10 Sex Facts You Probably Didn’t Know

Apples can increase a woman’s sexual function, and the clitoris isn’t just a ball of nerves. Who knew, right?

Odds are, not many people know those facts. From male reproductive systems dominating textbooks to women’s sexual health being considered nonexistent up until the last few decades, it’s easy to see why there’s little understanding about how things, well, operate.

Which is why we’ve gathered a list of sex facts you might not have heard about. Check them out:

1. Horny Women Were Once Diagnosed as Hysterical

Any woman who showed the slightest signs of excitement was thought to be suffering from hysteria, the first mental disease attributed to women. The earliest mention of hysteria can be traced to 1900 B.C., when “spontaneous uterus movement within the female body” was considered the cause of the disease.

Hysteria was also associated with demonology, since women were thought to be weak and easily influenced by the supernatural.

2. Vaginal Orgasms Are Actually Internal Clitoral Orgasms

The clitoris is the only organ that’s known to have a solely recreational purpose — the bundle of nerve endings don’t have any other function but to please. It isn’t widely known, though, that the clitoris is more than just a bundle of nerves. The clitoris actually connects to the shaft of the internal clitoris within the vagina. The clitoris modern society knows is just the tip of the iceberg, if you will.

3. Female Sexuality Is Suggested to Be More Fluid Than Male Sexuality

A study conducted by the University of Essex found that women who identified as straight were equally attracted to both men and women. Women could be more fluid in their sexuality as an evolutionary adaptation, one study from Biological Reviews suggests. Satoshi Kanazawa with the Department of Management at the London School of Economics and Political Science, proposed that women learned to be sexually fluid in order to allow sex with co-wives in polygamous marriages.

4. An Apple a Day Keeps the Gynecologist Away

Women who ate an apple a day reported a significantly better sexual function as well as increased lubrication in a study. The scientists think the increase in libido was associated with phloridzin. The compound is found in apples and is similar to estradiol, the female sex hormone.

5. Sex Is Pleasurable With Condoms, Too

It turns out that people are just happy to be having sex, according to a study led by Indiana University — go figure. So when your sex partner whines about having to whip out a condom, feel free to let him or her know that condoms aren’t really a factor, seeing as how a national survey found that men and women found sex to be pretty great with a condom.

6. Your Sleeping Position Could Spark Sex Dreams

You might find time to get a little more action at night based on how you’re sleeping. A study published in Dreaming found that people who slept on their stomachs dreamt of having sex, specifically with celebrities, more often. They also dreamt of being locked up, being tied up and unable to move, and being unable to breathe — so sleep with caution.

7. Coconut Oil Can Be Used as a Lubricant

Coconut oil can be used for virtually everything these days, so it’s not surprising that people have thought to use it between the sheets as well. Coconut oil is a natural substance without any added chemicals and is known to be an anti-fungal.

Aside from being an easy go-to for people with sensitive skin and issues with yeast infections, it’s not water-based so it lasts longer as well. Jennifer Landa, chief medical officer of BodyLogicMD said that while coconut oil can be a great lubricant and even massage oil, it’s important to make sure your partner isn’t allergic. The oil may also reduce the effectiveness of latex condoms and reduce sperm mobility.

8. Smartphones During Sex Are More Common Than You’d Think

A survey conducted by Harris Interactive for Jumio found that 20 percent of adults ages 18 to 34 admitted to using their smartphones during sex. Nine percent of older adults said they, too, use their smartphones during sex as well. As to what exactly they were using the smartphones for, well, we can only imagine.

9. Coffee Is Better Than Sex

Or, at least, that’s what 53 percent of people said in a global survey by Le Meridien Hotels and Resorts. The group said they prefer coffee to sex for their ideal wake-up call, and 78 percent of people said they’d sooner give up alcohol, social media or sex with their partner for a year rather than give up coffee.

10. Hookups Can Lead to Marriage

Hookup culture is considered a phase of youth, but one third of married couples originated from a hookup, according to the National Marriage Project. The 32 percent of people were part of a national sample, but said that the quality of their marriages wasn’t as great as couples who hadn’t begun their relationships as hookups.

Related: These 7 Foods Could Be Killing Your Sex Drive

Tori Linville

Tori Linville is a freelance writer and editor from Clarksville, Tennessee. When she isn’t writing or teaching, she’s faithfully watching her alma mater, the University of Alabama, dominate the football field.

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