What Is Going On In the Beds Of The Americans?
A survey from Indiana University says that 85 percent of men believe their partners had orgasm during the most recent sex act, but only 64 percent of women really did.Debby Herbenick, co-author on the research and associate director at the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at the university says that there is obviously a huge difference between what men believe and what really happens. This is an example when the couples are not communicatin or when women are faking orgasm without men noticing. The survey was made on 6,000 people aged between 14 and 94, and is the most complex survey on sexual health ever performed, covering a wide range of sexual behaviors, sexual health practices and sexual perceptions. The last survey of its kind was done 20 years ago, in the 1990s and a lot of things have changed until then, so the researchers have the opportunity to see what has changed in the sexual behavior of the Americans.
Pepper Schwartz, a sexual behavior expert, says that there has always been a gap between the perception of men and women regarding orgasm, and the finding of the new study only confirm previous studies on the issue. Part of it may be because men are very proud of making their partners climax, and women try to protect and encourage them by sometimes lying about it. Everyone is having sex, and the study performed by the Indiana University shows that there have been some changes over these years regarding certain sexual behaviors. One thing that has obviously changed over the past year is the fact that men are now giving about as much oral sex as they are receiving. The survey also shows men are constantly masturbating, and it is quite a normal sexual behavior for them, so the study might help their partners realize that they should not have any related to their partner’s masturbatory behavior. More than 60 percent of the men all ages admit that they have pleasured themselves in the past month, with the exception of those over 70 years old, whose number declined to about 30 percent.
Schwartz, who is a professor of sociology at the University of Washington, says that women tent to condemn this behavior and they do not understand why is it that men need this kind of solo performances. But with men, it has nothing to do with the kind of sex that they have with their partner. The study also shows that women are less likely to give themselves a hand, but still half of them in their 20s had masturbated alone in the past month. One sexual behavior that seems to have made its way into the American bedrooms is anal sex. The previous study showed that about 20 to 25 percent of people had reported ever having anal sex, but now the percentage increased up to 40 percent, mostly in the 20s and 30s age groups. Schwartz says that this is a phenomenon showing that many couples are experimenting more when it comes to their sexual life, but it is also a sign that there should be more information on this subject and more public health education regarding this sexual practice. This is because this practice can increase the risk for bacterial, viral and sexually transmitted infections when incorporated into sex.
Herbenick says that the internet is one of the causes for which the Americans have started changing their sexual behavior and became educated about sex. Anyone can now have access to pornography and to information on sexual practices, so people start feeling at ease when talking about sex. Everybody, young and old, has access to information regarding sexual practices. However, there is need for better public health education about sex, because the survey shows that condoms are used in only one out of three sexual acts.
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