Common myths about sex

Masturbation is a way of releasing pent up sexual energy. Most people start masturbating at the time of puberty. Myths surrounding the act are that it reduces virility by making the semen less thick thereby reducing the chances of a man to bear children. This is totally untrue. Masturbation does not cause any loss of strength or virility in a person. So, masturbation does not lead to impotence, blindness, fatigue, erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, insanity or any other health hazards.

Men as well as women both are capable of enjoying sex equally. This myth exists because there is a basic difference between male and female sexuality. Male sexuality is body oriented. A man gets attracted to a woman's body. If he finds her body attractive, he gets interested in sex, irrespective of whether he loves her or not. Female sexuality is more heart oriented. She can be interested in having sex with a man mostly if she is in love with the person. This is the basic difference. 

Moreover, there is another difference wherein a man's sexuality is very intercourse oriented. He is very eager to have intercourse and unless intercourse happens he doesn't get satisfied. Against this, a woman does enjoy intercourse but her sexuality is very much foreplay oriented. Good foreplay is very much required for a woman to enjoy sex and ultimately to enjoy intercourse. If there is not adequate foreplay, she may not enjoy intercourse that much or she may not be able to achieve orgasm. This is the difference between male sexuality and female sexuality.

Most important fact to understand is that penile size has no correlation with your partners sexual satisfaction. The size of the penis can be very variable. The vaginal canal is about 9 cm long and only the outer one third of it has sensations. Therefore, a female partner can easily be satisfied if the penile length is 3 cm after erection.

There is no difference between the sexual pleasure experienced between men who are circumcised and those who are not, because during intercourse anyway the foreskin gets retracted and the glans penis gets exposed, which is sensitive to sexual stimulus. So, even a person without circumcision can enjoy sex as much as a person who is circumcised.

First of all the hymen may not be present since birth in some women. Moreover, even if it is present during childhood, during many athletic activities and sports activities the hymen may get ruptured. So, the absence of the hymen does not mean that a girl has lost her virginity. It is not true that during the first intercourse if a woman does not bleed or her hymen does not get ruptured, that means she was not a virgin.

Females masturbate as much as males do. However, they tend to report it less than males due to the social stigma attached to it. Also it has been observed that females tend to reduce or discontinue masturbation once they get into meaningful sexual relationships.

Abstinence has nothing to do with physical strength. On the contrary if a person has had sex he enjoys it, he get de-stressed, he becomes more capable of doing any work. The kind of exhaustion that people experience after intercourse or after ejaculation is not a loss of power. It is like at the end of any exercise you feel tired, which is perfectly physiological and normal. I absolutely do not believe that sex makes a person weaker in any manner.

Sex during pregnancy is totally safe if not otherwise advised by the doctor. Most women can have sex right until the last month of their pregnancy if they do not feel uncomfortable. It is safe to have intercourse since the baby is protected by a thick mucous plug that seals the cervix and guards against infection.

The only aphrodisiac that has a potent effect is the ‘human thought'. There are many myths about chemicals but none of them has proven to be an aphrodisiac.

Alcohol actually decreases interest and arousal. It causes more problems than it helps. It is a depressant drug and not an exciting drug.

If it is dry kissing, HIV cannot be transmitted. But if it is a deep wet kiss where body fluids or saliva get exchanged and if there are any ulcers or wounds in the mouth, there is a possibility of HIV getting transmitted.

Lifting heavy weights does not cause any problems related to sexual pleasure.