

The sex and self-esteem street has two sides: people who have sex feel good about themselves, and people have sex to feel good about themselves. A study published looked at the many reasons humans have sex and found that one of the most common driving factors is the self-esteem boost many get from doing the deed.
These same people report that sex makes them feel powerful and more attractive. Also, some people in the study had more altruistic intentions and wanted their partner to feel good about themselves.