Everyone learns some strange “sex fact” as a kid that they completely believe at the time. As people get older, however, education, experience and common sense kick in and do away with most, if not all, of these childish misconceptions. Other myths survive for one reason or another and still more are actually spread around as if they are facts. Here we’ll take a look at 7 sex myths which still survive to varying degrees today.
The Average Penis is 7 Inches Long
The first idea of the average penis size, for example, was off by an inch because of poor recording practices by the team behind the original Kinsey report. Initially, the team relied on self-reporting and the answers given by men led them to conclude the average penis size was 7 inches. Years later, new practices meant researchers did their own measuring and the true average of 5 to 6 inches was established. Still, the idea of a larger average prevails and continues to be believed by many.
Women Can’t Get Pregnant On Their Period
This particular rumour harks back to the days when birth control simply didn’t exist. Couples who wanted to avoid pregnancy would use the Rhythm Method. Even those with a rudimentary understanding of the reproductive system knows that a woman’s period is the act of her body going through the end of its cycle for conception. This simplistic view paved the way for people to believe that if a woman’s body is essentially rebooting itself, then pregnancy simply can’t occur during that process. It’s true that it’s more difficult for conception to occur while a woman is menstruating, but it is by no means impossible.
The Only Thing Big Feet Means is Big Shoes
The idea that penis size correlates to shoe size or hand size is one of the world’s more enduring myths. Again, this is because there’s a bit of common sense truth to the idea. After all, a larger framed man is likely to have a proportionate penis. There are, however, plenty of guys who have a smaller frame but larger feet or guys with a large frame but a smaller penis. Simply put, there is no outward body measurement that can be taken with a glance that offers any insight into penis size.
Size = Satisfaction
Study after study finds essentially the same thing – size matters, but not that much. Nevertheless, myths about a big penis automatically meaning better sexual performance remain. Generally, women agree that penis size does play a role in how satisfied they are sexually, but only top a certain degree. Women instead point to sexual technique and foreplay as the areas men should focus on in order to truly satisfy their partner.
Only Men Watch Porn
The idea that women don’t watch pornography is the result of various social and cultural views of gender roles and sexuality. While the moral, ethical and cultural details of this are debated endlessly, the fact of the matter is most men don’t think women are into porn at all. The truth, however, is very different. A number of studies have been done regarding women and pornography and each has found than an overwhelming majority of women report watching porn of one kind or another on a regular basis.
Masturbation is Bad For Your Health and/or Relationships
While we’ve come a long way from the days when people thought masturbation led to blindness, there is still a general belief that it wears the body down, brings on lethargy and dulls the mind. Others contend that physically, it’s fine, but that engaging it in is essentially like cheating on a spouse. Both of these ideas are simply unfounded and entirely false. Masturbation can be perfectly healthy as it helps to reduce stress, lowers blood pressure and can even be used as a form of therapy for men suffering with premature ejaculation thereby making him a better lover to his partner.
You Might Not Have Premature Ejaculation
Premature ejaculation is the most commonly reported sexual performance problem in men. But there’s a difference between having true PE and simply wanting to last longer. Some men don’t realize that the average length of time men are able to sustain penetrative sex is right around 5 minutes. PE is diagnosed in men who can’t last more than 60 – 90 seconds.
