It seems as if my penchant for sexual encounters with younger women may be a genetically sound one.

New studies have shown that when older men reproduce with younger women, it helps extend our species’ lifespan. When older men sire children, their genes apparently increase the lifespan of both sexes over evolutionary time.

Because the vast majority of women are unable to reproduce after 50, and many men can still impregnate women into their 70s and beyond, it would follow that it’s likely advantageous for males to live longer lives if they partner with women who can reproduce. Natural selection should favor longevity-boosting genes, which would get passed down from fathers to both sons and daughters. Over time, older men/younger woman partnerships producing children would raise the lifespan ceiling for both men and women in the next generations and beyond.

“By increasing the survival of men you have a spillover effect on women because men pass their genes to children of both sexes,” said study team member Cedric Puleston, a doctoral candidate at Stanford University.

Of course, this doesn’t take into account couples who are no longer interested in reproducing where, of course, the age discrepancy would be irrelevant. Nor does it account for non-monogamy, where a mixed strategy would still reap the benefits mentioned above. That is, a man could remain in a love relationship with a woman his own age or older, while still being able to sire children with younger women. It doesn’t necessarily have to be an either/or thing.

But I hope my young primary lover doesn’t read this article. It would simply give her more ammunition to try to use on me to have a baby.