Brain & Nervous System Stroke Causes & Risk Factors Can Sexual Activity Cause a Stroke? By Heidi Moawad, MD facebook linkedin Heidi Moawad is a neurologist and expert in the field of brain health and neurological disorders. Dr. Moawad regularly writes and edits health and career content for medical books and publications. Learn about our editorial process Heidi Moawad, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Nicholas R. Metrus, MD on March 24, 2021 linkedin Nicholas R. Metrus, MD, is a board-certified neurologist and neuro-oncologist. He currently serves at the Glasser Brain Tumor Center in Summit, New Jersey. Learn about our Medical Review Board Nicholas R. Metrus, MD on March 24, 2021 Print A stroke is a sudden and serious life-threatening event. We know that a stroke may be caused by a number of health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, bleeding disorders, and other stroke risk factors. People have questioned for years whether sex can cause a stroke. To answer that question, there have been several scientific research studies that have evaluated whether a sexual activity can cause a stroke and who is at risk. T.T. / The Image Bank / Getty Images Sex as a Stroke Trigger Overall, it is quite unusual for someone to experience a stroke during sexual activity. In fact, it is rare for a stroke to be provoked by any immediate trigger. The vast majority of the time, a stroke is the result of a build-up of long-term health problems such as smoking, high blood pressure, elevated fat and cholesterol levels, poorly controlled diabetes, blood clotting abnormalities, and heart disease. However, there have been documented instances of a stroke occurring during or shortly after sexual activity. The case reports in the medical literature that describes stroke happening during or within 2 hours after sexual activity interestingly points to a higher likelihood of sex-related stroke in the context of extramarital relationships. It has also been noted that extramarital sexual activity increases the risk of stroke-related death. Whether this is due to an increased stroke rate associated with emotional or psychological factors related to extramarital sexual activity, or to a reluctance to call for urgent medical attention is not clear. How Often Does a Stroke Occur During Sexual Activity? It is probably impossible to obtain entirely accurate data about this question. In general, people are less likely to admit that a stroke occurred during sexual activity than they are to report that a stroke occurred during another less private activity, such as driving or jogging. A scientific article published in the February 2015 issue of the Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease evaluated 290 patients who were diagnosed with stroke and reported that only 5 of the patients specified sexual activity as a triggering event. This relatively low number is consistent with the previous research on the triggering events associated with stroke. Warning Signs and Risk Factors for Stroke People who experience a stroke during or within a few hours of sexual activity generally experience certain warning signs weeks or even months ahead of time. One of the most common warning signs is a thunderclap headache. A thunderclap headache is a sudden, severe, explosive and excruciating headache. If you ever experience a thunderclap headache or any variation of a severe headache during sexual activity, you need to call your doctor, who will perform a thorough medical evaluation. Some people who experience a thunderclap headache during sex do not go on to suffer from a stroke, but about 30-50% are at risk of having an ischemic stroke. Brain Aneurysm Sexual activity is also a risk factor for those who have a brain aneurysm, which is a type of abnormally shaped blood vessel in the brain. A brain aneurysm may leak or rupture, triggering a hemorrhagic stroke. Age It does not appear that older age is necessarily a risk factor for a stroke caused by sex. It has been reported that young people without the typical stroke risk factors have been among those who experience a stroke during sexual intercourse. Blood clotting disorders, serious inborn heart defects, brain aneurysms, contraceptive use, and a smoking history seem to play a role in these rare situations. Drug Use Recreational drug use has been associated with stroke during or after sexual activity. The use of herbal substances to enhance sexual function has also been linked with strokes. What to Do If You Have Symptoms If you ever experience headaches, dizziness or any neurological symptoms during or after sexual activity, you should have a medical evaluation right away. If your partner has symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, vision changes, slurred speech, weakness or confusion during or after sexual activity, it is vital for you to make sure your partner receives urgent medical attention right away. Ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke are uncommon during sexual intercourse but are more likely to occur if you or your partner experiences these neurological warning signs. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Conditions that increase risk for stroke. Updated January 31, 2020. Sanuade OA. Community perceptions on the role of sexual activity on stroke: a qualitative study exploring the views of Ghanaian local community residents. BMC Public Health. 2019;19(1):717. doi:10.1186/s12889-019-7093-6 Sharma A, Prasad K, Padma MV, et al. Prevalence of triggering factors in acute stroke: hospital-based observational cross-sectional study. J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 2015;24(2):337-47. doi:10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2014.08.033 Cleveland Clinic. Thunderclap headaches. Updated August 16, 2018. Harvard Health Publishing. Thunderclap headache: The “worst headache of my life”. Updated June 25, 2019. Blanke-roeser C, Matschke J, Püschel K. Sexual activity as a risk factor for the spontaneous rupture of cerebral aneurysms. Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2016;37(2):70-3. doi:10.1097/PAF.0000000000000231 Ebrahim S. Sexual intercourse and risk of ischaemic stroke and coronary heart disease: the Caerphilly study. Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. 2002;56(2):99-102. doi:10.1136/jech.56.2.99 American College of Cardiology. Oral contraceptives and ischemic stroke risk. Updated March 28, 2018. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Smoking and heart disease and stroke. Updated March 23, 2020. Cheng YC, Ryan KA, Qadwai SA, et al. Cocaine use and risk of ischemic stroke in young adults. Stroke. 2016;47(4):918-22. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.115.011417 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Stroke signs and symptoms. Updated January 31, 2020. Additional Reading Calabrò RS, Pezzini A, Casella C, Bramanti P, Triolo O, Ischaemic Stroke Provoked By Sexual Intercourse. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, September 2013. Miller PE, Brown L, Khandheria P, Resar JR, Ischemic Stroke Occurring During Intercourse in Young Women on Oral Contraceptives, Am J Cardiol., 2014 Aug 1;114(3):491-3. Sharma A, Prasad K, Padma MV, Tripathi M, Bhatia R, Singh MB, Prevalence of Triggering Factors in Acute Stroke: Hospital-based Observational Cross-sectional Study. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease, February 2015. Vlak MH, Rinkel GJ, Greebe P, van der Bom JG, Algra A, Trigger Factors and Their Attributable Risk for Rupture of Intracranial Aneurysms: A Case-Crossover Study. Stroke, July 2011.