Sexual Abstinence Could Increase Life Span--at Least for Roundworms

A life without sex not only seems longer but actually is longer--at least for the nematode roundworm of the species Caenorhabditis elegans. Researchers from UC San Francisco report in today’s Nature that signals from germ cells--sperm and eggs in humans--shorten life span.

Biologist Honor Hsin and Cynthia Kenyon used lasers to destroy germ cells and the gonadal tissue surrounding them. When only the germ cells and their precursors were eliminated, the worms lived 60% longer.

Hsin and Kenyon are not advocating sterilization, but suggest that insights from the research may lead to new ways to prolong life.