After sex, some men experience sadness and regret, which is known as Post-coital tristesse

PCT is a feeling of melancholy after having sexual intercourse. PCT is more common in men than it is in women. Many sufferers of PCT also feel strong anxiety for five minutes to two hours after sex. The term itself comes from the Latin post-coital and the French tristesse literally meaning sadness after sex. It is also known as depression after sex.

The reason for the sadness is thought to be due to the loss of semen and the exhaustion the body faces after intercourse. Instead of feeling a relief, the body feels weakness and exhaustion. The Latin proverb “omne animal post coital triste” goes along with PCT and means “all animals are sad after sex.”

Aristotle and many other writers and poets have written of post-coital tristesse in their work. The hormone prolactin, used in making breastmilk, is also found in men and shoots sky high right after an orgasm. It skyrockets 400% more during sex than during masturbation, leading scientists to believe that intercourse is much more satisfying than masturbation.

The prolactin plateaus and you feel a lull in your emotions. It can also be an issue faced if one has sex with someone they don’t really care about, because of the intimate connection sex brings.