life (Samantha Jones, anyone?). The sex lives of Baby Boomers could easily rival the previous generation’s.
One could argue that this phenomenon is not unique to women, but the fact is that many men are simply not socialized to develop the depth of intimacy required to reap maximum results. In his book The Girls from Ames, journalist Jeffrey Zaslow demonstrated this fact by pulling an anecdote from his own life. “I’ve been playing poker with a group of friends every Thursday night for many years,” explains Zaslow in his introduction to the book. “About 80 percent of our conversations are focused specifically on the cards….For weeks at a time, our personal lives—or our feelings about anything—never even come up.”
While many people like to rag on the old stereotype of women gabbing, the joke may be on them. The health benefits of talking with the girls are very much real and calculated. So, as Charlotte said in an episode of the "Sex and the City" series, "Don't laugh at me, but maybe we can be each other's soul mates? And then, we could let men be just these great, nice guys to have fun with."
Samantha responds to the sentiment by simply saying “Sounds like a plan.” A similar attitude on the part of women across the globe could do wonders for our physical and emotional health. Maybe we should take heed.