Sexual Pleasure Myths cont.'

Myth #3: The longer intercourse lasts, the better the sexual pleasure.

False. Although the Penn State pleasure study did find that most people agreed that 1-2 minutes of intercourse was too short, longer intercourse wasn’t necessarily better. Most participants agreed with sex therapists-‘normal’ intercourse usually lasted somewhere between 3-13 minutes, with 7 minutes being average. The research indicated that for most individuals, 10-30 minutes of intercourse was too long.

Of course, individual preference is the key, but the study dispelled the myth that long sessions of intercourse should be the sexual goal. Couples who compared themselves to this unrealistic standard actually set themselves up for disappointment.

Mayo Clinic Psychologist, David Osborne, Ph.d., was noted as saying that the most important consideration for a fulfilling sexual relationship wasn’t “whether a couple’s sexual activity matches some average, but whether each partner is satisfied and comfortable with the sexual relationship.”