10 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Sex

Genetics Can Affect When a Person Will Lose His or Her Virginity

Obviously, each person makes the individual decision of when to have sex for the first time, but recent studies show that your genetics can play a role in how early you make the decision. In fact, a study of twins who were separated at birth shows that there is a strong genetic link in the age a person chooses to lose his or her virginity.
"It's not like there's a gene for having sex at a certain date," says Nancy Segal, a psychologist at California State University in Fullerton, who led the new study. But inheritable traits such as impulsiveness do affect the decision, although social mores play a major role as well. In fact, there was less of a consistent genetic effect in twins born before 1948 than those born after 1960.

The Clitoris is Mostly an Internal Organ

By now, most people know about the clitoris and where it is located…or at least, they know about the tip of the organ. While you might think that little bump that drives women crazy is the whole enchilada, as it turns out, that's just the tip of the iceberg. In fact, the majority of the clitoris is located within the pelvis and, when erect, it actually wraps around the vagina –making the vagina and sex more pleasurable (for both parties) as the woman gets more excited.
So why does everyone think of the clitoris as only the little bump on the outside? Well, for one thing, it's role as the visible part certainly makes it the most noticeable, but more so, researchers didn't start to learn about the amazing expanses of the organ until they were able to view it through an MRI machine, something they couldn't do until the 90's. It wasn't until 2009 that the world was introduced to a complete 3D sonogram image of the organ.
Of course, the little bump we're all familiar with is pretty darn important. In fact, it has over 8,000 nerve fibers –more than twice the number found in the head of a penis.

Sperm is Surprisingly Nutritious

At around 15 calories per “serving,” sperm contains the same protein as the white of a large egg, along with vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B12 and zinc. Sure, it might not be as healthy as a multi-vitamin, but few vitamins come with such pleasurable effects.

Sex Can Help You Stay Healthy

Having sex once or twice a week can actually boost your immune system, as it increases the levels of immunoglobulin A in the body. Immunoglobulin A is an antibody that lives in your saliva and mucous linings that helps stop colds and flu before they start, by fighting the viruses off before they get past your nose or mouth.

Having Sex Can Make Women Look More Attractive

When women have sex their estrogen levels double, making their hair shinier and skin softer. “Estrogen seems to be the fountain of youth for women,” says Patti Britton, PhD, clinical sexologist.
Additionally, increased blood flow from an orgasm makes their cheeks more rosy and their lips redder –although, apparently, only in warmer temperatures. So if you ladies out there want a quick beauty treatment, consider heading to a steamy bedroom rather than the beauty salon.

If You Are Sexually Active, You'll Probably Get an STD

Studies show over 80% of all sexually active adults will contract an STD at some point, although most won't notice. That's because 80% of all people who contract one of the 25 varieties of STDs don't show any symptoms and most don't even realize they have one. In fact, the American Social Health Association estimates that 80% of sexually active people contract the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) at one point in their life. While those statistics were taken before the HPV vaccine was released, the vaccine only prevents two of the most dangerous strains of the disease, meaning even those vaccinated can still catch one of the many other strains.

While the numbers sound scary, the upside is that most people who contract an STD won't suffer any negative effects as a result.

Birth Control Affects Women's Taste in Men

The pill may have done wonders for women's lib, but it turns out it might also be hurting their sex lives. A recent study has shown that women who are on the pill get with partners they find less attractive and worse in bed because these men offer better opportunities for a long-term relationship. While the women were less sexually satisfied, they were, on average, much happier with the non-sexual aspects of their relationships. Additionally, women on the pill stayed in relationships for an average of two years longer than those who were not on the medication.

Researchers believe this is because the pill affects the chemistry of a woman's brain, making them more interested in obtaining a long-term relationship than finding someone they would be more sexually compatible with.

Diet Can Affect the Flavor of Semen

Gentlemen, if you want your lady to be more orally fixated, you might want to consider switching your diet for her pleasure. As it turns out, sugary fruits like kiwi, watermelon and pineapple make semen taste lighter, while beer and coffee leave it with a strong, bitter flavor. Meat and fish can make it taste more buttery, while acidic fruits like cranberries, plums and liquors can give it a sugary flavor. Whatever you do, don't chug milk before hitting the hay as dairy can cause semen to taste foul due to its high bacterial levels.

Female Sexuality is Still Largely a Mystery

There is, as yet, no scientific consensus on whether or not the G-Spot exists or if female ejaculation is real. Critics of the G-Spot largely focus their arguments on the fact that because so many women do not experience vaginal orgasms, that it must not exist. Additionally, they point out that there is no area inside the vagina with more nerve endings than any other area. They also use the discovery about the clitoris being internal to argue that vaginal orgasms are caused by the same organ, not a separate erogenous zone.
Proponents of the G-Spot argue that the vagina does have an erogenous zone that swells up when excited and that this area provides an additional lubricant when it is sexually aroused. They also show that ultrasound studies show changes to the area during sex.
The debate on female ejaculation is often tied in with the G-Spot argument as proponents argue that ejaculation is tied in with stimulation of the G-Spot. While it is widely accepted that some women have been known to gush fluid during orgasm, the debate largely centers around what the fluid is actually made of. Many critics claim the fluid is simply urine. Some proponents argue that it is a separate substance, while others debate that it is urine; but urine is filled with a unique selection of chemicals, making it qualify as a sexually-induced ejaculation regardless of the connection with the bladder.

Women's Sex Organs Are Now Being Studied More Often

There are a few main reasons that so little is known about female sexuality. For one, the clitoris, the G-Spot and female ejaculation, are all completely unrelated to reproduction and are instead all about pleasure (as a matter of fact, the clitoris is the only organ that exists solely for the purpose of pleasure), making many scientists believe they deserve less interest than the ovaries, vagina, penis or testicles. Of course, now that these sex organs are pretty well understood, scientists can feel free to move on to understanding the more complex role of non-reproductive sexual functions.

Another reason has to do with the times. You'll notice that the majority of the research on these aspects of female sex organs has been performed only within the last twenty years. In that time, two major changes have occurred –there are now far more women doctors and scientists than ever before, and technology has only now been afforded certain views of the human body. Naturally, females display more interest in what makes the female body go gaga, and without devices like the MRI, many discoveries, like that of the internal clitoris, would have been impossible to find.

Thanks to these changes, it's pretty likely that the understanding of female sexuality will increase drastically in the next few decades.