The top myths about S ex.

1. Singles have more sex than married people.

Contrary to popular belief, it's married people who have more fun. According to Linda J. Waite and Maggie Gallagher's The Case for Marriage, approximately 40 percent of married people have sex twice a week, compared with only 20 to 25 percent of singles and cohabiting couples.

2. Men think about sex every seven seconds.

As it turns out, this is fiction, too. According to a 1994 "Sex in America" survey, 54 percent of men think about sex every day or several times a day, 43 percent think about it a few times a week or month, and 4 percent think about it less than once a month.

3. Women are naturally more monogamous than men.

Although it's difficult to prove or disprove, researchers believe this popular assumption is more a matter of perception and socialization than biology. As they point out, in most mammalian species, both the males and females are highly, and equally, promiscuous.

4. Pornography is an addictive substance.

Some people view porn as a harmless pastime, while others see it as a health hazard. Either way, most scientists agree that although it's possible to become addicted to pornography, the addiction is behavioral, much like an addiction to gambling. Porn itself is not an addictive substance in the category of heroin or cocaine.

5.Herbal aphrodisiacs can enhance your sex life.

Ginger, coriander, or cardamom can enhance a host of recipes, but sadly, they won't succeed in spicing up your sex life. A review by the FDA revealed that no purported aphrodisiac has ever been scientifically proven to increase sex drive. And some, like Spanish Fly, can even be potentially dangerous.


6. Sex the night before an athletic event will ruin your performance.

Although some coaches and athletes advocate abstinence the night before competitions, scientists are quick to point out that there's no evidence to support this myth. In fact, 2000 study published in the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness reported that sex had "no detrimental influence on the maximal workload achieved or on the athletes' mental concentration."


7. Men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.

A study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships found that men and women can indeed have platonic relationships. The researchers, who tracked 20 pairs of friends, confirmed that "friendship attraction"--a connection devoid of lust--between the genders is a bona-fide bond

8. Women don’t like porn.

False. A 2006 study carried out by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis measured brainwave activity of men and women as they viewed both erotic and non-erotic images and found that the female participant’s responses to pictures of partially clad couples posing seductively were similar to their male counterparts, proving that women like porn pics too.

9. Drinking pineapple juice can make your semen taste better.

True, but there is no guarantee. While semen is considered scientifically neutral as it has a pH of 7.2 to 8.0 and is largely composed of fructose (sugar), many women complain that the taste of it is bitter and salty. This is largely because of what the man eats. Sperm is affected by what you eat, just like all secretions of the body. Many women have reported their man’s semen tasting better when they consume fruits that are high in natural sugars such as pineapple, papaya, cranberry, melons, mangos, apples and grapes, which offset the bitter taste.

10. Semen is low-carb.

False. Semen is largely composed of fructose (sugar) and enzymes, so sticking to an oral sex-only diet in order to fit into that bikini is probably not a good idea this summer.  


11. Men reach their sexual peak at 18 and women reach theirs at 28.

True, to a certain extent. In regards to sexual hormones, a man’s testosterone peaks at age 18 and a woman’s estrogen in her mid to late 20s. “But peak hormones don’t mean peak sexual performance,” says Marc Goldstein, M.D., a professor of reproductive medicine and urology at Cornell University‘s Weill Medical College.

12. Most women orgasm through intercourse alone.

False. Sure, the penis is enough to get some girls off, but according to Dr. Elisabeth A. Lloyd, a philosopher of science and professor at Indiana University and author of “The Case of the Female Orgasm: Bias in the Science of Evolution,” only a small percentage of women experience orgasms often or very often during sexual intercourse. Stimulating the clitoris during intercourse greatly increases the chance of orgasm, due to the simple fact that the sole function of the clitoris is to induce sexual pleasure.

13. Black men have bigger penises.

True, according to a study mentioned by iVillage.com contributor Tracey Cox. The study, she says, states not only are Black guys’ penises bigger, but they’re thicker too. The study revealed the following stats: Asian men were smallest, averaging four inches to five and a half inches, Caucasians came next with six inches and the penises of Black men reportedly measured six and a half to eight inches long.

14. Green M&Ms make you horny.

False, unless they do. Then that’s totally awesome.