SEXUAL HEALTH
110 Interesting, Weird, and Surprising Sex Facts
Published: FEBRUARY 23, 2017
| Updated: MAY 29, 2022 06:57:25
110 sex facts you might not know.
Think you know a lot about sex? Maybe you're right, but there's always more to learn! Here are 110 sex facts you may not know.
- According to a survey of adults aged 20 to 59, women have an average of four sex partners during their lifetime; men have an average of seven. Source: National Center for Health Statistics
- According to sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson, during female orgasm, the body experiences a period of myotonia, or muscle spasms, due to the activation of vaginal muscles. This causes the muscles of the legs, arms, neck, abdomen, and face to contract while involuntary vaginal contractions occur at regular intervals.
- On average, American teenagers lose their virginity at age 17. Source: Guttmacher Institute
- 84 percent of women have sex to get their guy to do more around the house. Source: Woman's Day survey compiled by Sarah Jio in December, 2011
While 75 percent of men always reach orgasm during sex, only 29 percent of women report the same. In addition, most women are unable to climax through vaginal intercourse, instead needing clitoral stimulation. Source: National Health and Social Life SurveyAmericans spend 57 minutes per week having sex. That's 14 minutes below the global average. Source: DurexApproximately 5 percent of 40-year-old men and between 15 to 25 percent of 65-year-old men experience erectile dysfunction. Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesAmong sexually active American teens, 70 percent of females and 56 percent of males report their first sexual experience was with a steady partner. Source: Guttmacher InstituteThe average person has sex 103 times per year. Source: Woman's Day survey compiled by Sarah Jio in December, 2011About one out of 10 married adults - 12 percent - say that they typically sleep alone. Source: National Sleep FoundationAt least 50 percent of sexually active men and women will have a genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. HPV, or human papillomavirus, comes in both low and high-risk forms; low-risk HPV can cause genital warts and high-risk can cause cervical and other cancers. In 90 percent of cases, the body's immune system will fight off the disease within two years. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention34: Number of times per day women fantasizes about sex during the workday. Source: DatingDirect.comThe average erect penis is five to seven inches long, and four to six inches in circumference. Source: Kinsey InstituteThe average male loses his virginity at age 16.9; females average slightly older, at 17.4. And a new study shows that genetics may be a factor: inherited traits, such as impulsivity, can make a person more or less willing to have sex at an earlier age. Sources: Kinsey Institute; California State University33% of British women that think that they can prevent pregnancy by jumping up and down immediately after sex. Source: Family Planning AssociationPeople who are more open to talking about sex are actually happier with their sex lives. Source: Live ScienceWomen in stable relationships have better quality sleep than singles according to the University of Pennsylvania43% of women consider it cheating when their husband fantasizes about someone else. Source: Are you normal about Sex, Love and RelationshipsA woman who is sexually active and not using contraception has an 85 percent chance of becoming pregnant within one year. Source: Guttmacher InstituteAdults over the age of 40 have the lowest rates of condom use. Source: National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior48% of women have faked an orgasm. Source: Woman's Day survey compiled by Sarah Jio in December, 2011A national sex study found, with the except of the 71+ age group, at least 60 percent of men have masturbated within the past year, and an impressive 84 percent of men between 25 and 29 are taking matters into their own hands. In contrast, women are masturbating in much smaller numbers, consistently 10 to 30 percent lower than men in the same age group. Source: Indiana University's Center for Sexual Health Promotion43% of golfers would trade sex for the perfect swing. Source: National Survey by LexusFor the ultimate orgasm, abstain from all sexual activity for three weeks. That is the amount of time it takes for your testosterone levels to peak and boost your libido. Source: World Journal of UrologySemen contains citric acid, amino acids, fructose, enzymes, phosphorychloine, prostaglandin, potassium and zinc. The average ejaculation contains 2 to 5 milliliters of semen, which may contain between 40 million and 600 million sperm. Source: About.com GuideBy the age of 15, only 13 percent of American teens have had sex, but by their 19th birthday, 7 in 10 teenagers have had intercourse. Source: Guttmacher Institute48% of Americans report being satisfied with their sex lives. Source: Woman's Day survey compiled by Sarah Jio in December, 201176% of men that think it is physically harmful not to have sex. Source: Journal of Sexual MedicineThere are 500-1,000 deaths per year due to autoerotic asphyxiation. This number equals the number of murders in New York City each year. Source: "Autoerotic Fatalities"When you are aroused, you're less likely to find something, or someone, disgusting. Source: POLS ONE21% of men admit to watching porn at work. Source: Journal of Sex Research
Sex tones a woman's pelvic muscles that also support her bowel, bladder and uterus, therefore resulting in better control of urination.1 of 4 acts of vaginal intercourse are condom protected in the U.S. (1 in 3 among singles). Source: National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior18% of women ages 25-34 think their sexual peak has passed. Source: Durex Global SurveyIn 2006-2010, the most common reason for abstaining from sex given by teenagers was that it was against their religion or morals (38 percent among females and 31 percent among males). The second and third reasons given by teenage females was they didn't want to get pregnant and they haven't found the right person yet. Source: Guttmacher InstituteWhat country produces the best lovers? Spain, Brazil, and Italy. Source: Onepoll.com37% of men fantasize more about money than sex. Source: Indiana University's Center for Sexual Health PromotionMen are more likely to orgasm when sex includes vaginal intercourse, while women are more likely to orgasm when sex includes multiple sex acts. Source: National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior10% of sexually active adults use a vibrator or other sex toy during partner sex. Source: National Sexual Health Survey A small study of obese women found that those that accepted their bodies had better sex. Source: Live ScienceThe way your brain is wired might influence the number of sexual partners you have. Those whose brains showed more activity when shown a sexual image tended to have had the most sexual partners. Sexual motivation varies from individual to individual. Source: Journal of Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience34% of men ages 25-34 that think their sexual peak has passed. Source: Durex Global Sex Survey7% of adult females and 8% of adult males identify themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual however the proportion of adults reporting having had a same-sex sexual experience at some point in their lives is higher. Source: National Survey of Sexual Health and BehaviorAdult men and women rarely engage in just one sex act when they have sex. There were more than 40 combinations of sexual activity described as the adult respondents' most recent sexual event. Source: National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior200: The average number of calories burned after 30 minutes of sexual intercourse. Source: Woman's Day survey compiled by Sarah Jio in December, 2011Masturbating in the presence of a partner is a less popular activity than going solo with only 49 percent of men aged 25 to 29 engaging in it. Source: Indiana University's Center for Sexual Health Promotion2% of men think that a satisfying sex life is a top priority. Source: The Journal of Sexual MedicineAccording to a study done by researchers at Rutgers University, different regions of the brain are activated in response to stimulation of the vagina, clitoris, nipples and cervix. Source: Journal of Sexual MedicineA study found that women directly exposed to semen vaginally (in other words, through sex without a condom) were less depressed. Researchers think the mood-altering hormones in semen were absorbed into the body through the vagina. Source: Archives of Sexual BehaviourIt is illegal to purchase or sell sex toys in the state of Alabama. Alabama is the only remaining state to uphold this law.78% of females and 85% of males used contraceptives the first time they had sex. Source: Guttmacher InstituteVaginal intercourse is quite common among men aged 18 to 69 with at least 53 percent (18 to 19 year-olds) and up to 86 percent (25 to 29 year-olds) of respondents saying they've had vaginal intercourse in the past year. Source: Indiana University's Center for Sexual Health PromotionThe merkin (pubic wig) has been around since the 1400s when it was worn by women who, because of a fear of lice, had shaved their pubic hair.14% of men say they let the woman take the lead during sex. Source: Men's Health Magazine surveyResearchers at Queens University found that even though straight women reported only being aroused by men, most women became aroused at every stimulus they saw - inclusive of men's and women's bodies, heterosexual and homosexual sex, and even animal sex. Source: PLoS ONEUp to 44% of men are uncircumcised. Source: CDCAccording to a study done by the Marriage and Family Studies Laboratory at Birmingham University, watching relationship themed movies with your partner might reduce the likeliness of a split. Source: Journal of Consulting and Clinnical Psychology28% of Americans are living with an incurable STD. Source: Woman's Day survey compiled by Sarah Jio in December, 2011Two-thirds of college students have been in a friends-with-benefits relationship, citing the lack of commitment required as the main advantage to such an arrangement. More than half of those who had sex with a friend said they had engaged in all forms of sex; 22.7% said they had intercourse only, while 8% said they did everything but have intercourse. Source: Wayne State University and Michigan State University36% of people under the age of 35 go onto Facebook and Twitter after a romp, rather than hit the showers. Source: Poll conducted by Retrevo.comWomen who have sex at least once a week have a more regular menstrual cycle than those who have sex less often. Source: Endocrinologists at Columbia and Stanford Universities46% of women would rather give up getting laid for two weeks rather than logging off the Internet for the same amount of time. Source: National survey conducted by IntelA person's pain threshold significantly increases during sexual arousal. Source: Journal of Sex Research11% of men say that they use sex to help relieve stress. Source: Men's Health Magazine survey
