INTERESTING SEX FACTS YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW

INTERESTING SEX FACTS YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW

Nearly 10 percent of all dreams include sex

Sex dreams aren’t just the territory of horny teenage boys. In fact, nearly one in ten dreams contain some R-rated sexual content—and that’s true for both men and women, according to a study published by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. There were some gender differences though: Women were more likely to have sex dreams about politicians, celebrities, or their exes while men were more likely to dream about having sex with multiple partners at once. Check out these sex facts about committed couples.

3 percent of people have no sexual fantasies at all

Think you’re a freak for thinking about freaky stuff? Nope! Even though most people don’t talk about it, fully 97 percent of us have sexual fantasies, according to Justin Lehmiller, PhD, a research fellow at The Kinsey Institute and author of a study on sexual fantasies and the book Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life. The vast majority say they fantasize somewhere between several times per week and several times per day. Really, the surprising part is that there are some people who report zero sexual fantasies.

Contrary to the popular cliché, “Not tonight, I have a headache,” one study found that not all headache sufferers avoid sexual activity. In fact, migraine sufferers reported higher levels of sexual desire according to the research done by the Wake Forest University School of Medicine and colleagues. Why? “Our study suggests that sexual desire and migraine headaches may be influenced by the same brain chemical,” said Timothy Houle, Ph.D., lead author and research assistant professor of anesthesiology.

The clitoris is way bigger than you think it is

In addition to the part of the clitoris you can see, there’s a much larger part—called the clitoral urethral vaginal complex—underneath the skin that also engorges with arousal, says Stella Harris, certified intimacy educator and sex coach and author of Tongue Tied: Untangling Communication in Sex, Kink, and Relationships . When a woman is aroused, the vaginal canal also lengthens as the uterus is pulled further upward into the body, the angle often changing as well. “Not only is this fascinating, but it’s one of the reasons that waiting for full arousal means having more pleasurable sex; sex is best when your body is ready,” she says.

Want an orgasm? Leave your socks on

Forget lingerie, if you want to increase your chance of having an orgasm, keep your socks on during sex, says research done by The University of Groningen. No one is sure exactly why this works but one theory is that in order to orgasm, you need to be totally relaxed and anxiety-free, and cold feet can interfere with the ability to really get into sex, especially for women, says Fran Walfish, Ph.D, psychotherapist and author.

We’re talking about sex more but having it less

Sex is mentioned in the media more than ever before but that’s not translating to more sexy times. Americans in relationships reported having sex 16 fewer times per year from 2010 to 2014 compared to 2000 to 2004, according to a 2017 study. It gets worse: Folks in the 2000 to 2004 group were already having sex about nine fewer times per year in 2010 to 2014 compared to 1995 to 1999. “In a previous study, we found that the happiness of adults over age 30 declined between 2000 and 2014,” adds TK. With less sex and less happiness, it’s no wonder that American adults seem deeply dissatisfied these days.” Find out some medical reasons for low libido.

When it comes to pleasure, penis girth is more important than length

Many men like to compare the length of their penises but the only people who really care about that number are… other men. “The vagina mainly is covered in stretch mechanoreceptors, which means that girth (or width) is a more important aspect of the penis for women, on average,” explains Nicole Prause, PhD, a sexual physiology researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles, and licensed psychologist.

Men can orgasm without ejaculating

Surprise! Orgasm and ejaculation are two distinct physiological responses in men. “While ejaculation generally does coincide with an orgasm, the two actually occur in rapid succession with orgasm coming slightly before ejaculation and tapering off during ejaculation,” says Xanet Pailet, sex educator and author of Living an Orgasmic Life. “Men can learn to differentiate between the two and to have orgasms without ejaculating.”

Sex should never hurt

“Intercourse should never be painful,” Buehler says. “Somehow, women often get the message that ‘sex hurts’ and that’s just how it is.” The first time may be uncomfortable but after that sex shouldn’t be painful for either partner and if it is, talk to your doctor about possible causes and treatments, she says. Don’t just accept that this is how sex is for you. Next, find out the sex problems you should take seriously.