Debunking the most popular sex myths
We live in a world where we get a lot of information from the movies and the media. Throw in a friend that’s more experienced in the art of making love, and you’ve got yourself all sorts of misleading, if not completely inaccurate, information about intercourse to work with.
You might not see it for what it is, but some of these expectations or incorrect information about the act of love-making could have a significant influence on your bedroom life, not necessarily in a good way. To sift the myths from reality, here are some of the most popular myths and theories you need to stop believing. Does “making love burns calories” ring any bells?
Myth: Women’s sexual peaks happen ten years later than men’s
Truth: If we speak strictly of hormones and sexuality, men hit their peak in their late teens, let’s say eighteen, while women achieve their sexual peak in their late 20s to mid-30s. Due to the fact that low testosterone and estrogen levels have been linked to lower libido, some claim your sex drive is highest when the hormone levels are at their peak.
However, if we were to consider the frequency of sexual activity as a decisive factor in relation to sexual prime, then men and women are not that different. That’s because both sides have a naturally fluctuating libido which could depend on various things such as hormonal changes, age, lifestyle, stress. “If you’re human, you’re going to have fluctuations in your sexual desire,” Madeleine M. Castellanos, M.D., a board-certified psychiatrist and author of Wanting to Want.
Make sure you also take a look at these 30 Libido Boosters to Help You Have Better Sex.
Myth: Being active means a smaller number on the scale
You’ve probably heard this one. While it’s not exactly a myth, it’s also not relevant if your goal is to get rid of more than a couple of pounds. That’s because, according to various studies, thirty minutes of bedroom activity burns 85 to 150 calories.
More specifically, men tend to burn approximately 101 calories while women burn around 70, with an average of 3.6 calories per minute. In the best-case scenario, if you burn up to 100 calories per session, you’d have to make love 35 times in order to lose one pound.
It might not sound too bad, but, in reality, most people’s bedroom sessions do not last thirty minutes. In fact, according to a recent study, a love-making session lasts between three to seven minutes, on average.
Just look on the bright side! You might not be able to lose the unwanted pounds but you can enjoy your partner’s attention and all the great things that come with it.
This next myth is heartbreaking…… not……
Myth: Intercourse could lead to heart attack
Truth: This couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, according to a study published in the American Journal of Cardiology, men who engaged in ‘bedroom’ activities at least two times a week were less prone to develop heart disease, compared to their less fortunate counterparts who only hit the sack once a month or even less.
Strictly speaking, the risk of suffering a heart attack during intercourse is quite low, according to The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Even if you already have some heart issues, ‘bedroom’ activity requires an effort similar to climbing two flights of stairs or walking a mile. “The possibility of having a heart attack during sexual activity is exceedingly low and shouldn’t scare you away,” says Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H., director of clinical research at the Johns Hopkins Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease. “As long as you’re not experiencing any symptoms, it’s not worrisome.”
The climax of this next myth is, it’s not true……
Myth: Women always climax through penetration
Truth: Sorry to break it to you, guys, but researchers have found that 80% of women don’t orgasm from penetrative s*x. In a study conducted by the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy which involved 1,000 women aged 18 to 94, findings revealed that that only 18.4 percent of women could climax due to intercourse alone while 36.6 percent said they were unable to climax without clitoral stimulation.
RELATED: 6 Most Common Sex Dreams and Their Possible Meaning
Food lovers will weep about this next myth…..
Myth: Oysters and chocolate are aphrodisiacs
Truth: Chocolate is one of the all-time favorite comfort foods, but many people believe it can also put you in the mood for love. While we cannot deny the fact that chocolate is delicious, sensuous and gives you a silky, smooth mouthfeel, there is no scientific evidence that it can boost your libido. Several studies, among which one research published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, did link chocolate to lower blood pressure and better blood flow, but that’s about it in terms of its aphrodisiac effects.
Same goes for oysters. They are said to be the food of love, but their only connection with s*xual performance is that they are a very good source of zinc, a mineral that stimulates the production of healthy testosterone.
When do they find the time with this next myth…..
Myth: Men think about it every seven seconds
Truth: Men might be thinking more about having intimate relations than women, but they’re not that obsessed. At least not according to a study published in the Journal of Sex Research which debunks the theory that men think about doing the deed every seven seconds.
The experiment involved 238 students, who were asked to keep a record of their thoughts about food, intercourse, or sleep for one week. Curious to know the results? Well, it seems that men think about ‘bedroom’ activities far less than they were given credit. In fact, the average number of daily inappropriate thoughts was 19, a far cry from the approximately 8,000 thoughts per day if men were really thinking about it every seven seconds. The runner-up was the food thoughts – 18 times a day – followed by sleep which netted 11 thoughts per day.
Women, on the other hand, totaled about 10 thoughts about lovemaking, 15 thoughts about food, and 8.5 thoughts about sleep.
This next myth should run away…..
Myth: Intercourse can impact athletic performance
Truth: This theory has been worked from every angle, but, in the end, researchers haven’t found any real evidence on the psychological or physical effects of intercourse on sports performance.
In fact, a study published in the Journal Frontiers in Physiology in 2016 revealed that having intimate relations before a sports competition does very little to compromise athletic potential but quite the opposite. Pre-sports intercourse could actually have positive effects for athletes, by elevating their testosterone levels.
So this is another popular myth that has no fundamental basis.
People have been laboring away with this next myth…..
Myth: Making love can induce labor
This belief is so widespread, that even doctors recommend it to low-risk, full-term women. But the truth is there is no strong evidence to support the claim that lovemaking activities can expedite labor, not before the woman’s body is ready to deliver.
What’s more, a study published in Obstetrics & Gynecology Ohio State University Medical Center suggested that making love can actually delay labor instead of setting it off. According to researchers involved in the study, women who engaged in ‘bedroom’ activities in the final three weeks of pregnancy carried their babies four days longer than their not-so-active counterparts (39.9 weeks vs. 39.3 weeks). Further research is needed to provide solid evidence.
This next myth should remain in the dark…..
Myth: Blackouts and storms cause a baby boom
Legend says that major natural disasters and other events that prevent people from going out are followed by a surprising spike in baby births nine months later. There are the “blizzard babies,” the “blackout babies” and even babies conceived after major terrorist attacks.
The theory is that blackouts and storms make people spend more time indoors and engage in sexual activities more often than in a normal situation. While this might seem like a rom-com scenario, the reality is that it’s just an urban legend, as S. Philip Morgan, a Duke professor of sociology and demography put it.
“It is evidently pleasing to many people to fantasize that when people are trapped by some immobilizing event which deprives them of their usual activities, most will turn to copulation,” demographer J. Richard Udry also agrees. “However, these ‘booms’ typically prove to be nothing more than natural fluctuations in the birth rate (or, in many cases, no variation in the birth rate at all).”
Speaking of children, check out Successful Children and 10 Habits of The Parents Who Raised Them.
This next myth is all fingers and thumbs…..
Myth: S*xting can negatively impact relationships
Research shows that almost 80 percent of people in relationships s*xt their partners. For some, sending n*des and s*xy messages might be a way to take a shortcut and skip over the talking, listening and getting to know the other person.
However, when the s*xting is done by both partners in a healthy and stable relationship, it could help keep the spark alive, increase sexual satisfaction and improve their overall relationship, says Emily Stasko, MS, MPH, and lead author of a 2015 study on how s*xting affects relationships. For couples, s*xting had led to positive s*xual or emotional experiences, but the single people involved in the study admitted that the consequences had been negative, among which a lower bedroom satisfaction.
You might also be interested in reading 18 Social Media Habits That Are Still Considered Cheating.
Don’t believe everything you see, next…..
Myth: You can tell who has an S T D
Now, that’s rich! As ridiculous as it may sound, many people believe you can tell if someone has an S T D simply by looking at them, says Robert Huizenga, MD, author of S*x, Lies & S T Ds. The fact of the matter is that people with S T Ds, most often, don’t have outward symptoms, especially not in the early stages. With zero symptoms, they might not even know they have something, much less you. The symptoms may appear later, not on your first date.
The best and healthiest approach when meeting someone new is for both of you to get medical screenings and be transparent with your partner, the doctor advises.
Instead of searching for S T D signs, you might want to know more about these 8 Secrets Your Body Language Reveals About You.
This next myth hasn’t aged well…..
Myth: A younger partner equals mind-blowing moments
We’re all familiar with the M I L F S, D I L Fs, sugar daddies and cougars culture promoted by the media, Hollywood and dating websites. The truth is, if you’re thinking of sweetening your life and becoming someone’s sugar daddy or mommy, your romantic life, and your life in general, will not necessarily get better.
In fact, according to a study published in the Review of Economics and Statistics, dating someone younger will not make you happier, at least not in the context of marriage. The study suggested that people with much younger (or older) spouses scored lower in terms of earning, education level and s*x life, compared to partners closer in age.
“When you are close in age you can do things together,” said Hani Mansour, Ph.D., an assistant professor of economics at the University of Colorado Denver “You can have children when both parties want to, retire at the same time and grow old together”.
