27 Sex Facts You Need in Your Life

Even if you consider yourself a total sexpert, there is always something new to learn about sex. From all the crazy ways it can improve your health to the downright weird things that happen during the act, read on for everything you could possibly want to know about getting busy. Plus, we promise it will be a lot more fun than sex ed ever was.

1. Sex reduces stress. On top of obvious, ahem, physical benefits, research shows that getting busy calms nerves, lowers blood pressure, and reduces stress. Grab your partner before that big presentation at work—in one study, participants who had sex before a public speaking experiment were the least stressed.

2. It can make you feel better when you’re sick, too. Studies show that arousal and orgasm boost your immune system. And while this means sex could be good for you when you’re feeling a little under the weather, definitely know when to opt for some chicken soup and some sleep over a little sexual healing.

3. Lube makes it easier to orgasm. If you’re having trouble getting off, all your problems might be solved with one simple addition to the bedroom: lube. Nearly 50 percent of men and women who used lube said it made it easier to have an orgasm, according to a study out of Indiana University’s Center for Sexual Health Promotion. Easiest sex hack ever.

4. Speaking of lube, you can use coconut oil for that. If you’re a health buff, chances are you already know that coconut oil can be used for just about everything. Another thing to add to the list of its many functions: a great DIY lubricant. It’s all-natural, long-lasting and even anti-fungal. Who knew?

5. Lesbians have the most orgasms. Sorry, straight ladies—when it comes to crossing the finish line, lesbians are coming in first. A study that looked at the relationship between sexual orientation and orgasm occurrence found that heterosexual women climaxed 61.6 percent of the time, while homosexual women climaxed 74.7 percent of the time and bisexual women climaxed 58 percent of the time.

6. Other random characteristics can up your orgasm odds, too. Who else joins lesbians on the list of those having the most orgasms? Red heads, Republicans, Android users, and older women, to name a few.

7. Semen is low in calories. Thirty-six calories in a teaspoon, to be exact. Just in case that was a concern of yours.

8. Post-gym is a REALLY good time to get busy. Blood flow to your genital region is higher after a workout, according to one study, making your sexual function go off the charts. Not to mention, your testosterone levels skyrocket while you exercise, so you’ll definitely be in the mood.

9. Speaking of working out… some people get off WHILE doing it. Orgasms are elusive enough as it is, but some lucky people report exercised-induced ones. They can thank repetitious core movements for that one—and some serious good fortune.

10. Some states are kinkier than others. Wyoming, Alaska, Vermont, West Virginia and Oregon are the top kink-curious states—at least according to what they search on Pornhub. California, surprisingly, came in dead last—but maybe they’re expressing their kink outside their search history.

11. Almost 31 percent of guys have faked an orgasm. A survey from Time Out New York found that guys are in on the trick, too. Time to start second-guessing everything you thought you knew.

12. Love makes for better sex. A recent study presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association found that the most mind-blowing sex comes with being in love with your partner.

13. Condoms don’t actually affect pleasure all that much. Next time a guy complains about using a condom serve him up this study that found men and women enjoy sex just as much with condoms as they do without. In fact, condoms might even make sex better, thanks to new, pleasure-enhancing innovations.

14. Traveling is prime time for one night stands. HostelBookers.com surveyed over 11,000 of its users about their “juiciest travel sex secrets” and found that a whopping 52 percent of men and 41 percent of women have had one-night stands while traveling. Get it, world travelers.

15. Hooking up can lead to marriage. You might think that hooking up and settling down are mutually exclusive, but it turns out that one third of married couples were originally a hookup, according to a report from the National Marriage Project. Okay, so every one night stand might not be marriage material, but hey—don’t count out the possibility.

16. Nipplegasms exist. Add this to the list of crazy orgasms you probably can only dream about. But here’s how it works: Nipple stimulation releases oxytocin, which can cause the uterine and vaginal contractions associated with orgasm. This brings more blood flow to the genitals and, for some lucky women, that can mean an orgasm.

17. Sex can lead to more regular cycles. If you have period trouble, sex should be on the top of your list of cures to try (okay, barring consulting an actual doctor). Researchers at Stanford and Columbia Universities found that women who had sex at least once a week had more regular cycles.

18. You feel less pain during sex. Ever wonder why things like spanking and hair-pulling go from bad pain to good pain when brought into the bedroom? That’s because your pain threshold can increase significantly during arousal, according to a study published in the Journal of Sex Research.

19. One in 5 people use their smart phones during sex. Yes, you read that correctly. During sex. At least, adults between 18 and 34 years old do, according to a survey by Harris Interactive for Jumio. Here’s hoping that they weren’t using their phones to live-tweet.

20. Sex is a great addition to your regular workout. You’ve probably heard that sex is a great form of exercise—and then heard that fact debunked. Okay, so you won’t be shedding any serious weight on a fitness routine of sex alone, but Canadian researchers found that the level of intensity during sex was practically two-thirds that of exercise. AKA, the perfect supplement to your usual workout.

21. More people prefer coffee to sex. Researchers conducted the survey of over 7,000 and found that 51 percent of them said they could go longer without sex than they could go without coffee. Clearly those people don’t know that orgasms can be a great morning pick-me-up, too—or maybe they just really love their Starbucks. (We understand.)

22. People in New Mexico are having the longest sex sessions. Spreadsheet, a relationship app created to help users monitor their performance in the bedroom, ranked states by their staying power between the sheets. The states with most stamina: New Mexico, West Virginia, Idaho, South Carolina, and Missouri.

23. You can induce sex dreams by your sleep position. If you’re not dreaming about Channing Tatum as much as you’d like, you might want to switch up how you sleep. A study published in Dreaming found that people who slept face down on their stomach with their arms stretched above their head had more sexual dreams—including ones about affairs with celebrities. Bring it on.

24. Socks might be the weird key to your orgasm. Okay, maybe socks won’t magically trigger an orgasm, but they do solve a common orgasm-blocking problem, according to a Dutch study. While measuring orgasms, they found that many of their female participants were uncomfortable due to cold feet. After they gave them socks, the percentage of those reaching orgasm rose from 50 to 80 percent.

25. It may cure your headache. Before reaching for that pain reliever, you might want to try an all-natural approach. One study found that 60 percent of migraine sufferers reported that sex helped ease their pain. Yep, it’s that good.

26. An apple a day can boost your sex life. According to one study, women who ate the fruit once a day had higher sexual quality of life. Plus, apples are delicious, so it’s a win-win.

27. Having an orgasm can make pillow talk better. Well, obviously. But research actually found that post-sex communication is more intimate and open if you climaxed. We call that motivation