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27th March 2017

Debunking sex myths

To conclude Sex Week 2017, here is a list of myths about sex and the reality behind them
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TLDR

“Boys think about sex every seven seconds…”

If the stats are correct, men would be thinking about sex roughly 7,200 times every waking day. This may be true for some, but certainly not all. There is little evidence to support these statistics, and, as argued by Tom Stafford from the BBC, conducting the research itself if problematic.

In his article ‘How often do men really think about sex?’ he refers to the ‘white bear problem’ interfering with research; like asking a child to not think about a white bear, asking participants to record when they think about sex, will only make them think about it more.

Rather than every seven seconds some men claim thinking about sex comes in certain phases and can be prompted by being within certain environments. Women too are believed to think about sex multiple times during the day. However, believing claims regarding exactly how much either gender thinks about sex is not advised. Tom Chivers, for The Telegraph, argues these statistics only serve to feed stereotypes of men suffering from “carnal obsession and emotional autism” and women as hospitable, nurturing and sexless.

“Girls don’t think about sex that often…”

Again, the research is varied and many believe unreliable, with some sources claiming women think about sex nearly 60 times a day and others just ten. The relevance of the data is also questionable. How often one thinks about a subject does not necessarily pair with desire, or how highly that subject is ranked by an individual. If women do think about sex less than men, it does not mean they do not desire or enjoy it any less.

“It is impossible for boys to urinate with an erection…”

It’s definitely difficult but it isn’t impossible. According to Healthline, “men’s bodies have a natural mechanism that prevents urination when they have an erection.” However, conversations across web forums, including The StudentRoom, reveal this is not always the case. The main issue cited, was poor aim, rather than it being impossible to urinate at all.

“Fifty Shades or Plain Jane…”

With sex toys being frequently used by both individuals and couples, what was once perhaps deemed as ‘kinky sex’ is now the norm. Though, not everybody feels comfortable using toys, accessories or engaging in role play, participating in this kind of sex is not refined to the supposed wild and sex-crazed few.

The Huffington Post reported on Sex Toy Sales Per Capita in 2012, claiming that American’s spend $15 billion on sex toys annually, 44 per cent of women 18–60 have used one, and 78 per cent of those women were in a relationship when they did.”

“It won’t happen to me…”

When it comes to pregnancy, it can happen to anyone. One-offs do not mean anything, your health and whether unprotected sex is worth the risk must always be considered.


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