Sex doesn’t last as long as people’s expectations, survey finds

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A new survey has revealed how long sex typically lasts for men, which is far different from how long people think it should last.

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According to a poll by Pilot, an Australian men’s health service, men average about 5 1/2 minutes in bed. However, those surveyed suggested sex should be twice that length of time.

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The report also found viewing pornography had an impact on people’s expectations for lovemaking, with one-third of men saying they watch adult material at least once a week, if not more. It may also contribute to men feeling inadequate in bed.

“Porn, particularly in the absence of sufficient sex education, perpetuates unrealistic and unhealthy expectations of sex and intimate relationships,” Dr. Ben Condon told Australia’s news.com.au.

“This unnecessarily increases the incidence of shame and anxiety in one’s ‘performance’ while also encouraging unhealthy, and at times disrespectful, relationships.”

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According to the report, men believe they can please the person they are with by imitating porn scenes, while nearly 60% believe watching explicit sexual acts has either a positive impact or no impact on their performance in bed.

That could lead to unrealistic expectations in bed, aggressive behaviour by men towards women, and decrease arousal.

“Fundamentally, porn is not representative of healthy sexual relationships,” Condon said. “It perpetuates unrealistic expectations on performance, body image and normalizes aggression, extreme behaviours and in some cases violence while also minimizing the need for consent.

“Over time, this ultimately impacts our perception of healthy sexual relationships, what’s ‘normal’ and can lead to decreased arousal, performance anxiety and erectile dysfunction.”

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