17 Interesting (and a Few Weird) Facts About Sex

The average number of sexual partners is…

Wondering how your numbers stack up? According to a 2017 survey of 2,000 people in the U.S. and the U.K. by the company Superdrug.com, the average number of sexual partners for men in the U.S. was about 7.2 (in Louisiana, it was 15.7!). They also found that the average number of sexual partners in the U.K. was about seven. Both men and women thought that seven as the average number of sexual partners in someone’s lifetime was ideal.

Recently, a U.K. study published in the Journal of Sex Research that included responses from over 15,000 men and women between the ages of 16 and 74 found that men claimed a lifetime average of 14.14 partners while women said they had slept with 7.12 men. 

And Americans lose their virginity at…

The average age of an American male and female losing their virginity (defined as vaginal intercourse) is 17.3, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Sexual orientation in America

The number of Americans defining themselves as LGBT has increased in recent years. In 2016, 4.1% of adults identified themselves as LGBT versus 3.5% in 2012, according to a recent Gallup poll.

STD rates are on the rise

According to data from the CDC, 2017 was the fourth straight year of sharp increases in gonorrhea, syphilis, and chlamydia. There were 2.3 million cases of the diseases in 2017. That means a lot of people you know probably have one of these STDs, according to CBSNews.com.

So is the porn industry

Just because you can access a slew of free porn on your smartphone doesn’t mean the industry is dead. The porn industry is valued at $97 billion as of 2017, more than the MLB, NFL, and NBA combined. 

Americans are having less sex

According to a General Social Survey, almost three-quarters of Americans between the ages of 18 and 30 reported having sex twice a month in the early 2000s. In 2016, however, that dropped to only two-thirds reports The Atlantic.

Meanwhile, a study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior found that frequency had dropped as well. American adults reported having sex about nine times less in the 2010s than they did in the 1990s. The average adult currently has sex about 54 times a year, which equates to about once a week. 

Sperm counts are dropping, too

Sperm counts in the U.S., Europe, Australia, and New Zealand have fallen by more than 50% over the past four decades, according to a Hebrew University/Mount Sinai paper. The cause isn’t known, but Dr. Hagai Levine, the paper’s lead author, expressed his concern, saying this is, “an urgent wake-up call for researchers and health authorities around the world to investigate the causes of the sharp ongoing drop in sperm count, with the goal of prevention.”

Condom mistakes are more common than you think

Sure, we’ve all heard that “when used correctly and consistently” condoms are 98% effective against pregnancy. But people keep making condom blunders. 

The most common mistakes couples make include placing the condom on upside down and then turning it over (29.1%), taking the condom off too soon (28.4%), putting the condom on too late (19.7%), opening the package with a sharp object (10%), and using oil-based lubricants (6.5%) according to FactsAboutCondoms.org.

Infertility is a billion-dollar industry

One in seven couples worldwide struggle with infertility. In 2016, the medical industry targeted toward helping people with fertility issues was worth $16.7 billion. Now, according to research by Allied Market Research, that industry is project to explode to almost $40 billion by 2023. 

How do you compare to the largest penis?

There is such a thing as too big. Jonah Falcon is an American actor with a penis 9.5 inches in size when flaccid and 13.5 inches erect, which a (disputed) claim as the largest penis in the world. Compare that to the average erect penis size, which is 5 to 6 inches in length and 4 to 5 inches in circumference, according to the Kinsey Institute.

How small is a micropenis?

Having a “micropenis” is actually a medical condition caused by a lack of testosterone in late-stage fetal development. According to the Kinsey Institute, a penis qualifies as a micropenis if it is less than 2.8 inches in length when stretched. If you fall into this category, you’re not alone. Approximately 1 in 1,000 men have a micropenis. 

The biggest breasts

Annie Hawkins-Turner of Atlanta, GA, has size 102ZZZ breasts and holds the title of the largest natural breasts in the world (that we know of). Each breast weights a whopping 65 pounds. While they were the source of a lot of embarrassment in her younger years, the now 59-year-old has embraced her assets. Under the stage name “Norma Stitz” (pun clearly intended), she has earned millions as a fetish model according to an article in the New York Post.

Women masturbate more often than you think

In a 2010 survey by the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, over 50% of women between the ages of 18 and 49 reported masturbating within the last 90 days. The highest rates were among those 25 to 29, and the number progressively declined as the age group got older.

Did she or didn’t she?

Think you’re satisfying her? The same National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior survey found that 85% of men say that their partner had an orgasm the last time they had sex. Meanwhile, only 64% of women said that they had an orgasm the last time they had sex.

What’s in a female ejaculation?

You’ve heard of “squirting,” as it’s often referred to, but when a woman climaxes and ejaculates, what’s really in that liquid? Scientists have confirmed that it is fluid from the bladder and does contain some urine. However, they also found that women have a Skene gland, the female equivalent of a prostate, that produces a watery substance called prostatic-specific antigen (PSA) which also accounts for female ejaculatory fluid.

Who are the biggest cheaters?

If you assumed that men cheat more often than women, you’d be right, according to data from a recent General Social Survey. While women cheat slightly more than men in married couples between the ages of 18 to 29 (11% versus 10%), the tables turn significantly in later years. In their 30s, 14% of men cheated versus 11% of women and the divide continued to grow—26% of men cheated in their 70s while 13% of women did. Overall, about 20% of men and 13% of women have sex with someone other than their spouse when married.

The world’s strongest vagina

Her lifts might not be bigger than yours, but they’re certainly more impressive. “Weightlifter,” entertainer, and founder of Intimate Gymnastics Tatyana Kozhevnikova has a world record for holding the most weight with her vagina. In this slightly NSFW clip, she explains her technique and demonstrates by holding 6 kilograms (approximately 13 pounds) using her “intimate muscles.” If you think that’s impressive, her record is just under 31 pounds. Wow.