There is a reason most people think about sex in broad terms, focusing on the snuggling and kissing and sharing of sweet nothings – because, when you really think about it, sex is weird. Everyone knows why people have sex – procreation (and the fact that it feels so awesome) – but few truly understand the inner workings of the human body before, during and immediately after a sexual encounter.
Instead of being content to leave sex-related scientific knowledge brushed under the rug, take some time to educate yourself on some of the more interesting sex-related facts. In doing so, you’ll take one giant step forward in your maturity and control over your sexuality.
1. Coconut Oil Makes An Effective Lubricant
If you’ve ever found yourself in need of added lubrication during your period of love-making, you might not have had to head to the drugstore after all. It transpires that the fix you need might have been lurking in your kitchen cabinets.
Although it’s often ill-advised to integrate groceries into your love-making sessions, all-natural coconut oil is actually an ideal sexual lubricant. As an added bonus, it’s anti-fungal.
2. Semen Is Low-Calorie
Although most wouldn’t list this in their calorie counting apps, semen is a low calorie fluid. Semen contains, on average, 36 calories per teaspoon, making this something you don’t have to worry about if you’re in the position of making a “spit or swallow” decision.
3. Love Can Improve Sex
While love and sex go hand-in-hand for some, others aren’t too worried about ALWAYS possessing amorous feelings for their bed partners. However, the quality of your sex life could be determined, at least in part, by how much you truly care about the guy with whom you snuggle up with between the sheets.
An American Sociological Association study found that most women reported having their most intense and pleasurable sex with people with whom they were in love.
4. Sex Can Regulate Women’s Cycles
While some women welcome Aunt Flo like clockwork, others have less predictable visits from this often-complained-about relative. If you’ve always struggled with cycle regularity, it turns out that increasing the frequency with which you have sex could help take care of this problem naturally.
A joint study performed by researchers at Stanford and Columbia Universities found that women who have sex at least once a week were generally more regular than their more sex-starved counterparts.
5. Socks Can Increase Your Chances Of Orgasm
Surprisingly, the orgasm aide so many struggling women have been seeking could be as close as their sock drawers. In a Dutch study on orgasm prevalence, researchers found that many women who failed to orgasm didn’t reach their peak because they were having a hard time due to cold feet – that’s right – literally, cold feet.
+When these ladies wore socks, the researchers reported that their chances of reaching orgasm increased from 50 percent to 80 percent.
6. Vibrators Were Once Considered A Mental Health Tool
Everyone knows the true purpose of a vibrator, but back when the tool was invented, in the less than sexually liberated 19th century, its purported purpose was to aide women who suffered from “hysteria.”
7. Millions Of Sperm Fill Each Teaspoon Of Semen
You probably understand the basic science behind the contents of semen – thanks, middle school sex education – you likely don’t ever stop to think about just how many sperm fill each teaspoon of semen, and it’s sure to be more than you think. For the average man, each teaspoon of semen contains an overwhelming 300 million individual sperm.
8. Erections Come On Quickly
While the ability to attain an erection varies from man to man and can be dependent on a wide array of factors, most men can reach erection exceptionally rapidly. The average man under 40 years of age can go from flaccid to fully erect in less than 10 seconds. No wonder they aren’t too interested in protracted foreplay.
9. Ejaculation Is Forceful
You’d probably be surprised to hear that male ejaculation is fast and strong. The average speed of ejaculation is a residential speed limit-breaking 28 miles per hour. It’s best not to think about how scientists arrived at that number.
10. The Clitoris Is More Sensitive Than The Penis
There is a reason most women require clitoral stimulation to orgasm. The average clitoris contains 8,000 nerve fibers; the penis contains half this amount. This makes it all the more surprising that, given the presence of this sensation powerhouse, women are still substantially less likely to reach orgasm than their male counterparts.
11. Fantasizing About Others During Sex Is Common
It’s actually more common to think about someone else during sex than the person with whom you’re engaging in the sexual activity. Approximately two-thirds of all men and women think about someone other than their current partner when engaging in sexual activity.
12. Crocodile Dung Was The First Known Contraceptive
In Ancient Egypt, family planning couples would commonly use crocodile dung as a contraceptive. While it’s unclear how they knew this would serve the intended purpose, surprisingly, the compound contains many of the same properties as contemporary spermicide. You can thank modern medicine for saving you from having to slather this noxious compound on, pre-sex.
13. Men Think About Sex – A Lot
The average adult male thinks about sex pretty much constantly – every seven seconds, to be exact. While this may seem an excessive amount of time allocated to contemplating copulation, you can’t blame them. It is, after all, a biological imperative.
14. Humans Have Lots of Sex
The planet is literally littered with procreating humans. On average, 100 million sexual acts occur in each 24-hour day. With statistics like this, zero population growth seems a near impossibility.
15. Orgasms Are Unstoppable
It doesn’t matter what happens once you start to have an orgasm – there isn’t anything that you can do to stop it. Just like a sneeze, once an orgasm has commenced, it becomes a physiological response that you have no choice but to see through to completion.
16. Female Orgasms Take Longer Via Sex
On average, a woman will take longer to orgasm via sex than through masturbation – substantially longer. The average woman can attain orgasm in four minutes through masturbation. Performing the same feat takes 10-20 minutes via traditional sexual activity.
17. Sex Stops You from Being Grossed Out
The perpetuation of the human species is likely aided by the fact that, immediately following sexual intercourse, people are less likely to be grossed out by things. It is almost certainly due to this convenient design of the human species that people are so willing to engage in activities during sex that they would turn their nose up at typically.
18. Sex Doesn’t Stop With Old Age
Although most people don’t often like to think about their elders engaging in sex, statistics suggest that most elderly individuals do still partake in these activities. In a study, one-third of surveyed women in their 80s stated that they still enjoyed sex with their romantic partners.
