Those of you considering having sex in space might want to reconsider.
A recent study by the University of Montreal published Wednesday March 13 in PLOS ONE Journal suggests that having sex in a low-gravity environment can harm cellular development after conception.
The researchers conducted their study by examining plant reproduction in low-gravity conditions. They found that changes in gravity had an effect on "traffic flow" as well as cell formation. Specifically, "traffic jams" occurred during intracellular transport, a crucial process for cell development. They were able to deduce, therefore, that a low gravity environment impaired cell growth.
This might not seem like such a big deal except for the fact that sperm cells in plants reach eggs in very much the same way that those in humans do. This has serious implications for the development of a human fetus in space.
"Our findings offer new insight into how life evolved on Earth and are significant with regards to human health," co-author of the study Dr. Anja Geitmann told The Huffington Post. "'Traffic jams' on these intracellular highways also exist in human cells where they are known to be involved in illnesses such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's."
That said, the study only has implications for the birth of a child after sex; not the act itself. You can still get it on in space; it just might not be a good idea to have a baby.
But we all know that's not fully preventable, which raises the question: should astronauts in space be having sex at all? And if a new regulation arrives saying that astronauts can't have sex, how realistic is that ultimatum, and will anyone really listen?
Millionaire Dennis Tito announced in late February that he and his team plan to send an older couple to Mars in 2018: a voyage that lasts eight months in one direction, according to NASA. Would a couple in a closely confined, potentially boring, and almost certainly draining space flight really remain celibate for that long?
"To put it simply, we need to know exactly what we're getting into," wrote Laura Woodmansee, author of "Sex In Space," on LiveScience, "because the consequences affect not only us, but the next generation of human beings."
