Sex is often a hush-hush topic when growing up. Because of that, many of us got the bulk of our “birds and the bees” education from pop culture references and our friends’ lewd jokes. But since what we know about sex have been carried over from our younger years, some of our knowhow might be outdated or even full-on inaccurate.
Whether you’re wondering if men think about sex more so than women, or if porn causes erectile dysfunction, these 10 debunked sex myths will provide a much-needed sex ed update.
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We’re not quite sure how this myth became so heavily perpetuated, but chances are that you’ve sneakily assessed the size of a guy’s hands and feet on a first date. But there’s no reason to make your date feel uncomfortable: it’s been proven that you can’t tell his penis size from his hands or feet.
Penis size has instead been proven to be determined by genetics and environmental factors. There have been some studies out there that claim you can tell from his index to ring finger ratio though, so the closer these two fingers are in size, the more, ahem, endowed he should be.
Verdict: False.
Guys often get pegged as serial masturbators. It’s something normalised, especially when we’re talking about teenage boys with raging hormones. But on the flip side, female masturbation isn’t perceived to be all that common.
Women might’ve been socialised into thinking that masturbation is “wrong” or even that it’s physically harmful, but whatever it is, surprise, surprise—plenty of women masturbate too. Sex toys are now more popular than ever and many now believe in the importance of understanding your own body better and touching yourself.
Verdict: False.
Whether it’s a 10-minute quickie or romantic evening, a good sex sesh usually has us all tired out. While panting from exertion, the fleeting thought of “that’s my workout for today” would’ve gone through your mind. While having sex does help lose calories, a 30-minute romp averages to a loss of 101 calories for men and just 69 – no pun intended – calories for women.
Since that doesn’t even amount to half an Old Chang Kee curry puff, it can’t be said that sex has any real impact on weight loss. So no, you shouldn’t be skipping your fitness workout or spin cycling class just because you’ve got a dick appointment later that evening.
Verdict: Maybe.
A sexual peak marks the time when you supposedly reach the height of your sexual prowess, when you’re meant to be having the best sex of your life. For men, that’s in their late teens and for women, their mid-30s.
In a way, it lends logic to the whole cougars preying on younger men rhetoric. Yet, sexual peaks equating to the best sex has since been debunked since there is no specific age for optimal sexual satisfaction.
Verdict: False.
As the myth goes, every “pure” female will bleed after the first time she’s had sex. It’s an antiquated measure of losing your virginity, considering that you may or may not bleed after—it’s perfectly normal either way. But in reality, it all depends on whether your hymen is intact before your first run of penetrative sex.
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For those not in the know, you can easily tear your hymen doing everyday physical activities like cycling or swimming, or even by using a tampon or menstrual cup.
Verdict: Sometimes true, sometimes false.
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If we do the maths according to this myth, that means men think about sex a whopping 7,200 times a day. Perhaps doable for some with nothing to do, but for those completely swamped with school or work, ain’t nobody got time for that. For a more accurate sense of how often we think about sex, researchers say that men think of it roughly 19 times a day while women think about it 10 times or so.
More interestingly, women think about food 15 times on a daily basis—we’re clearly more obsessed with food than sex!
Verdict: False.
It’s no surprise that Singaporean guys watch porn. They can do whatever they want behind closed doors, but the common worry is that an overconsumption of porn can lead to erectile dysfunction (ED). Experts call bullshit on this, so go ahead and renew your OnlyFans subscription.
While ED happens to a third of men at some given point, it’s not because of too much porn, but typically because of medication or other mental and physical health factors. Keep in mind though, watching porn night and day will desensitise you to sexual arousal between you and your partner so it might eventually lead to a challenge getting it up.
Verdict: Mostly false.
If it’s already past your due date, you might start feeling a little desperate to get your baby out into the world. Much like our favourite on-again, off-again couple in Friends, Rachel even seriously considers having sex with Ross just to give her baby that much-needed nudge.
It seems like common sense since orgasm contractions are said to be similar to labour contractions, and some doctors even believe that semen can help induce labour. Unfortunately, there’s no solid proof, but feel free to still get frisky since it’s perfectly safe for full-term women to have sex.
Verdict: False.
Now, this is one that many people aren’t aware of: you can get pregnant while having your period. It’s not a common feat but it’s still entirely possible due to a number of reasons. Firstly, sperm survives up to five days. If you have sex around your ovulation cycle, which is towards the end of your period, then it’s a possibility.
Secondly, some women have spotting during their ovulation period, which is your super fertile time. If you accidentally mistake this for your actual period, then you’re in a bit of a pickle. Whatever it is, just use birth control if you’re not yet ready to be a baby mama.
Verdict: False.
You’d think this was widely publicised in a Sex 101 guidebook, with the number of men who focus solely on a woman’s G-spot during sex. While it is indeed an erogenous zone, not all women enjoy the powerful sensation and some might even find repeated motions to the area overly sensitive. Fun biology fact: the G-spot doesn’t even physically exist and is in actual fact part of the clitoris.
Verdict: Sometimes true, sometimes false.
While some might seem obvious, these 10 sex myths are still common misconceptions in Singapore. Not everyone knows the real truth behind female orgasms nor do they question the supposed sexual peaks of men and women.
With these debunked myths in mind, we’ll now leave you to consider what else is lacking in your sex knowhow—you can check out aphrodisiac myths to see if oysters truly make you hornier.
This article was first published on 15 June 2021 and last updated on 28 April 2024.
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