03 August 2007

Reasons For Having Sex

The current issue of the Archives of Sexual Behavior reveals that men and women are not that different from each other when it comes to the top reasons why they engage in sexual activities. The researchers actually obtained more than 700 reasons from their subjects, but after trimming down duplicate answers, only 237 reasons remained. Here are the top reasons from both genders:



Read the related Los Angeles Times health story here.

Here's a curious observation from The Independent:
While feeling "horny" and "it's fun" both made it to the top ten for both men and women, the small matter of wanting to make a baby did not. Other reasons that popped up included, "I was drunk", "helps me fall asleep," "makes my partner feel powerful", "burns calories", "to return a favour", "keep warm" and "to change the topic of conversation". There was also "Someone dared me."

That's a bit puzzling indeed. Whoever invented sexual intercourse must have one objective for doing so: survival of the species through procreation. Nowadays, with no real threat of extinction, the main reasons for engaging in sexual activity revolve around physical pleasure.

No one says anymore that they do it to make a baby or probably to raise a family as a top reason. Isn't that a little sad? Reasons for having sex has shifted over the years. Maybe in the future, it will be as casual as lighting a cigarette. Maybe it already is.

2 reactions:

rolly said...

neither did I know that there are different reasons nor are they needed for one to engage in sex. I have a very simple mind and there is only ne reason why I will indulge with the activity - I am horny! hahahaha

Anonymous said...

before, there were observations that men want to have sex for the sole reason of being horny, and women want to have it because they are in love.

it is a sad fact that from the list, times have changed. women can also engage in sex for petty reasons like 'it's fun' or 'i just wanted to return a favor'.

for me, it is a bad thing to learn that there is even degeneration of understanding with regards to the goodness of the sex act. can these be one of the signs?