What’s Your Kink Orientation? Take the Quiz to Find Out!
September 25, 2024 by Merissa Prine
Have you ever wondered just how kinky you are? In a new research article, an international team of scientists led by Dr. Liam Wignall designed a questionnaire that can measure...
Fantasies, Kink & BDSM
Announcing the 2025 Annual SPSP Sexuality Pre-Conference!
September 16, 2024 by Merissa Prine
We’re thrilled to announce the next annual SPSP Sexuality Pre-Conference, which will take place next February, just before the Society for Personality and Social Psychology’s annual meeting. This will be...
Sex Ed
3 Reasons To Use a Penis Pump
September 12, 2024 by Justin Lehmiller
**This post is sponsored by Xersizer. Penis pumps are valuable tools that can help men to improve their sexual well-being. In fact, research has shown that these devices have the...
Sex Ed, Sex Tips
How Gen Z is Redefining Sexuality and Relationships
September 4, 2024 by Justin Lehmiller
Today is World Sexual Health Day and the theme is “Positive Relationships.” To mark this occasion, I’ve been collaborating with Feeld, the dating app for the curious, on a groundbreaking report...
Psychology, Sex Ed
What Do Camsite Users Learn About Sexual Consent?
August 29, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
As technology continues to evolve, there are an increasing number of ways to connect with others and experience digital intimacy. In other words, it’s easier than ever to explore sex...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
How to Share Your STI Status With Your Partner
August 15, 2024 by Merissa Prine
Talking about sex can be tricky, especially when it comes to the topic of STIs. Research shows that a lot of people avoid direct conversations about this due to fear...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
Exploring the O-Shot: Can Plasma Injections Enhance Sexual Pleasure?
August 7, 2024 by Zoe Moscovici
We’ve been answering several questions from our listeners and readers lately, covering topics like “ how to navigate sex when one partner is paralyzed” and “ how body modifications have been historically...
Sex Q&A
My Boyfriend Masturbates to Photos of My Friend. What Do I Do?
July 24, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
Recently on the blog we’ve been answering a few listener and reader questions, including topics such as how to navigate sex when one partner is paralyzed and how body modifications...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Q&A
The ‘Gay Ear’ and the History of Queer Signaling
July 10, 2024 by Zoe Moscovici
Today, we’re going to dive in and answer a question that a listener sent in about queer signaling. They asked: “I watched a sitcom the other day (Two and a...
Kink & BDSM, LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
Revolutionizing Sexual Consent Education: How ChatGPT Could be Changing the Game
July 3, 2024 by Merissa Prine
In today’s digital age, education is rapidly evolving to incorporate innovative technologies that enhance learning. One such technological advancement is the development of sophisticated artificial intelligence language models, like OpenAI’s...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
Navigating Sex With Paraplegia – Answering Listener Questions
June 27, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
Today, we’re going to dive in and answer a question that a listener sent in about sex and paraplegia. They asked: My husband is a paraplegic. He has no feeling...
Sex Q&A, Sex Tips
Happy Pride Month! LGBTQ+ Research Roundup
June 19, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
Over 50 years ago, local activist groups in the northeast voted to hold “Christopher Street Liberation Day” demonstrations on the last Saturday in June in order to commemorate the events...
LGBTQIA+
Berlin Bound: Study Abroad With Dr. Justin Lehmiller
June 12, 2024 by Merissa Prine
Recently, I had the pleasure of traveling across the globe to learn and study with Dr. Lehmiller on his study abroad course with the Sexual Health Alliance. When I first...
Media & Culture, Psychology, Sex Ed
Ex-Incels and Their Journey Towards Deradicalization
May 30, 2024 by Merissa Prine
In recent years, the term “incel” has become increasingly prevalent in discussions surrounding relationships, gender dynamics, and online communities. Short for “involuntary celibate,” the term refers to individuals, primarily men,...
Dating & Relationships, Psychology
Learning More About Asexuality: “Sounds Fake But Okay”
May 22, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
In 2020, The Trevor Project conducted a national survey of over 40,000 LGBTQ youth, in which they found that 10% of respondents identified as asexual or on the ace spectrum....
Books & Films, LGBTQIA+
What Does It Mean When People are “Just Talking?”
May 1, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
The proliferation of social media has turbocharged the ever-evolving lexicon of ways to talk about romantic and sexual behaviors. This includes everything from the soft launch technique for relationship disclosure to...
Dating & Relationships
How To Deal With Erectile Dysfunction
April 24, 2024 by Justin Lehmiller
**This post is sponsored by MailMyMeds Erectile Dysfunction (ED) affects millions of men across the globe, yet discussions surrounding it often remain in the shadows due to stigma and feelings...
Sex Ed, Sex Tips
Why Do We Blame Men For Their Own Sexual Difficulties?
April 18, 2024 by Justin Lehmiller
In recent years, I’ve noticed what seems to be a growing tendency among many sexuality professionals to suggest that men are responsible for many their own sexual difficulties. The scenario...
Psychology
Sexology Changemakers: Kimberlé Crenshaw
March 28, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
Kimberlé Crenshaw is an African American civil rights activist and one of the foremost scholars on critical race theory and Black feminist legal theory. Her work on intersectionality has had...
Gender, Psychology
Sexology Changemakers: Dr. June Dobbs Butts
March 21, 2024 by Merissa Prine
In the annals of sex research, there are many unsung heroes whose contributions have shaped our understandings and practices related to sexuality today. Among them stands Dr. June Dobbs Butts,...
Media & Culture, Sex Ed
Is It Possible To “Over-Swipe” On Dating Apps?
March 6, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
It’s estimated that the average American looking for love online will swipe almost 4,000 times on a dating app before finding a romantic partner. This number is a bit lower...
Dating & Relationships, Media & Culture
The Key to Keeping The Sexual Spark Alive: The Importance of Self-Expansion
February 28, 2024 by Merissa Prine
Maintaining a vibrant and fulfilling sexual relationship requires effort, communication, and a deep understanding of each other’s needs and desires. Over time, couples often report declines in their level of...
Dating & Relationships, Psychology, Sex Tips
Sexology Changemakers: Virginia Johnson
February 21, 2024 by Zoe Moscovici
In the history of sex research, the first names to come up are often Sigmund Freud, Alfred Kinsey, or William Masters. However, history tends to overlook important women and people...
Books & Films, Psychology
Can a TikTok Trend Determine Your Relationship Quality?
February 14, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
Did preparing for Valentine’s Day feel a little extra stressful this year? If so, you might have social media (and, in particular, TikTok) to blame. For example, among the many...
Dating & Relationships, Media & Culture
Announcing The Psychology of Human Sexuality, 3rd Edition!
February 1, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
The third edition of The Psychology of Human Sexuality by Dr. Justin Lehmiller is officially available! This textbook is a comprehensive guide to major theoretical perspectives on human sexuality, and...
Books & Films, Sex Ed
New Sex Book Alert: Come Together by Emily Nagoski
January 17, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
Emily Nagoski’s new book Come Together: The Science (and Art!) of Creating Lasting Sexual Connections is set to release on January 30th, 2024. We were able to receive a sneak...
Books & Films
The State of Sex Education in the USA in 2024
January 11, 2024 by Merissa Prine
Sex education in the United States has been a subject of unending controversy for years. Unlike many other developed countries, the US approach to sex education varies widely across states,...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
Sexology Changemakers: Shere Hite
January 3, 2024 by Emily Mendelson
If you study the history of sex research, you’re likely to see certain names mentioned over and over again, such as Sigmund Freud, Alfred Kinsey, and William Masters. The contributions...
Books & Films, Media & Culture
12 Years of Great Sex: It’s the Twelfth Blogiversary of Sex and Psychology!
December 20, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
Believe it or not, Sex and Psychology turns 12 years old this week! When I first started blogging at the end of 2011, I had no idea where this journey would...
Potpourri
How to be an LGBTQIA+ Ally This Holiday Season
December 13, 2023 by Merissa Prine
The holiday season is a time for joy, togetherness, and celebration. It’s a period where families and friends gather to share love and create lasting memories. However, amid the merry...
LGBTQIA+
Where Americans’ Views on Sexual Morality Stand in 2023
December 6, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
Since 2001, Gallup has been collecting data every month to assess public opinion on a variety of issues. In order to conduct their Social Series interviews (i.e., their process of...
LGBTQIA+, Psychology
Why Do We Masturbate? Saying Goodbye to No Nut November
November 30, 2023 by Bethany Lumsdaine
As the annual masturbatory abstinence challenge known as “No Nut November” comes to a close, it is a great time to remember all the positives of masturbation. From improved health...
Myth vs Fact
5 Sexy Things To Be Thankful For In 2023
November 23, 2023 by Merissa Prine
Happy Thanksgiving! Since many of us are currently in the season of giving thanks and are reminded of all of the wonderful things we are thankful for, we wanted to...
Sex Ed
A Look Inside The Securing Sexuality Conference
November 14, 2023 by Bethany Lumsdaine
Last month, the inaugural Securing Sexuality conference took place in Detroit, Michigan. Possibly the first conference of its kind, Securing Sexuality brought together experts from various fields to delve into...
Potpourri
Study Abroad With Me! 2024 Amsterdam and Berlin Courses on Sex and Culture
November 8, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
I’m excited to announce that my study abroad program in conjunction with the Sexual Health Alliance is back for another year! We are offering study abroad courses in both Amsterdam...
Sex Ed
Intersex Awareness Day: Debunking Common Intersex Myths
October 26, 2023 by Merissa Prine
October 26th is Intersex Awareness Day. In a world that is becoming increasingly inclusive and accepting of various sexual and gender minorities, intersex awareness remains an important, yet often overlooked,...
LGBTQIA+, Myth vs Fact
National Coming Out Day 2023: LGBTQ+ Research Round-Up
October 11, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
In 1988, psychologist Dr. Rob Eichberg co-founded the “Coming Out Day” holiday with Jean O’Leary. The original concept behind this holiday is that most people who think they don’t know...
LGBTQIA+
Do Women Experience Less Sexual Pleasure Than Men?
October 5, 2023 by Merissa Prine
Sex and Psychology’s Dr. Justin Lehmiller was the recipient of the inaugural Ellen Laan Award for Translational Sexual Science from the International Academy of Sex Research (IASR) this summer. Ellen...
Sex Ed
Meet the New Managing Editors: Bethany Lumsdaine
September 13, 2023 by Merissa Prine
Sex and Psychology is expanding! I’m pleased to introduce the latest additions to the team, who will help continue our mission of bringing you science-based sex ed. Next up: Bethany...
Interviews
Meet the New Managing Editors: Merissa Prine
September 6, 2023 by Bethany Lumsdaine
Sex and Psychology is expanding! We’re pleased to introduce the latest additions to the team this week and next, who will help continue our mission of bringing you science-based sex...
Interviews
Are Neurodivergent People More Likely to be Kinky?
August 30, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
Some individuals who frequent kink and BDSM spaces have observed that they meet more individuals who are neurodivergent than in other social settings. So is there truly a correlation between...
Kink & BDSM, Psychology
Happy K-Day! Celebrating the History of Women’s Sexuality Research
August 21, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
Sixty-nine years ago this week (August 20, 1953), the media first reported on some of the major findings from Alfred Kinsey’s classic book Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. This book was...
Potpourri
There’s More to the Dick Pic Than Meets the Eye
August 9, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of a dick pic, there’s a high likelihood that it was unsolicited. For this reason, a majority of public discourse surrounding dick...
Books & Films, Gender, Media & Culture
How to Use the Sex and Psychology Blog in Your Classroom
July 12, 2023 by Olivia Adams
A couple of weeks ago, we released a blog post on an excellent resource developed by Dr. Steven Rouse that pairs episodes of the Sex and Psychology podcast with chapters...
Sex Ed
Apply to Work at Sex and Psychology!
July 5, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
[August 28, 2023 Update: Applications are closed because this position has been filled. However, please keep an eye out for future postings!] Sex and Psychology was founded with the goal...
Uncategorized
What Can a Mobile Game Teach Us About Sex Ed?
July 3, 2023 by Olivia Adams
Sex education in the U.S. leaves much to be desired. And because young people oftentimes cannot depend on formal education through school to learn about sex, they may stumble upon...
Sex Ed
How To Use the Sex and Psychology Podcast in Your Classroom
June 26, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
We’re excited to announce that the third edition of Dr. Lehmiller’s The Psychology of Human Sexuality textbook is now available for pre-order! The updated text will arrive in fall 2023, giving...
Sex Ed
Why Do Men Masturbate? Let’s Count the Reasons
May 29, 2023 by Olivia Adams
It’s been a busy month here at Sex and Psychology, but we couldn’t say goodbye to May before taking a deep dive into an important springtime topic: masturbation. Over the...
Gender, Psychology
Five Reasons to Support the Kinsey Institute and Defend Sex Research
May 24, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
“We are the recorders and reporters of facts—not the judges of the behaviors we describe.” – Alfred Kinsey Founded in 1947 at Indiana University, the Kinsey Institute is the premier...
Media & Culture, Myth vs Fact, Sex Ed, Sex Q&A
We’re Still Failing When It Comes to Clitoral Knowledge
May 4, 2023 by Olivia Adams
Heterosexual men’s difficulty in finding the clitoris has been a running gag in the popular media for quite some time. And there’s more than a hint of truth to it:...
Gender, Sex Ed
Why Do People Cheat? Their Reasons Are Often Counterintuitive
April 27, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
Ashley Madison is an infamous online dating service advertised as a means of facilitating extra-marital affairs. It has been the subject of significant media and scientific attention due to the...
Dating & Relationships
Can You Detect Bisexuality From the Sound of Someone’s Voice?
April 12, 2023 by Olivia Adams
You’ve probably heard the term gaydar before, which refers to an intuitive ability to determine whether or not someone is gay based on indirect information, such as speech patterns or...
LGBTQIA+, Psychology
The State of Sex Education in the USA in 2023
March 22, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
The state of sex education in the USA is vastly different across states. As of May 2023, there are 23 states that do not require sex education for high school...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
Is Sex Better When It’s Spontaneous?
March 14, 2023 by Olivia Adams
Hollywood sex scenes tend to glamorize spontaneous sex. You’ve undoubtedly seen this time and again in the movies and on TV: flirtatious tension starts brewing and then we cut to...
Myth vs Fact, Psychology
The Features of the Most Popular Sex Toys Might Surprise You
March 1, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
The size of the sex toy market is predicted to reach $62.3 billion by 2030. In light of this, it’s surprising that so little research has explored what might be driving...
Myth vs Fact
Speaking Your Partner’s “Love Language” Might Give Your Sex Life a Boost
February 15, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
The five “love languages”—words of affirmation, acts of service, gift giving, quality time, and physical touch—are meant to help individuals identify how they prefer to both give and receive love....
Dating & Relationships, Sex Tips
Are AI Chatbots the Future of Sex and Relationship Advice?
February 9, 2023 by Olivia Adams
AI is getting smarter. It can produce text that’s virtually indistinguishable from a human, and it has a massive knowledge base. So what will it mean for the future? What...
Media & Culture, Sex Ed
How Using OnlyFans Affects People’s Sex Lives and Relationships
February 2, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
OnlyFans is a digital patronage platform with over two million independent sex workers and a user base of 170 million registered accounts. Given the speed at which OnlyFans use gained...
Kink & BDSM, Media & Culture, Sex Ed
How Race, Politics, and Family Affect Support for LGBTQ+ Issues
January 25, 2023 by Olivia Adams
The Pew Research Center recently published data covering Americans’ views on gender identity and issues affecting transgender people, with special attention to differences based on age, political affiliation, and other...
Gender, LGBTQIA+
New Year, New Porn Trends: What was Popular in Porn in 2022?
January 11, 2023 by Emily Mendelson
Pornhub recently released their 2022 year-in-review detailing users’ searches and viewing habits, revealing current trends in pornography. Read on for insights into some of the data and trends that defined the...
Fantasies
Happy New Year! Science-Backed Resolutions for Better Sex in 2023
January 2, 2023 by Justin Lehmiller
The start of each new year is a common time for people to make resolutions for self-improvement. And it may very well be that more people than usual are making...
Sex Tips
7 Things Science Taught Us About Sex In 2022
December 29, 2022 by Olivia Adams
2022 has been memorable for a lot of reasons—including what science taught us about sex. So here’s a quick recap of some of the many interesting things we learned about...
Sex Ed
11 Years of Great Sex: It’s the Eleventh Blogiversary of Sex and Psychology!
December 21, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Believe it or not, Sex and Psychology turns 11 years old this week! When I first started blogging at the end of 2011, I had no idea where this journey would take me,...
Potpourri
Why is “Holiday Sex” so Popular?
December 14, 2022 by Emily Mendelson
What’s the most popular day of the year to conceive a child? According to the data, it’s Christmas Eve (at least in the United States). The third most popular? New Year’s Eve....
Dating & Relationships
Holiday Shopping Ideas For The Sexy People In Your Life
December 7, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
If you haven’t started your holiday shopping yet, now’s the time! With supply chain issues and shipping delays piling up, it’s a good idea to get started a little earlier...
Books & Films, Potpourri
Porn Literacy With a Side of CBT: Trying Out the “How to Watch Porn” Course
November 30, 2022 by Olivia Adams
Consider this — what if you could take a class in which your homework was to watch porn every week? This is what Lustery, an online porn platform that focuses...
Sex Ed
Seven Reasons to be Thankful for Sex Today (and Every Other Day of the Year)
November 23, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
To all of my readers celebrating Thanksgiving today, don’t forget to be thankful for sex! Research suggests that sex is good for us in a lot of ways, both physically...
Potpourri
Is Love Truly Blind? The Psychology of Love at First Sight
November 16, 2022 by Emily Mendelson
The season three finale of Netflix’s Love is Blind was released last week, which means we finally get to see who said “I do.” Hosted by Nick and Vanessa Lachey, the...
Media & Culture, Myth vs Fact
Say “No” to No Nut November: The Health Benefits of Masturbation
November 9, 2022 by Emily Mendelson
It’s “No Nut November” once again. While this annual abstinence challenge seems to pick up some new participants each year, you may want to think twice before giving up masturbation...
Myth vs Fact
Why Affirming Bisexual and Pansexual Identities is Important
November 2, 2022 by Olivia Adams
“I’m not even sure bisexuality exists. I think it’s just a layover on the way to Gaytown.” “You know, I think it’s great. He’s open to all sexual experiences. He’s...
LGBTQIA+, Psychology
I Played OnlyBans, An Interactive Game About Online Sex Work. Here’s What I Learned
October 26, 2022 by Emily Mendelson
The need to stay home and, for many, the need to find alternative means of income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a substantial rise in the...
Media & Culture
Meet the New Managing Editors: Olivia Adams
October 19, 2022 by Emily Mendelson
Sex and Psychology is expanding! I’m pleased to introduce the latest additions to the team, who will help continue our mission of bringing you science-based sex ed. Next up: Olivia...
Interviews
Meet the New Managing Editors: Emily Mendelson
October 12, 2022 by Olivia Adams
Sex and Psychology is expanding! I’m pleased to introduce the latest additions to the team this week and next, who will help continue our mission of bringing you science-based sex...
Interviews
Announcing the Tenth Annual SPSP Sexuality Pre-Conference!
October 5, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
I am pleased to announce the tenth annual SPSP Sexuality Pre-Conference! It will be held next February prior to the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology....
Psychology
Gen Z is Missing Out on the Benefits of Sex
September 21, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Generally speaking, sexual activity is good for our mental health. Sex (however you like to do it) has the potential to enhance our psychological well-being, as well as the connection...
Dating & Relationships, Media & Culture, Sex Tips
Study Abroad With Me in Amsterdam and Berlin for a Course on Sex and Culture
September 5, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
I’m excited to announce a unique study abroad program in conjunction with the Sexual Health Alliance. We are offering study abroad courses in both Amsterdam and Berlin focused on sex...
Media & Culture, Potpourri
Wearable Oral Sex Undies Can Provide Protection, Comfort, And Fun
August 25, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
**Note: This post is sponsored by Lorals In recent years, oral sex has become one of the most common sexual behaviors that people engage in. In fact, aside from intercourse,...
Safe Sex
Happy K-Day! Celebrating the History of Women’s Sexuality Research
August 20, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Sixty-nine years ago this week (August 20, 1953), the media first reported on some of the major findings from Alfred Kinsey’s classic book Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. This...
Potpourri
What You Need To Know About Monkeypox
August 11, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Monkeypox has recently become one of the dominant topics of conversations in the sexual health community and in the media more broadly. Case counts are increasing quickly and vaccines are...
Safe Sex, Videos
7 Things You Should Know About Kink and BDSM
August 3, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
BDSM (which stands for bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and sadism/masochism) is one of the most popular sexual fantasies. It’s also a relatively common sexual behavior, with nationally representative US surveys finding that as many...
Kink & BDSM
Tips For ‘Cheat-Proofing’ Your Relationship
July 18, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Most people say that their ideal relationship would be monogamous. Despite this, however, a lot of people seem to have a really hard time maintaining monogamy. So if monogamy is...
Dating & Relationships, Psychology
The Truth About the 5 Love Languages, and How to Show Love
July 11, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
The “love language” concept has become increasingly popular as a way of explaining differences in how people prefer to show and receive love. However, despite its enormous popularity, there still...
Dating & Relationships, Psychology
Views on Sexual Morality in the United States in 2022
July 4, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
According to Gallup’s 2022 Moral Issues Survey, American adults’ views on sexual morality have become more liberal since the turn of the century. In fact, for some of the issues on this...
Sex Ed
Get a Free HIV Test for National HIV Testing Day
June 27, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
HIV prevention and treatment have taken great strides over the last few decades, but there is still much to be done. In the United States alone, there are currently more...
Safe Sex
Sex and Psychology is Hiring!
June 20, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
[September 14, 2022 Update: Applications are closed because this position has been filled. However, please keep an eye out for future postings!] Sex and Psychology was founded with the goal...
Uncategorized
Everything You Think You Know About Stonewall…Is Probably False
June 15, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
It’s June, and that means it’s LGBTQ+ Pride Month. At this time of year, we often hear a lot about Stonewall and the night of June 27, 1969. The stories...
LGBTQIA+, Videos
This Week in the History of Sex: Homosexual Necrophilia in the Mallard Duck
June 6, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Twenty-seven years ago this week, something unusual took place in the Netherlands: an observational study of the world’s first known case of homosexual necrophilia in the mallard duck. Yes, you...
Potpourri, Videos
How Marijuana Affects Our Sex Lives
May 30, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Research finds that nearly half of American adults (46%) have used marijuana in some way at least once before. People use it for all kinds of purposes, from pain relief...
Sex Ed
How Advances in Sex Toy Technology Can Enhance Men’s Sexual Performance
May 23, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
**Note: This post is sponsored by The Handy More than 4 in 10 men report having experienced at least one sexual difficulty in the past year. Experiencing difficulties during sex...
Potpourri, Sex Tips
What’s the Most Effective Way to Reduce Abortion? Better Sex Ed and No-Cost Contraception
May 16, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
The leak of a draft decision from the Supreme Court to reverse Roe v. Wade has reinvigorated public discourse on abortion in a way I haven’t previously seen in my...
Sex Ed
A New Way of Thinking About Sexual Orientation
May 9, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual fantasy, pornography use, and in-person sexual behavior each tell us something unique about our sexuality, which means we can’t just assume that sexual interests in one context, transcend other...
Interviews, LGBTQIA+, Psychology
Masturbation May and the Science of Self-Pleasure
May 2, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
It’s May, and that means it’s Masturbation Month yet again! So let’s talk about self-pleasure. The origins of Masturbation Month date back to 1995, when US Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders...
Sex Ed, Videos
In the Mood for Food: Sexual Fantasies About Food
April 25, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
There’s a famous scene in the film 9 and 1/2 Weeks in which Mickey Rourke erotically feeds Kim Basinger a variety of foods including Jell-O, cherries, and tomatoes in front...
Fantasies
Marijuana Use is Linked to More Sex and Better Orgasms
April 18, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
April 20th is popularly known as 4/20 Day. It’s an unofficial (for now!) holiday that celebrates all things marijuana. This is going to be a hot topic of conversation this...
Sex Ed
Sexual Compatibility Takes Work To Maintain
April 11, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
One reason some partners have sex early on in a relationship is because they want to know whether they’re sexually compatible. Sex is an important part of most (but not...
Sex Tips
Can Your Sex Drive Be Too High?
April 4, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
I’ve heard from many readers over the years who think they have a sex drive that is “too high.” So when does a high sex drive become a problem? It’s...
Sex Q&A, Uncategorized
Why Bridgerton and Historical Sex Turn Us On
March 28, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
The new season of Bridgerton is out and it already has people hot and bothered. The first season was famous for its steamy sex scenes, which helped it to become...
Books & Films, Fantasies
How Many Calories Do You Burn During Sex?
March 21, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
At a broad level, exercise is defined as any activity requiring physical effort that either helps you maintain or enhance your overall health. Through this lens, sex certainly counts as...
Potpourri
The Number of Americans Identifying as LGBTQ Has Doubled in a Decade
March 14, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
I have been studying and writing about sexual orientation and sexual identity for the better part of the last two decades. One of the most interesting things I have seen...
LGBTQIA+
The 7 Biggest Relationship Dealbreakers
March 9, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Decades of psychological research on attraction has revealed which traits people tend to desire in a romantic partner. Intelligence, honesty, and sense of humor pretty reliably come in toward the...
Dating & Relationships
The Relationship Status of LGBTQ Americans
February 28, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Same-sex marriage has been legal throughout the United States since 2015. So what percentage of the LGBT population is currently married now that marriage is no longer restricted based on...
Dating & Relationships, LGBTQIA+
10 Things You Should Know About Condoms for National Condom Month
February 21, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
The American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) recognizes February as National Condom Month. Condom awareness and education are always important, but it seems especially timely right now given that rates of...
Safe Sex
How Would You Feel If Someone Said “I Love You” On The First Date?
February 14, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of people seem to believe in the idea of “love at first sight.” For example, in studies of people who are currently in relationships, as many as 1...
Dating & Relationships, Gender
Falling in Love with a Friend is More Common Than You Think
February 7, 2022 by Katie Adams
In the famous movie When Harry Met Sally, there’s a scene where Harry claims that “men and women can’t be friends because the sex part always gets in the way.”...
Dating & Relationships
The State of Sex Education in America in 2022
January 31, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Teens across the United States have wildly inconsistent experiences with sex education. As of January 2022, there are 21 states that do not require sex ed, and even in those...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
Why We Struggle With Sexual Initiation, and How to Fix It
January 24, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual initiation is something that seems challenging to navigate for many people. Over the years, I’ve heard from a lot of readers who want tips on initiation, with some saying...
Fantasies, Sex Tips
Genital Fit: The Conversation We Should Be Having About Genital Size
January 17, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
There’s an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm in which an argument takes place over whether a woman has a “big vagina” or her ex-partner has a “small penis.” While this...
Sex Ed, Sex Tips
Pro-Tips From a Sex Podcaster
January 12, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
In my previous post, I offered a guide on how to start a podcast. Today, I’ll be sharing some of the pro-tips I’ve learned from running the Sex and Psychology...
Interviews, Potpourri
How To Start A (Sex) Podcast
January 10, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Since launching the Sex and Psychology Podcast, I’ve received a number of queries from folks who are interested in starting their own shows. Podcasts can be a fantastic educational tool...
Interviews, Potpourri
Happy New Year! Science-Backed Resolutions For Better Sex In 2022
January 3, 2022 by Justin Lehmiller
Each time a new year rolls around, a lot of us start making resolutions for self-improvement. I suspect more people than usual might be making New Year’s resolutions right now...
Sex Tips
8 Things Science Taught Us About Sex In 2021
December 30, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
2021 has been memorable for a lot of reasons—including what science taught us about sex. Here’s a quick recap of some of the most interesting things we learned about sex...
Sex Ed
The Year in Sex: The 10 Most-Read Articles on Sex and Psychology in 2021
December 27, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
2021 was an interesting year to say the least! Our lives and behaviors continued to be altered in a number of ways by the pandemic—one of which was that many...
Potpourri
Holiday Horniness, Explained
December 24, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Unlike many animal species, humans don’t really have a mating season. We can have sex any time of year. However, there do appear to be some peaks and valleys in...
Videos
The Psychology of Hentai Porn
December 20, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
What was the most popular porn search term of 2021? According to Pornhub’s latest report, it was hentai. This term has been near the top of the list for a...
Fantasies, Media & Culture
10 Years of Great Sex: It’s the Tenth Blogiversary of Sex and Psychology!
December 15, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Believe it or not, Sex and Psychology turns 10 years old this week! When I first started blogging at the end of 2011, I had no idea where this journey would take me,...
Potpourri, Uncategorized
Lessons From A 107-Year-Old Sex Therapist
December 13, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex therapist Dr. Shirley Zussman passed away on December 4, 2021 at the age of 107. She had a remarkably long career in the field, having earned her doctorate in...
Sex Ed, Videos
Have You Ever Fantasized About Someone You Hate?
December 8, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
When you fantasize about sex, who do you usually think about? I’ve previously written about the various characters who appear in our fantasies and, most commonly, people mention current partners,...
Fantasies
The World’s First Sex Toy For Persons With Disabilities is Here
December 6, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex toys can be a great addition to just about anyone’s sex life because they can add an element of novelty, while also introducing you to new sensations. Sex toys...
Interviews, Potpourri
Holiday Shopping Ideas For The Sexy People In Your Life
November 29, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
If you haven’t started your holiday shopping yet, now’s the time! With supply chain issues and shipping delays piling up, it’s a good idea to get started a little earlier...
Potpourri
Seven Reasons to be Thankful for Sex Today (and Every Other Day of the Year)
November 25, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
To all of my readers celebrating Thanksgiving today, don’t forget to be thankful for sex! Research suggests that sex is good for us in a lot of ways, both physically and...
Potpourri
Who is Hookup Culture Helping, and Who is It Hurting?
November 22, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
College hookup culture serves the interests of some, but not others. So who is it helping, and who is it hurting? To explore this question, I interviewed Dr. Lisa Wade...
Dating & Relationships, Psychology
Sexy Sounds: The Songs People Hear in Their Sexual Fantasies
November 15, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual fantasies can be a multi-sensory experience. They’re not just about what we can see—but also what we can feel, smell, taste, and hear. In this post, we’re going to...
Fantasies, Psychology
The 10 Most Common Places We Fantasize About Having Sex
November 10, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
When you have a sexual fantasy, where does it take place? For some people, the setting doesn’t matter at all, whereas for others, the setting is crucial to establishing a...
Fantasies
Sexual Uniforms: The Costumes That Turn People On
November 8, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
When you fantasize about sex, do you ever imagine your partner(s) wearing a specific uniform? If so, you’re not alone. In the survey of 4,175 Americans I conducted for my...
Fantasies, Kink & BDSM
Is Infidelity Predictable?
November 3, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Infidelity is common. Saying exactly how many people have ever cheated is a little dicey, though, because the numbers vary a lot depending on how you ask the question (e.g.,...
Dating & Relationships
How Many People Are Into Double Penetration?
November 1, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader asked the following question: “How many people are into DP [double penetration]?” Double penetration is a popular theme in the world of porn and often appears in threesome...
Fantasies, Sex Q&A
Exposure to Sunlight May Boost Testosterone and Passion
October 27, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
If you’re a long-time reader of the blog, you’ve probably seen articles I’ve posted about seasonal variations in sexual behavior. According to the research, one of the biggest peaks occurs...
Sex Ed
How Many People Subscribe to the “Three-Date Rule?”
October 25, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
How many in-person dates would you want to have with a new partner before having sex with that person? We often hear about the so-called “three-date rule,” or the idea...
Dating & Relationships
Sex and Travel: Why Trips Often Turn Us On
October 20, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
A friend of mine told me about a recent discussion he had with friends where everyone talked about having had a similar experience: whenever they were away on a trip,...
Fantasies, Psychology
How Does ADHD Affect Orgasm?
October 18, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader recently asked the following question: “I often have a hard time orgasming. I have heard that having trouble orgasming can be related to having ADHD. To be clear, the orgasmic...
Sex Q&A
Study: Orgasms are a Natural Nasal Decongestant
October 13, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
While writing an article on the health effects of sex and masturbation a while back, I came across a paper titled “Ejaculation as a Potential Treatment of Nasal Congestion in...
Myth vs Fact
The All-New Sex and Psychology Website is Here!
October 11, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
I launched Sex and Psychology nearly ten years ago. The site—and its purpose—have grown considerably since then. Initially, this was a fun side project I did while I was a...
Potpourri
Why is Modern Marriage So Hard?
October 6, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Is marriage harder now than it was in the past? Are we expecting too much from our spouses today? I recently interviewed Dr. Eli Finkel for the Sex and Psychology...
Dating & Relationships, Psychology
1 in 10 Americans Say They’ve Had an Orgasm While Exercising
October 4, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
When people think about orgasms, they usually think about sex and masturbation. Orgasms arise from sexual stimulation, right? That’s certainly the most common route to orgasm for most people, but...
Sex Ed, Uncategorized
How The Pandemic Has Affected Interest In Threesomes And Sex Parties
September 29, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our sexual interests and behaviors in many ways, which I’ve covered extensively on the blog (see here for a recap). But something that hasn’t really been explored...
Potpourri, Sex Tips
Why Noisy Sex Is Often Better Sex
September 27, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
What does it sound like when you have sex? Is there any dirty talk? What about panting, moaning, and/or grunting? While people vary in their personal preferences for erotic sounds...
Videos
When Disgust Becomes a Sexual Turn-On
September 22, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
“I felt disgusted, but also very satisfied.” I just heard this line on an NPR podcast that had absolutely nothing to do with sex—but it really got me thinking because...
Kink & BDSM, Psychology
What To Do When You And Your Partner Want Different Amounts Of Sex
September 20, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
In long-term relationships, partners’ sex drives are bound to get out of sync from time to time. That’s normal and not a cause for concern unless it becomes a persistent...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Tips
The Price of Sex in Amsterdam
September 13, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
One of the topics that we explore extensively in my sex and culture course in Amsterdam is sex work. As part of this course, I give my students the opportunity...
Interviews, Media & Culture
Why Dutch Teens Have Better Sexual Health Than American Teens
September 6, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
In my study abroad course on sex and culture in the Netherlands, one of the things we have been discussing is cross-cultural differences in sexual health and sex education. Teens’ sexual...
Media & Culture, Sex Ed
Sex Work and Mental Health In Cultures Where Prostitution Is Legal
September 1, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Today in my study abroad course on sex and culture in the Netherlands, we’re focusing on sex work, particularly the link between sex work and mental health. Many studies have...
Media & Culture, Sex Ed
I’m Teaching About Sex and Culture in Amsterdam for the Next Two Weeks!
August 30, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Greetings from Amsterdam! Today is the first day of a class I’m teaching on sex and culture in the Netherlands through the Sexual Health Alliance. Amsterdam is an awesome city—and...
Potpourri, Sex Ed
What I Learned From a Decade of Studying Friends With Benefits
August 25, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
The very first sex study that I ever published appeared in the Journal of Sex Research in 2011, and it explored similarities and differences in how men and women approach friends with...
Dating & Relationships, Gender
4 Ways Men Say Couple’s Vibrators Improved Their Sex Lives
August 23, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
When vibrators are mentioned in pop culture, they’re usually discussed as masturbation aides—something people (particularly women) use to pleasure themselves. You don’t typically see people whipping them out during couple’s...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Tips
Celebrating 68 Years of Women’s Sex Research
August 18, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Sixty-eight years ago this week (August 20, 1953), the media first reported on some of the major findings from Alfred Kinsey’s classic book Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. This...
Books & Films, Media & Culture
5 Things Science Has Taught Us About BDSM
August 16, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
BDSM (which stands for bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and sadism/masochism) is one of the most popular sexual fantasies and a significant number of people report having engaged in BDSM acts before. Interest in BDSM appears...
Fantasies, Kink & BDSM
Are Our Brains ‘Wired’ For Monogamy Or Non-Monogamy?
August 11, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Why does monogamy work for some people but not for others? Research suggests that it might have something to do with the way our brains are ‘wired.’ Consider a study...
Dating & Relationships, Psychology
The Stimulating History of Sex Toys
August 9, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
What is the oldest sex toy in existence? Why were butt plugs once marketed as a cure for asthma? Why is it still illegal to sell sex toys in some...
Interviews
Sex with a Sleeping Person: The Psychology of Somnophilia
August 4, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Somnophilia refers to a sexual interest in which someone is turned on by the idea of having sex with a person who is sleeping—or being asleep and receiving sexual attention...
Fantasies, Kink & BDSM, Sex Ed
Performative Kissing: When and Why People Make Out in Public
August 2, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
When a couple starts kissing intensely in public, it tends to capture your attention—you can’t pull your eyes away. And when you see this, it’s possible to experience a wide...
Dating & Relationships
When Sex Toy Misuse Sends People to the Emergency Room
July 28, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
You all know that I’m an advocate for sex toys. The data are clear that most people who use them report benefits and overwhelmingly positive effects. For example, sex toys are an...
Sex Ed
4 Secrets of Successful Relationships
July 26, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
How do you make a relationship work for the long haul? Research has identified several key factors, many of which have to do with the relationship mindset we hold. I...
Dating & Relationships
Sleeping Beauty Syndrome: Fantasies About Sex With a Sleeping Person
July 21, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Some people are turned on by the idea of having sex with a partner who is sleeping—or being asleep and receiving sexual attention from someone else. This sexual interest is...
Fantasies, Kink & BDSM, Sex Ed
How To Have Good Casual Sex
July 19, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
What are the keys to having good casual sex? This question is at the forefront of Dr. Zhana Vrangalova’s program of research. I recently interviewed Zhana for the Sex and...
Sex Ed
How COVID-19 Changed the Sex Work Industry
July 14, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted people’s sex lives in a number of ways, which I’ve written about extensively on the blog (see here for a video recap of some of...
Videos
Changes in Americans’ Views on Sexual Morality in the Past 20 Years
July 7, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
According to Gallup’s 2021 Moral Issues Survey, Americans’ views on sexual morality continue to become more liberal overall. In fact, for some of the issues on this survey, Gallup recorded the...
Sex Ed
Using Less (Not More) Porn is Linked to More Sexual Problems
July 7, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Many people view pornography as a public health hazard, arguing that it’s inherently bad for our sex lives, relationships, and mental health. Embedded in a lot of arguments about the...
Sex Ed
LGBTQ Identification has Increased 41% Among US Teenagers
July 5, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
The number of American adults identifying as LGBTQ+ is growing. As I reported earlier this year, LGBTQ+ identification in national polls has increased by about 60% from 2012 to 2020, going...
LGBTQIA+
The Importance of Being Good, Giving, and Game in Bed
June 30, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
How do you keep passion alive in a long-term relationship and sustain sexual satisfaction over time? This question is at the forefront of Dr. Amy Muise’s program of research. I...
Interviews
How Similar or Different are the Sex Lives of Gay and Straight Men?
June 28, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Do the sex lives of men in relationships differ based on their sexual orientation? This question is difficult to answer because there’s not a lot of research out there on...
LGBTQIA+
Happy Birthday, Dr. Kinsey! Celebrating the History of Sex Research
June 23, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
“We are the recorders and reporters of facts—not the judges of the behaviors we describe.” – Alfred Kinsey Today (June 23) marks the birthday of Dr. Alfred Kinsey, one of...
Sex Ed
Sex Secrets: What We Hide from Our Partners and Why
June 21, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
When people describe the traits they want in a partner, honesty usually comes in near the top of the list. However, despite the fact that we say we want partners who will...
Sex Ed
What You Do After Sex Matters
June 16, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
What do you do after sex? Some people like to spoon or cuddle, others like to sleep, and yet others like to grab something to eat or drink. But does...
Videos
The Psychological Impact of Virtual Reality Porn Versus 2D Porn
June 14, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Virtual reality (VR) pornography is a small but growing market in the adult industry. As the cost of this technology comes down in price and becomes more accessible to a...
Sex Ed
7 Things To Know About Bisexuality For LGBT Pride Month
June 9, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Bisexuality is one of the most misunderstood sexual orientations. So for LGBT Pride Month, let’s take a look at some of the key things scientists have discovered about bisexuality that...
LGBTQIA+
Does Listening to Sexy Music Get Us in the Mood for Sex?
June 7, 2021 by Katie Adams
Guest post by Katie Adams “I’ve been really tryin’, baby / Tryin’ to hold back this feeling for so long / And if you feel like I feel, baby /...
Sex Ed
7 Reasons People Stay Friends with Their Exes
June 2, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
After a breakup, some ex-partners avoid each other entirely. However, others continue to be in each other’s lives by remaining friends. So what motivates people to stay friends after a...
Dating & Relationships
6 Reasons People Want Consensually Nonmonogamous Relationships
May 31, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Consensual nonmonogamy is a relationship style in which all partners openly agree to the possibility of having more than one sexual and/or romantic relationship at a time. These relationships are...
Sex Ed
Porndemic? Here’s What Really Happened With Porn Use During the Pandemic
May 26, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, much was said and written about sex and masturbation in the popular media. The implication of many stories was that people were going...
Sex Ed
Would You Feel Jealous if Your Partner Got a Sex Robot?
May 24, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
I get asked about the future of sex a lot, and one of the topics that often comes up is how robots are going to change our intimate lives and...
Gender, Sex Ed
How Gay Men and Lesbians Respond to Offers of Casual Sex
May 19, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of research has examined how men and women respond to proposals for casual sex; however, the bulk of this research has focused on people who are heterosexual. This...
Gender, LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
Is It Acceptable to Have Sex on the First Date? Here’s What Americans Say
May 17, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
In recent years, Americans’ sexual attitudes have become more liberal. For example, public opinion polls have found that the number of American adults who think that things like sex outside...
Sex Ed
What Will Sex and Relationships Look Like After COVID-19?
May 12, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
One of the questions I’m asked most often by journalists these days is what sex and relationships will look like after the pandemic. As a result, I’ve spent quite a...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
How People Look Back On Their Very First Sexual Experience
May 10, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
How do you look back on your first sexual experience? For some people, it’s remembered positively, whereas for others, it is a source of regret and shame because they feel...
Gender, Sex Ed
1 in 6 Single Americans Report a Desire to Try Polyamory
May 5, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Google trends have shown an uptick in searches related to polyamory in recent years, which suggests growing interest in the idea of consensual non-monogamy (or at least growing curiosity about...
Dating & Relationships
How Virginity Became a Stigmatized Status in the U.S.
May 3, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
It wasn’t that long ago that virginity was a highly coveted trait in a romantic partner. Sexual inexperience was valued, whereas being sexually experienced was often considered a dealbreaker, especially...
Sex Ed
Why Establishing Sexual Compatibility Isn’t A One-Time Thing
April 28, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
One reason that many couples have sex early on in a relationship—and well before the prospect of marriage might ever come to mind—is because they want to know whether they’re...
Sex Tips
Even Doctors Don’t Agree on What Counts as Having Sex
April 26, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
When people are surveyed about which behaviors count as “having sex,” it’s nearly impossible to find 100% agreement on anything. For example, studies of college students find that, while most...
Sex Ed
We Don’t Learn From Our Regrets: Sexual Regret Doesn’t Change Future Behavior
April 21, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
When asked to describe a memorable regret, the things people mention most often involve love, sex, and romance [1]. For example, common regrets include lost opportunities (like “the one that...
Sex Ed
How Marijuana Affects Sex
April 19, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
April 20th is known by many as 4/20 Day and it’s an unofficial holiday that celebrates all things marijuana (to read up on the history of 4/20 Day, check out...
Sex Ed
The Way Our Sex Fantasies Change with Age Might Reflect Changes in Personality
April 14, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
People tend to think of personality as a relatively stable characteristic of the self that doesn’t usually change much over the course of our lives. However, this way of thinking...
Sex Ed
Does Time Speed Up or Slow Down When You’re On a Hot Date?
April 12, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Our perception of time is inconsistent—and a lot of different factors can affect whether time feels like it’s flying by versus standing still. For example, watching water boil on a...
Dating & Relationships, Gender
The Difference Between a Sexual Fantasy and a Sexual Desire
April 7, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader recently asked the following question:“My wife and I have been discussing fantasies. She believes fantasies are something that may turn you on but you don’t want to actually...
Sex Q&A
How Common are Pregnancy Fetishes?
April 5, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
In the last couple of years, I seem to have become the go-to person for journalists and sex therapists who want to know how common a given sexual fantasy is....
Kink & BDSM, Sex Ed
The Dark Side of Sexual Attraction: People are Often Drawn to Antisocial Personalities
March 31, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
When I look at studies examining what people say they want in a romantic partner, people tend to report a lot of positive traits. For example, kindness, honesty, and dependability...
Dating & Relationships
What is Rebound Sex, and is It a Good Idea?
March 29, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Rebound sex is generally defined as sexual activity that someone seeks out in order get over an ex or move on after a breakup [1]. In other words, rebound sex...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
Are People Who Have Cheated Before Bound To Do It Again?
March 24, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
“Once a cheater, always a cheater” is how the saying goes. But is this true? Is history bound to repeat itself when it comes to infidelity?According to the research, people...
Dating & Relationships
The Difference Between a ‘Hopeless Romantic’ and a ‘Hopeful Romantic’
March 22, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
What does it mean to be a “hopeless romantic?” You can find countless media articles talking about people’s opinions on this, but from a scientific perspective, what it really refers...
Dating & Relationships
Is BDSM Always About Sex?
March 17, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Most of the time that you see BDSM discussed or mentioned in the popular media, it is referenced as a sexual activity. In other words, it’s largely seen as something...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Ed
This is How Many Tinder Matches It Takes to Get an IRL Date
March 15, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
One of the things people find appealing about the idea of online dating is that you can potentially meet a much larger number of people online than you can in...
Dating & Relationships
The True Story of How I Became a Sex Educator and Researcher
March 10, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Our professional biographies tend to serve as a “highlight reel”—they only say the great things we’ve accomplished and don’t reveal the struggles, challenges, and uncertainties that went into building a...
Psychology
Why Men Get Erections in Their Sleep and Often Wake Up with ‘Morning Wood’
March 8, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
As a sex educator, I’ve been asked many times over the years why men often wake up with erections (or “morning wood,” as they’re known colloquially). In this post, I’ll...
Sex Ed
The Complex Link Between Depression and Sex
March 3, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
It is well known that depression—and certain drug treatments for depression, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)—can lower sexual interest, desire, and activity levels. However, it turns out that...
Sex Ed
The Number of Americans Identifying as LGBT is Growing
March 1, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
I’ve been studying and writing about sexual orientation and sexual identity for the better part of the last two decades, and one of the most interesting things I’ve seen in...
LGBTQIA+
How Your Cat Could Make You Kinkier
February 24, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Earlier this week, I wrote an article about how infectious organisms transmitted through sex can potentially alter the sexual behavior patterns of the host. By encouraging the host to engage...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Ed
Could STIs Manipulate Us Into Having More Sex To Increase Disease Spread?
February 22, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Most of us like to think of ourselves as having free will. We engage in behaviors—sexually and otherwise—because we choose to do so, right? But what if this wasn't entirely...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed, Videos
How Many People Have Ever Had Rough Sex, and Who’s Most Likely To Do It?
February 17, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
In my previous post, I discussed results from a recent study exploring how young adults define “rough sex” and their enjoyment of this activity. Today, I’m going to be discussing...
Sex Ed
What Does It Mean to Have ‘Rough Sex?’
February 15, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Rough sex is one of the most popular sexual fantasies. In fact, when I surveyed 4,175 Americans about their fantasies for my book Tell Me What You Want, I found...
Sex Ed
10 Things You Should Know About Condoms for National Condom Month
February 10, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
The American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) recognizes February as National Condom Month. Condom awareness and education is always important, but it seems especially timely right now given that rates of...
Safe Sex
The State of Sex Education in the United States in 2021 (Infographic)
February 4, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Teens across the United States have wildly inconsistent experiences with sex education. Currently, 20 states do not require sex ed, and even in those states that mandate it, the information...
Safe Sex
Online Dating Use Has Nearly Tripled in the US in Less Than a Decade
February 3, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
The way we meet our romantic partners has evolved several times throughout history, with online dating being the latest frontier. However, it’s interesting to note that, despite its increasing popularity,...
Dating & Relationships
Who Has More Sex Dreams: Singles or People in Relationships?
February 1, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Most people report having dreams about sex at least occasionally. In fact, research has found that the vast majority of both men (93%) and women (86%) say they have had...
Sex Ed
6 Tips For Dealing With Sexual Difficulties
January 27, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
As a sex educator, I receive questions almost every day from people who are facing some type of difficulty in their sex life and don’t know what to do about...
Sex Tips
Condom Use Decreased During the Pandemic—And This Might Be Why
January 25, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
We know that there have been multiple changes in sexual behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, which I’ve blogged extensively about before (for a summary of some of the main findings,...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
When Affairs Lead to Breakup, And When They Don’t
January 22, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Earlier this week, I wrote about a new study that explores what people who are having affairs do, say, and feel. The results of this research tell us that there...
Dating & Relationships
Inside an Affair: What People Do, Say, and Feel When They Commit Infidelity
January 18, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
There’s a lot of research out there on infidelity. Most of it has examined topics such as how many people have ever cheated and the main reasons people step out...
Dating & Relationships
What Scientists Get Wrong About Relationships
January 11, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
I went to graduate school to study the psychology of romantic relationships. Relationships are one of the most significant and consequential things in our lives, with the quality of our...
Dating & Relationships, Psychology
Sex Question Friday: Can I Change My Sexual Fantasies?
January 8, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
I recently received a long letter from a reader who asked, “Can I (or should I) try to change my sexual fantasies in order to reduce conflict in my marriage?”...
Sex Ed, Sex Q&A
If Having Sex is Healthy, is Not Having Sex Unhealthy?
January 7, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:“It is known that having sex has positive effects on both our mental and physical health. But what do we know about the consequences of...
Sex Q&A
How People in Open and Polyamorous Relationships are Navigating the Pandemic
January 6, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
I’ve written a lot about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting people’s sex lives and relationships; however, most of the research that has been conducted on this topic so far...
Dating & Relationships
The State of Unclear Relationships: Ghosting, Icing, and Simmering
January 4, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
The rise of online dating has given us a new way to connect with other people—and to meet people we probably wouldn’t otherwise encounter in our everyday lives. It has...
Videos
Happy New Year! Science-Backed Resolutions For Better Sex In 2021
January 1, 2021 by Justin Lehmiller
Each time a new year rolls around, a lot of us start making resolutions for self-improvement. I suspect more people than usual may be making New Year’s resolutions right now...
Potpourri, Sex Ed
Ten Things Science Taught Us About Sex In 2020
December 30, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
2020 has been memorable for a lot of reasons—including what science taught us about sex. Here’s a quick recap of some of the most interesting things we learned about sex...
Sex Ed
The Year in Sex: The 10 Most-Read Articles on Sex and Psychology in 2020
December 28, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
What. A. Year.2020 was unusual, to say the least. Our lives and behaviors were altered in a number of ways due to the pandemic—one of which was that many of...
Potpourri
The Psychology of Christmas Porn: Some People Think Santa is a Daddy
December 25, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Our sexual behaviors ebb and flow throughout the year—and so do our porn searches. It turns out that what people look for on adult sites is, in part, a function...
Sex Ed
Santa Claus Porn is a Thing—And It’s Very Popular Right Now
December 25, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Porn searches are seasonal. According to Pornhub, the content that people look for seems to vary significantly over the course of the year in relation to different holidays and events....
Sex Ed
Will COVID-19 Change Our Sex Lives Permanently?
December 21, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Throughout this pandemic, I’ve been interviewed by dozens of journalists about the impact COVID-19 has had on our intimate lives. One question that keeps coming up in these interviews is:...
Sex Ed
9 Years of Great Sex: It’s the Ninth Blogiversary of Sex and Psychology!
December 18, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
It’s hard for me to believe, but Sex and Psychology is officially nine years old! When I started blogging in 2011, I had no idea where this journey would take...
Potpourri
Infidelity is Often About Far More Than Just Sex
December 14, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
It’s not uncommon for people in monogamous relationships to step out on their partners. Studies have reliably found that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 married individuals say...
Videos
Holiday Shopping Ideas For The Sexy People In Your Life
December 14, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
If you aren’t quite finished with your holiday shopping or (like me) haven’t even started yet, allow me to make your job a little easier this year. If you're in...
Potpourri
Human Cows: An Inside Look at a Growing Kink
December 9, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A question I often get asked in interviews about my book Tell Me What You Want is whether I learned about any new kinks in the process of studying more...
Sex Ed
What Will “Cuffing Season” Look Like in the Time of COVID-19?
December 7, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Where I live, winter is almost here, and that means “cuffing season” is about to get underway. Just in case you aren’t familiar, cuffing season describes the tendency for people...
Dating & Relationships
The Top 10 Most-Read Questions and Answers on Sex and Psychology
December 4, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
What do people want to know about sex?Here's are the ten most read question-and-answer features of all time on the blog. These questions (all submitted by readers of Sex and...
Sex Q&A
The U.S. Divorce Rate Has Reached a 50-Year Low
November 30, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of people seem to be under the impression that divorce is on the rise—and that a larger and larger proportion of marriages dissolve each year. This is why...
Dating & Relationships
Black Friday Sale at the Sex and Psychology Store!
November 27, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Can’t decide what to buy the sexy people in your life this holiday season? I have you covered. Check out the brand new Sex and Psychology Store, where you’ll find...
Potpourri
Seven Reasons to be Thankful for Sex Today (and Every Other Day of the Year)
November 26, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
To all of my readers celebrating Thanksgiving today, don't forget to be thankful for sex! Research suggests that sex is good for us in a lot of ways, both physically...
Potpourri
How People’s Porn Searches Change Around Thanksgiving
November 23, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Porn searches are seasonal.If you look at trends in porn searches throughout the year, you’ll see that they follow a predictable pattern of changes that reflect seasonal events and holidays....
Potpourri
Want to Write for Sex and Psychology? Submit Your Pitch!
November 20, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex and Psychology is about to celebrate its ninth anniversary! I’ve been blogging about the science of sex and relationships three times per week every week since the site launched,...
Potpourri
Why You Shouldn’t Give Up Masturbation During the Pandemic
November 18, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A few years back, a bunch of guys on the internet started challenging each other to go the whole month of November without ejaculating. It’s “No Nut November,” as they...
Videos
How Many People Have Ever Had a Threesome?
November 16, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Threesomes are one of the most popular sexual fantasies. But how many people have ever made the leap from fantasy to reality? And who’s most likely to have had a...
Sex Ed
How COVID-19 is Changing Sex and Relationships (Video)
November 13, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
How have people's sex lives and relationships changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic? Some of my colleagues and I at The Kinsey Institute conducted a study in order...
Videos
Why People Have Sex With Their Exes—And How It Makes Them Feel
November 11, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
When a couple decides to end a relationship, the result isn’t always a clean break. There’s often some degree of contact that continues and, sometimes, that includes sex. But who...
Dating & Relationships, Gender
The Three Sex Positions Women are Most Likely to Orgasm in
November 6, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Women don’t always orgasm during vaginal intercourse, especially if clitoral stimulation isn’t part of the equation. In fact, in a nationally representative study of more than 1,000 women from the...
Sex Ed
What Men Who Use Sex Toys Know That You Don’t
November 2, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
When it comes to sex toy use, there is a pretty sizeable gap between men and women. Studies have consistently found that women use sex toys during masturbation at much...
Gender, Sex Ed
The Impact of COVID-19 on the LGBTQ+ Community
November 2, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a powerful impact on people’s sexual and romantic lives. At the Kinsey Institute, we conducted a study to explore how people’s intimate lives have fared...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
Women’s Masturbation Habits May Be More Nuanced Than Men’s
October 30, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Some women masturbate right after having sex with their partner. Intuitively, some might assume that this necessarily means she was dissatisfied with the sex and compensating for an unfulfilling experience....
Gender, Videos
Spending Time Naked With Strangers—In a Safe Space—Can Improve Body Image
October 26, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Nudism (also known as naturism) is a practice—and sometimes a lifestyle—that centers around non-sexual public nudity. As someone who grew up in the United States, I learned very early on...
Sex Ed
Women’s Experiences with Multiple Orgasms are Very Diverse
October 23, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Research reports on multiple orgasms in women date back nearly a century. Despite this, surprisingly little has been published on what women’s experiences with multiple orgasms are like. There’s also...
Sex Ed
Why Romantic Partners Often Look Alike
October 19, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Have you ever noticed that some romantic partners have a strikingly similar facial structure? If so, you’re not alone.Research has found that we tend to be attracted to partners with...
Dating & Relationships
Is It Possible For Someone To Not Have Sexual Fantasies?
October 16, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader asked the following question:“My wife claims she has no sexual fantasies. Is this possible?”Sexual fantasies are usually defined as waking mental images or pictures that one finds to...
Sex Ed
Things You Probably Never Knew About Penises
October 14, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
What is the average amount of semen a man produces? Where does semen actually come from anyway? Why do men ejaculate in spurts instead of a stream? Why is semen...
Videos
How Many Women Fantasize About Cuckolding?
October 12, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Cuckolding is a sexual practice in which one is aroused by the idea of watching or listening to their partner have sex with someone else. I’ve written quite a bit...
Gender, Sex Ed
Sex as Self-Injury: People Who Intentionally Seek Harm Through Sex
October 9, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) refers to deliberate, self-inflicted damage to the body that is intended to cause pain, but not to end one’s life. NSSI is not uncommon—in fact, some reports...
Sex Ed
How Many People Have Had a New Sexual Partner During the Pandemic?
October 7, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, we’ve been urged to keep our distance from other people in order to reduce transmission rates. These social distancing guidelines—combined with lockdowns, quarantines, and closures...
Sex Ed
Announcing the Eighth Annual SPSP Sexuality Pre-Conference!
October 5, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
I am pleased to announce the eighth annual SPSP Sexuality Pre-Conference! It will be held next February prior to the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology....
Psychology
Sex Has Decreased During the Pandemic, in Part, Because Relationship Conflict has Increased
September 30, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
In our Kinsey Institute study on how the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is affecting our intimate lives, we found that rates of sexual activity decreased during lockdown compared to prior year...
Dating & Relationships
How the Pandemic Has Affected the Content of Our Sexual Fantasies
September 29, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
In my last post, I wrote about how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the frequency with which people say they fantasize about sex, as well as people’s reasons for having...
Sex Ed
What’s in a Kiss? How People Describe Their Best and Worst Kisses Ever
September 28, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Kissing is among the most common sexual and romantic behaviors. Although it isn’t a universal activity across cultures (in fact, researchers haven't found evidence of kissing in a surprisingly large...
Sex Ed
How Common are Fantasies About Eating (or Being Eaten by) Someone Else?
September 25, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader asked:“How common are vorarephilia fantasies?”For those who aren’t familiar, vorarephilia (also known as vore for short) refers to a sexual interest that revolves around consuming or being consumed...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Q&A
The Psychology of Pup Play
September 23, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
“Pup play” is a form of sexual roleplay in which an adult human adopts the appearance and characteristics of a dog. This may include dressing up like a dog (wearing...
Kink & BDSM, Videos
People Who Fall in Love Fast, Easily, and Often are More Attracted to Toxic Personalities
September 21, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Some people tend to fall in love fast, easily, and often [1]. This tendency is known as emophilia, formerly known as “emotional promiscuity.”Falling in love fast and often might sound...
Dating & Relationships
The Fascinating Link Between Alien Abduction Reports and Sadomasochistic Fantasies
September 18, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A surprisingly large number of people report having had paranormal experiences. For example, in a 2013 HuffPost/YouGov poll of 1,000 American adults, 32% of respondents answered yes to the question: “Have you ever...
Fantasies, Myth vs Fact
Is There a Link Between Porn Use and Relationship Satisfaction? Actually, No
September 16, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Popular media reports frequently tout the damage that pornography use does to relationships. Some articles have made pretty bold claims, such as “porn-free relationships are stronger,” “watching porn can diminish...
Dating & Relationships, Gender
The Movie Sex Scenes People Fantasize About Recreating Most Often
September 14, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Popular media—films, television shows, and books—are common sources of sexual fantasy inspiration. In fact, in the study of 4,175 Americans’ sexual fantasies I conducted for my book Tell Me What...
Potpourri, Sex Ed
Who You Meet Matters More Than What You Want: The Economics of Love
September 11, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of people struggle when it comes to finding long-term relationship happiness. So what can we do about this? As economist Rebekka Grun argues in the TEDx talk below,...
Videos
How Older Adults Define Sex—And How Their Views Change Over Time
September 9, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Research has found that different people define sex in radically different ways.Most research to date has focused on heterosexual, college-age adults and their views of sex, which reveals that penetrative...
Sex Ed
Your “Soulmate” is the Person Who Motivates You to Work on Your Relationship
September 7, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Public opinion polls reveal that a majority of Americans believe in the concept of a “soulmate.” For instance, according to a YouGov poll of 2,984 adults conducted earlier this year,...
Dating & Relationships
3 Theories Behind Why We Kiss
September 4, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Kissing is one of the most common sexual and romantic behaviors in many cultures around the world; however, kissing is far from a universal activity. In fact, researchers haven't found...
Sex Ed
Are Diamonds Really Forever? How Engagement Ring Cost is Linked to Marriage Length
August 31, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
How much “should” you spend on engagement and wedding rings? If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably heard that 2-3 months’ salary is the rule of thumb; however, that’s a...
Dating & Relationships
Sex News Roundup: What’s Going on In Sex Research Today?
August 28, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
What’s going on in the world of sex and relationship research right now? Here’s a brief recap of the latest and greatest happenings. In this edition, we’ll review a new...
Sex Ed
How Many People Have Used Sex Toys During the Pandemic?
August 26, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
According to numerous media reports, sex toy retailers around the world reported a surge in sales since the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic began, especially during the period when lockdowns were widespread.Of...
Sex Ed
Why Women Hook-Up—And How They Feel About Their Hookups
August 24, 2020 by Katie Adams
When I was an undergraduate student, the weekends usually meant parties. And Sunday brunches often consisted of friends dishing on any hookups that occurred at those parties. Looking back on...
Sex Ed
Talk Dirty To Me: The Psychology of Dirty Talk
August 21, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader sent the following question:How many people are into dirty talk? What turns people on about it?There’s a lot of research out there on sexual communication, but surprisingly little...
Sex Ed, Sex Q&A
Celebrating 67 Years of Women’s Sex Research!
August 19, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Sixty-seven years ago this week (August 20, 1953), the media first reported on some of the major findings from Alfred Kinsey's classic book Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. This...
Sex Ed
We Usually Have More Sex in the Summer–But Will We During the Pandemic?
August 17, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Our sexual behavior patterns change with the seasons. Historically, there has been a reliable peak in sexual activity during the summer months. But is our usual summer peak going to...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
Most People Have Noticed a Change in Their Sexual Fantasies During the Pandemic
August 10, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
As someone who studies the science of sexual fantasies, something I’ve been curious about is whether this pandemic has affected our fantasies in any way. This situation has touched a...
Sex Ed
3 Reasons People Engage in Sexual Sadism and Masochism
August 7, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Sadism and masochism involve deriving pleasure from the experience of giving and receiving pain, respectively. This can take a number of forms, from spanking to whipping to flogging and beyond...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Ed
What Your Personality Might Say About Your Likelihood of Being Cheated On
August 5, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of research has looked at the traits and characteristics of the people most likely to cheat on their romantic partners. But what about people who get cheated on?...
Dating & Relationships
Disasters Like the COVID-19 Pandemic are a “Relationship Accelerator”
August 3, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the world of dating and relationships? According to sex therapist Esther Perel, disasters like this are a “relationship accelerator.” What exactly does she mean...
Videos
Relationship Red Flags: 5 Signs That a Relationship Isn’t Off to a Good Start
July 31, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A question I often get asked is “what are the red flags I should watch out for in a new relationship?” While it can be hard to know early on...
Dating & Relationships
The Psychological Origins of BDSM: 8 Things That Draw People to Kink
July 27, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and sadism/masochism (BDSM) is one of the most popular sexual fantasies and a significant number of people report having engaged in BDSM acts before.So why is it such...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Ed
How Many People Have Ever Received an Unsolicited Dick Pic, and How They Felt About It
July 24, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Survey studies have found that many men report having sent unsolicited photos of their penises (“dick pics”) to other people before—but how many people say they’ve ever received such a...
Gender, Sex Ed
The Types of People Most—and Least—Likely to “Ghost” a Relationship Partner
July 22, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
There are lots of ways to end a romantic relationship, but some people choose to “ghost” their former partner. Ghosting is defined as “ending a romantic relationship by cutting off...
Dating & Relationships
Who’s Having More Sex During the Pandemic? It Depends on Your Politics
July 20, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Some of my colleagues and I at The Kinsey Institute started a study in mid-March to explore the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdowns, and social distancing on people’s intimate...
Sex Ed
How We See Ourselves in Our Sexual Fantasies, and What It Means
July 17, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
When you fantasize about sex, do you appear in your own fantasies? If so, do you appear as you do in real life, or do you change yourself in some...
Fantasies, Sex Ed
How the Big Five Personality Traits Predict Your Sexual Fantasies (Video)
July 15, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Our sexual fantasies appear to reflect, at least in part, our personality traits and characteristics. I studied the sexual fantasies of 4,175 Americans from all 50 states for my book...
Videos
What’s the Difference Between a Kink and a Fetish?
July 10, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader asked the following question:“I hear the terms kink and fetish being used in a pretty interchangeable way most of the time. However, I feel like they are two...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Q&A
1 in 3 Young Men Report Not Having Sex in the Last Year—But Not Because of Porn
July 8, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual inactivity is on the rise among young adults. In the last two decades, the number of people—especially men—reporting that they haven’t had sex in the past year has risen...
Sex Ed
Men and Women Have Skewed Ideas about What a “Normal” Vulva Looks Like
July 3, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Female genital cosmetic surgery is on the rise. While these procedures are still relatively uncommon compared to breast augmentation and other cosmetic procedures, they are increasing at a fast rate....
Sex Ed
How Americans’ Views on Sexual Morality Have (and Haven’t) Changed in the Last 20 Years
July 2, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
According to Gallup's 2020 Moral Issues Survey, Americans’ views on sexual morality continue to become more liberal overall. In fact, for many of the issues on this survey, Gallup recorded...
Sex Ed
Want More Pleasure in Your Sex Life? There’s an Online Course for That
June 29, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
One topic that is conspicuously absent in most sexuality education courses is pleasure [1]. Most of us only ever learn about the potential risks associated with sex and how to...
Sex Tips
5 Practical Steps You Can Take to “Cheat-Proof” Your Relationship
June 29, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Infidelity is common. Studies have reliably found that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 married adults report having had sex outside of their relationship at some point. For...
Dating & Relationships
How Sex Toys Can Help Men Improve Their Sexual Performance
June 26, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex toys have never been more popular than they are right now. Sales have been steadily increasing for years, but they really surged during lockdown and quarantine.Despite their growing popularity,...
Sex Tips
How Does Having a ‘Friend With Benefits’ Usually Work Out?
June 24, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
When I first got into sex research, I started studying friends with benefits (FWBs). I had been teaching college courses on human sexuality for a few years at that point...
Dating & Relationships
Happy Birthday, Dr. Kinsey! Celebrating the History of Sex Research
June 22, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Tomorrow (June 23) marks the birthday of Dr. Alfred Kinsey, one of the most famous figures in the world of sex research. Kinsey was born in 1894 and died in...
Sex Ed
Participants Needed for Studies on Threesomes, Public Nudity, BDSM, and More!
June 17, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A few years back, I launched the Sex Studies page on Sex and Psychology with the goal of helping to connect sex researchers with potential participants, and it has been...
Sex Ed
Unwanted Sex and Nonconsensual Sex are Not the Same Thing
June 15, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
In recent years, I have noticed an increasing trend in both public and academic discourse on sex to conflate unwanted sexual activity with nonconsensual sexual activity. For example, in many...
Sex Ed
Take Control of Your Sexual Health with an STD Check
June 12, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are a significant public health concern, with cases of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia recently reaching a record high in the United States. There is much work...
Safe Sex
4 Theories on the Psychology of Prejudice
June 8, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
I have received several questions from readers recently on the psychology of prejudice. Where does it come from? Why are racism, sexism, homophobia, and other forms of bias so common?...
Psychology
Fighting Inequality and Injustice: Actions Speak Louder Than Words
June 5, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Events over the last several weeks have got me thinking more about what I can do to make a difference when it comes to fighting against entrenched forms of inequality...
Psychology
Sex in the Sea is Fascinating: The Kinky Sex Lives of Aquatic Creatures
June 5, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Mating practices vary widely across different species—and they often occur in very unexpected ways. This is especially true when we look at how deep sea creatures mate.For example, lobsters engage...
Videos
The Appeal of the DILF: Why Men Who Have Children are Sexy
June 3, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
In the wake of Kobe Bryant’s death earlier this year, an ESPN news anchor shared a heartfelt story about Bryant’s love of being a father. The emotional tribute instantly went...
Sex Ed
Privilege, Injustice, and Inequality: The Conversation We Need To Be Having Right Now
June 2, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Most of you only know me as a sex educator and researcher, but I actually started my career teaching college courses on the psychology of prejudice—and I ended up teaching...
Media & Culture
Why Sexually Satisfied People Are More Likely To Cheat
June 1, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Cheating and infidelity are common. Studies reliably find that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 married couples in the US reported having stepped out on their partner at...
Dating & Relationships
Do More Attractive People Have More Sexual Partners?
May 29, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader asked the following question:“Do more attractive people have more sexual partners?”According to the research I’ve seen, there does seem to be a link between physical attractiveness and number...
Sex Ed
Racial Preferences in Online Dating, Explained
May 27, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
“No Blacks.” “No Asians.” It’s not uncommon to see phrases like these on sex and dating apps, in which people categorically exclude entire racial groups from consideration.Many have referred to...
Dating & Relationships
Are Men Who Pay For Sex More Sexist?
May 25, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A common refrain in many anti-prostitution arguments is that sex work is inherently exploitative and that it perpetuates gender inequality. Built into these arguments is an assumption that men who...
Sex Ed
What People Get Wrong About Polyamory (Video)
May 22, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Interest in polyamory—and consensual non-monogamy more broadly—is on the rise. Google searches related to polyamory are increasing, apps for polyamorous dating are springing up, and popular media depictions of polyamorous...
Videos
Researchers Have Found the COVID-19 Coronavirus Present in Semen
May 18, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Two months ago, I published a blog post titled “Can the Coronavirus be Transmitted Through Sex?” At the time, I wrote that “there haven’t been any scientific studies as of...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
Twelve Things Science Has Taught Us About Masturbation
May 18, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
May is Masturbation Month, so let’s talk about self-pleasure! In this post, we’ll explore twelve things scientists have learned from the study of masturbation, including who does it, why, how,...
Sex Ed
I’m a Straight Man Who Fantasizes About Other Men: Is That Normal?
May 15, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:“I am a straight and happily married man, but lately I have had fantasies about other men. Some of them are just about me and...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
The Science of Masturbation
May 13, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
It’s May, and that means it’s Masturbation Month! With many of us living under lockdown and quarantine orders at the moment, now seems like the perfect time to talk about...
Videos
How People’s Porn Viewing Habits Have Changed During Quarantine
May 11, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Much has been said and written about how pornography use has changed during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, including on this blog (see here). However, almost all of the information we...
Sex Ed
Five Things Science Has Taught Us About Asexuality
May 8, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Research has found that around 1% of the population is asexual, a term usually defined as either a lack of sexual attraction or a lack of desire for partnered sexual...
LGBTQIA+
Have You Reached Out to or Heard From an Ex During the Pandemic? You’re Not Alone
May 6, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Anecdotally, I’ve heard from a lot of people who have said that they reached out to (or heard from) an ex-partner since the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic began. But just how...
Dating & Relationships
Rates of Consensual and Nonconsensual Nonmonogamy Among Heterosexual, Gay, and Bisexual Adults
May 1, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
I was recently invited to write a book chapter on nonmonogamy in LGBTQ+ relationships, and one of the things I wanted to do in it was compare the prevalence of...
Dating & Relationships, LGBTQIA+
Podcasts on the Science of Sex to Get You Through the Lockdown
April 29, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
During this time of lockdowns and quarantines, I know that many of you are looking for ways to pass the time, so allow me to suggest some entertaining and educational...
Media & Culture
Fact Check: Does Pubic Hair Grooming Increase the Risk of Getting an STI?
April 29, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are on the rise, and many people are curious about the reasons why. While the cause is obviously multifactorial, some have suggested that at least part...
Myth vs Fact, Safe Sex
5 Common Myths About Sexually Transmitted Infections
April 27, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
April is STD Awareness Month, so let’s take a little time to set the record straight on some popular myths about sexually transmitted infections and diseases. In this post, we’ll...
Myth vs Fact, Safe Sex
I’m a Cisgender Woman and My Husband Watches Trans Porn: Does That Mean He’s Not Into Me?
April 24, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader submitted the following question:“I recently discovered that my husband is attracted to transsexuals (MTF - non op). This is the only type of porn that he looks at....
Sex Q&A, Sex Tips
The State of Sex Research Today, According to 4 Sex Scientists
April 22, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
What’s going on in the world of sex research today? What are some of the biggest controversies and challenges? I recently sat down with a few of my colleagues to...
Sex Ed, Videos
5 Secrets to Increase Your Sexual Satisfaction: Tips From a Sex Therapist
April 13, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
As a practicing sex therapist, I often see two partners legitimately trying to bridge a satisfaction gap between each other, but they can’t seem to get the moves just right....
Sex Tips
Lockdown Reading Recommendations for People Who Like to Read About Sex
April 10, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
I know that many of you are bored and horny right now during this lockdown and quarantine period, so allow me to recommend some of my favorite sex books! If...
Books & Films
How Do You Help a Partner Who is Depressed? Advice From a Sex Therapist
April 8, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Depression is one of the most common mental health issues in the United States. In fact, according to the National Institutes of Mental Health, 1 in 14 Americans experienced an...
Videos
What are the Most Effective Pick-Up Lines? Here’s What the Science Says
April 6, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
For decades, researchers have been studying the effectiveness of different kinds of pick-up lines in order to better understand the psychology of attraction. What they’ve found is that certain types...
Dating & Relationships
Why The Pandemic is Making Some People Horny–But Turning Others Off
April 3, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
There are a lot of conflicting media reports out right now about how the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic is affecting people’s sex drives. Some are saying that all of the stress...
Media & Culture, Sex Ed
The History of the Clitoris (Video)
April 1, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
The clitoris is an organ that has been wildly misunderstood and mischaracterized for most of human history. The last three decades have dramatically changed the way that scientists think and...
Videos
Women Who Buy Sex: Why They Do It, And What Their Experiences Are Like
March 30, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Most research on people who patronize sex workers has focused on men. In some ways, this isn’t surprising because men are much more likely to report having paid for sex...
Sex Ed
How Natural Fluctuations in Women’s Hormones Affect Their Relationships
March 23, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
For women who aren’t using any kind of hormonal contraception, their bodies undergo a series of natural fluctuations in hormone levels across the menstrual cycle. Studies have found that these...
Dating & Relationships
Sex and Relationship Survival Tips During a Lockdown
March 20, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Many of us are finding ourselves spending a lot more time at home due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, especially those of us in lockdown areas. For people who live...
Dating & Relationships
Will There Really Be a Coronavirus Baby Boom? Here’s What the Science Says
March 18, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
In the last few weeks, I’ve seen a ton of headlines predicting a massive baby boom stemming from the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic—and some people are making very bold claims. Case...
Media & Culture, Myth vs Fact, Safe Sex
The Paradox of Online Dating: Too Many Options Makes It Harder to Invest in a Relationship
March 18, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
In any relationship, you’re bound to discover that your partner has one or two (or maybe ten or twenty) quirks that eventually come to annoy you. In these situations, it's...
Videos
Can the Coronavirus be Transmitted Through Sex?
March 16, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has prompted a lot of questions, including many questions about exactly how this virus spreads. One that I’ve been hearing a lot about lately is whether...
Safe Sex
The Top 10 Most-Read Questions and Answers on Sex and Psychology
March 13, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
What do people want to know about sex?Here are the ten most read question-and-answer articles of all time on the blog. These questions (all submitted by readers of Sex and...
Sex Q&A
How Coronavirus is Affecting the World of Porn
March 13, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
There is no escape from coronavirus news. It’s all anyone can talk about on my social media feeds and everywhere I go. It’s permeating every aspect of our lives, including...
Media & Culture
How Many People Have Fantasized About Forcing Sex On Others?
March 11, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
In my last post, I wrote about people who fantasize about having sex ‘forced’ on them. Today, we’re going to talk about the flip side of these fantasies: people who...
Sex Ed
Fantasies About Being ‘Forced’ To Have Sex Are Common—Here’s Why
March 9, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Have you ever fantasized about being ‘forced’ to have sex? If so, you’re not alone. Fantasies about being taken against one’s will (sometimes known as ‘forced sex fantasies,’ ‘rape fantasies,’...
Sex Ed
Seeking Participants For Sex Studies!
March 6, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A few years ago, I launched the Sex Studies page on Sex and Psychology, with the goal of helping to connect sex researchers with prospective participants. I’m pleased to say...
Sex Ed
Are Condoms Going Out of Style? Six Theories on Why Condom Use is Decreasing
March 4, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
People today are less likely to report using condoms than they were in the past. For example, among teens, the number who reported using a condom the last time they...
Safe Sex
When Orgasms Aren’t Pleasurable: Understanding ‘Bad’ Orgasms
March 2, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
When you hear the word orgasm, what’s the first thing that comes to mind?Odds are, you probably thought about pleasure because most of us tend to equate orgasms with positive...
Sex Ed
Bisexual Versus Pansexual: What’s the Difference?
February 28, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately about the difference between being bisexual versus being pansexual. There seems to be a lot of confusion about what these terms really...
LGBTQIA+, Sex Q&A
How to Share Your Sexual Interests with Your Partner? There’s an App for that
February 26, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of people don’t feel comfortable sharing their sexual wants and needs with their partners. For example, when I surveyed more than 4,000 Americans about their sexual fantasies for...
Potpourri
The State of Sex Education in the United States in 2020 (Infographic)
February 24, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Teens across the United States have wildly inconsistent experiences with sex education. More than 20 states do not even require that sex education be taught at all, and even in...
Safe Sex
How Do You Become a Sex Researcher?
February 21, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
‘How do I become a sex researcher?’ I get this question a lot from students who want to know what degree they should pursue in order to enter the field....
Psychology
The Keys to a Pleasure-Filled Sex Life: Advice From a Sex Therapist
February 19, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
We aren’t experiencing as much sexual pleasure as we used to. So what can we do to fix that?Dr. Nan Wise, a cognitive neuroscientist and certified sex therapist, has the...
Interviews
Men are More Likely to Agree to a Hookup When Their Phone’s Battery Level is Low
February 17, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
We’ve long known that scarcity plays an important role in sexual attraction. For example, in a classic study, research assistants approached people at a bar at different points during the...
Sex Ed
How People’s Porn Searches Change on Valentine’s Day
February 14, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Porn searches are seasonal. When we look at trends in people’s porn searches throughout the year, they follow a predictable pattern of changes that reflect seasonal events and holidays. For...
Potpourri
Does Your First Sexual Experience Shape Later Sexual Preferences?
February 12, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A female reader recently asked the following question:“One of my first experiences in the bedroom was anal. This was about 3 years ago and it was a rather good experience....
Sex Q&A
Take Control of Your Sexual Health and Pleasure with Wearable Dental Dams
February 7, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Oral sex is one of the most common sexual activities in the United States today. In fact, a majority of American adults under age 50 say they have both given and received...
Safe Sex
Do People Who Watch Porn Seek More Extreme Content Over Time?
February 5, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of people seem to be under the impression that, if you watch enough porn, your brain will build up a tolerance to it. The result is that you...
Sex Ed
From Superheroes to Porn Stars to Politicians, Who Appears in Our Sexual Fantasies?
February 3, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Almost everyone has sexual fantasies, and most of us have them often. We fantasize about a wide range of activities, from group sex to BDSM to doing something that is...
Sex Ed
I Fantasize About Getting Shrunken Down and Eaten by Another Man: What Does It Mean?
January 31, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader recently wrote to ask me a question about their biggest sexual fantasy. He said:“I have always had a sexual fantasy about getting shrunken down and eaten by a...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Q&A
Doing Your Kegel Exercises Just Got A Lot More Fun
January 24, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Strengthening your pelvic floor muscles through Kegel exercises is a well-established way of giving your sex life a boost. Indeed, study after study has found that these exercises offer a...
Sex Tips
Can Abstaining From Masturbation Increase Testosterone?
January 24, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
“Across the alt-right movement, leaders are telling young men not to masturbate, “ says clinical psychologist Dr. David Ley in a recent interview. Why is that? In part, because some...
Myth vs Fact, Videos
Catch Me On The Dr. Phil Show!
January 22, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
On the heels of appearing in the new Netflix series Sex, Explained, I also appeared in an episode of Dr. Phil’s television program! Talk about getting the new year off to...
Potpourri
Medical Marijuana Laws are Linked to Increases in Sexual Activity and Birth Rates
January 21, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
How does marijuana affect people’s sex lives? According to scientific research, it seems to be an aphrodisiac for a lot of people. For example, a 2017 study published in the Journal of Sexual...
Sex Ed
More Evidence That Many ‘Unusual’ Sexual Interests Aren’t So Unusual After All
January 20, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Psychologists and psychiatrists typically use the term paraphilia to refer to unusual or uncommon sexual interests or activities. Hundreds of desires have been described as paraphilias over the years, although there are currently...
Kink & BDSM
How Sex Toys Can Help Bring Your Fantasies to Life
January 17, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
There is a big gap between fantasy and reality. When I surveyed more than 4,000 adults about their sexual fantasies for my book Tell Me What You Want, I found...
Fantasies, Potpourri
All of the Unusual Things People Got Stuck Inside Their Genitals Last Year
January 17, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Each year, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission updates its database on “consumer product-related injuries” that occur in the United States. It’s a public health tool that tracks emergency room...
Kink & BDSM
Consent is Not a Defense: The Legal Ruling that Criminalized Consensual BDSM in Britain
January 13, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
In the late 1980s, British police launched a massive investigation into men who were participating in sadomasochistic acts with other men in the United Kingdom. Known as Operation Spanner, the...
Kink & BDSM
Sex News Roundup: Do People Really Have a Type When It Comes to Relationships?
January 10, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
What’s going on in the world of sex and relationship research right now? Here’s a brief recap of the latest and greatest happenings. In this edition, we’ll review a new...
Sex Ed
The Way People View Married Life Versus Single Life is Shifting
January 8, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Living single as an adult has long been stigmatized, with singles being viewed as “incomplete” due to their lack of a relationship [1]. Not only that, but singles are often...
Dating & Relationships
Watch Me on the New Netflix Series Sex, Explained!
January 3, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
I’ve been sitting on some very exciting news for the last few months: I’m featured in the first episode of a new series from Netflix and Vox titled Sex, Explained!...
Potpourri
Why Rough Sex is Arousing to So Many People
January 3, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Rough sex is one of the most popular sexual fantasies. While it’s a common fantasy theme across genders, it is especially common among women. As I discuss in my book...
Gender, Sex Ed
Happy New Year! Science-Backed Resolutions For Better Sex In 2020
January 1, 2020 by Justin Lehmiller
Each time a new year begins, a lot of people make resolutions for self-improvement. Some of us resolve to lose weight or to get in better shape, others vow to...
Potpourri, Sex Ed
Nine Things Science Taught Us About Sex In 2019
December 30, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
2019 has been memorable for a lot of reasons—including what science taught us about sex. Here’s a quick recap of some of the most interesting things we learned about sex...
Sex Ed
The Year in Sex: The 10 Most-Read Articles on Sex and Psychology in 2019
December 27, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
As 2019 winds down, let's look back at this year's ten most read articles on Sex and Psychology. The following posts represent a very diverse range of content and, combined,...
Potpourri
What Was Popular In Porn In 2019?
December 23, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Pornhub just released their 2019 year-in-review of users’ viewing habits and, as usual, the results were fascinating. They reported an average of 115 million site visitors per day this year,...
Sex Ed
8 Years of Great Sex: It’s the Eighth Blogiversary of Sex and Psychology!
December 20, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Believe it or not, Sex and Psychology is officially eight years old! When I started blogging in 2011, I had no idea where this journey would take me, but it...
Potpourri
The Season of Sex: Sexual Activity Increases in December. Here’s Why
December 18, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex is seasonal, to some degree. Researchers have found that our sexual activity patterns ebb and flow throughout the year, and there’s an interesting change taking place right now. Sex...
Potpourri, Videos
Do Something Good For Your Relationship This Holiday Season: Share Your Sexual Fantasies
December 16, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of people are hard at work right now trying to find the perfect holiday gift for a significant other. Allow me to make your job a little easier...
Sex Ed
Pornography is Dangerous for Teens? Chill Out, The Kids are Going to be (Mostly) Alright
December 13, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Americans have become increasingly fond of calling pornography a “public health crisis.” Those who claim this frequently cite adolescents’ “rampant access to pornography” as a central concern. Parents are encouraged...
Sex Ed
Blinded by Desire: How Motivation to Establish a Relationship Affects Sexual Risk-Taking
December 11, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
We all like to imagine that our decision making is clear and logical and that we’re weighing the pros and cons before we act. The truth, however, is that we’re...
Gender, Sex Ed
Meet This Week’s Amazing Sex and Psychology Guest Bloggers!
December 9, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
I am currently on vacation and traveling through Asia, with stops in Japan, Thailand, and the Philippines! It’s an exciting trip and I’m sure I’ll have a lot to share...
Potpourri
The History of the Billion-Dollar Sperm Banking Industry
December 6, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
I listen to a lot of podcasts, and NPR’s Planet Money is one of my favorites. Generally speaking, their episodes don’t have much to do with sex or sexuality; however,...
Safe Sex
Want to Write for Sex and Psychology? Here’s Your Chance
December 4, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex and Psychology is about to celebrate it’s eighth anniversary! To date, every single post on the site has been written by me. In fact, I’ve blogged three times per...
Potpourri
How Civilization Has Changed Sex and the Future of Sex: A Conversation with Dr. Christopher Ryan
December 2, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
I recently interviewed Dr. Christopher Ryan (author of Sex at Dawn) about his latest book, Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress. Ryan argues that while we like to think...
Books & Films, Interviews
Black Friday Sale at the Sex and Psychology Store!
November 29, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Can’t decide what to buy the sexy people in your life this holiday season? I have you covered. Check out the all new Sex and Psychology Store! You’ll find everything...
Potpourri
Seven Reasons to be Thankful for Sex Today (and Every Other Day of the Year)
November 28, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
To all of my readers celebrating Thanksgiving today, don't forget to be thankful for sex! Research suggests that sex is good for us in a lot of ways, both physically...
Potpourri
Civilized Sex: Has Civilization Changed Sex for Better or for Worse?
November 25, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
There’s a tendency to believe that civilization is our greatest human accomplishment and to think that every advance we’ve made—whether scientific, medical, or otherwise—has made things better because it has...
Books & Films, Interviews
This is the Most Unique Podcast About Sex Fantasies You’ll Ever Hear
November 22, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
My book Tell Me What You Want is based on the largest survey of sexual fantasies ever conducted in the United States. I surveyed more than 4,000 Americans from across...
Potpourri
The Psychology of “Cuffing Season”
November 20, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Winter is coming, and that means “cuffing season” is about to get underway. Cuffing season is a term that, to the best of my knowledge, popped up about 10 years...
Dating & Relationships
People Say That 1 in Every 5 Dreams They Have is About Sex
November 18, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Most people report dreaming about sex from time to time. For example, one study found that 93% of men and 86% of women said they’d had sex dreams before. But...
Gender, Sex Ed
Most People Have Fantasized About Being In An Open Relationship
November 15, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Have you ever fantasized about what it would be like to be in a sexually open relationship? If so, you’re not the only one. It turns out that being involved...
Gender, Sex Ed
The Psychology of Unsolicited Dick Pics: How Many Men Have Sent Them, and Why?
November 13, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
One of the most popular posts I’ve ever written on the blog was about why so many men send unsolicited dick pics to women. At the time, there wasn’t really...
Sex Ed
The New Documentary About Dr. Ruth is Definitely Worth Watching
November 11, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
I grew up in the 1980s, so I couldn’t help but know who Dr. Ruth was. Her popularity exploded and she was absolutely everywhere. I heard her on the radio....
Books & Films
Child Sexual Abuse is Preventable, Not Inevitable
November 8, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Is child sexual abuse inevitable? A lot of people seem to be under the impression that it’s only a matter of time before someone who is attracted to children acts...
Videos
Seeking Participants For Sex Studies!
November 6, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
If you're reading this post, odds are that you love learning about the latest sex research. But have you ever wanted to go beyond reading about it and take part...
Sex Ed
Why You Shouldn’t Buy Into the Whole “No Nut November” Thing
November 4, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Every November, a bunch of guys on the internet challenge each other to go a whole month without ejaculating. It’s “No Nut November,” as they call it. Men do this...
Videos
Sexual Arousal Puts Us In a Risk-Taking State of Mind
November 1, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Why do people engage in risky sexual behaviors? This is, of course, a complex question and there are obviously many contributing factors. For example, some people take sexual risks because...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
How Many Young Adults Have Ever Faked an Orgasm, and Why They Did It
October 30, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
It is a widely known fact that people sometimes pretend to orgasm during sex. But just how many have ever done it? Why do they do it? And how do...
Gender, Sex Ed
How People’s Porn Searches Change on Halloween
October 28, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Our sexual interests are seasonal. For example, if you look at trends in porn searches throughout the year, you’ll see that they follow a predictable pattern of changes that reflect...
Potpourri
Vampires and Werewolves and Mermaids, Oh My! How Many People Fantasize About Sex with Mythical Creatures?
October 25, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
With Halloween just around the corner, people will soon start dressing up as all kinds of mythical creatures, from werewolves to vampires to mermaids and beyond. Most people who dress...
Potpourri, Sex Ed
One Person’s Sexual Problem is Another Person’s Erotic Desire
October 23, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
What counts as a sexual “problem?” It depends who you ask. For example, consider the phenomenon often referred to as “premature ejaculation” among men. What I’m talking about here are...
Sex Tips
How the Sexual Effects of Alcohol, Marijuana, and Molly Compare
October 21, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Alcohol, marijuana, and ecstasy/MDMA/Molly are among the most popular substances people use to enhance their sexual experiences. But when it comes to their effects, how similar or different are these...
Sex Ed, Sex Tips
How Couples Can Sustain a Strong Sexual Connection for a Lifetime
October 18, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
As a sex educator and researcher, one of the most common questions I get asked (besides “am I normal?”) is how a couple can stay sexually connected and passionate for...
Dating & Relationships, Videos
What You Think You Know About the Male Refractory Period is Probably Wrong
October 16, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The refractory period is usually defined as a phase following orgasm during which additional orgasms are impossible. Sexual arousal is often said to be very difficult during this time as...
Myth vs Fact, Sex Ed
Nine Things You Should Know About Casual Sex
October 14, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Casual sex is common, and studies suggest that most people will have it at one point or another. However, despite its prevalence, casual sex is widely misunderstood. Here are nine...
Gender, Sex Ed
What Does It Mean To Be Sex Positive?
October 9, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
What does it mean to be sex positive? This is one of those terms that different people define in different ways; however, at the core of most definitions is the...
Psychology
Older Women Who Date Younger Men Are More Satisfied
October 7, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Relationships in which a woman is significantly older than her male partner have always attracted a lot of attention and scrutiny. Case in point: remember what big news it was...
Dating & Relationships
In Nature, Sexual Deception is Everywhere You Look
October 2, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
A few weeks ago, I posted an article about the beautiful—but sexually deceitful—orchid. Some orchids have evolved to mimic the appearance and scent of female bees in order to lure...
Sex Ed
The Erotic Equation and Why We’re Drawn to People Who Play Hard to Get
September 30, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
In Jack Morin’s classic book The Erotic Mind, he describes the “erotic equation” as follows: Attraction + Obstacles = ExcitementWhat this equation means is basically that if we’re attracted to...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
Porn Ed: What Happens When Porn Replaces Sex Education?
September 27, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Adolescents today have greater access to a wider range of pornography than any previous generation. So how is it affecting them? This question is the crux of a new episode...
Interviews, Sex Ed
How Porn Changes The Way Teens Think About Sex, And Why We Need Porn Literacy
September 27, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
How does pornography affect the way that teens think about and approach sex? Is there a link between pornography and sexual violence, as many in the media have claimed? Also...
Sex Ed, Videos
Do People With ADHD Have a Harder Time With Monogamy?
September 25, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Do people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a more difficult time being monogamous? Are they more inclined to be in sexually open relationships? Sex therapist Ari Tuckman just published...
Interviews
Announcing the 7th Annual SPSP Sexuality Pre-Conference!
September 23, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
I am pleased to announce the seventh annual SPSP Sexuality Pre-Conference! It will be held next February prior to the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology....
Sex Ed
The HPV Vaccine is Underutilized–And How We Can Change That
September 18, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and it’s responsible for a number of negative health effects. In addition to genital warts, it has the potential...
Safe Sex
Why I Deleted My Academia.edu Account and Why You Should, Too
September 16, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The traditional model of academic publishing restricts access to research by putting it in the hands of private companies. As a result, I’ve had to work hard to make my...
Psychology
Study Abroad With Me in Amsterdam for a Course on Sex and Culture
September 13, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
I’m excited to announce a unique study abroad opportunity in conjunction with the Sexual Health Alliance. We are offering a one-week study abroad program in Amsterdam focused on sex and...
Psychology
The Science of Sperm: How This Microscopic Organism Travels Great Distances
September 13, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Sperm and other microscopic organisms don’t have an easy time traveling from Point A to Point B. When an organism is that small, traveling just one inch is actually an...
Videos
ADHD After Dark: How ADHD Affects People’s Sex and Love Lives
September 11, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
How does attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affect people in adult life? Specifically, what are the implications for people’s sexual and romantic relationships? For the answers to these questions, I spoke...
Gender, Interviews
Science Fiction Sex Fantasies: Why Some People are Turned on by Impossible Scenarios
September 9, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
A large number of people have sexual fantasies that are impossible to act out because they feature elements of science fiction. As some evidence of this, I surveyed more than...
Sex Ed
Sex and Disability: Intellectual Disabilities and the Right to Sexuality
September 6, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
In many countries, including the United States, persons with intellectual disabilities are deemed unable to provide sexual consent. The argument behind this is usually that these individuals cannot understand the...
Videos
No Strings Attached? Many Friends with Benefits are Actually Looking for Love
September 4, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
When people become friends with benefits (FWBs), what is it that they truly want from that arrangement? Are they just in it for the “benefits” (that is, sex)? Or are...
Dating & Relationships
Being a Little Narcissistic Could Mean Having a Better Sex Life
September 2, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Narcissism is a frequently maligned personality trait that involves being self-centered, entitled, and holding grandiose views of oneself. Sex researchers have long been interested in how narcissism plays out in...
Dating & Relationships, Gender, Sex Ed
Participants Needed For Sex Studies!
August 28, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
If you're reading this, odds are that you love learning about the latest sex research. But have you ever wanted to go beyond just reading about it and perhaps take...
Sex Ed
Why Sex Should Be About Having Fun Instead of Achieving Goals
August 26, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of people approach sex in a goal-oriented fashion, thinking that there are certain things they need to do or “achieve” every time. High on this list is the...
Sex Tips
Just 5 Mammals Have a Menstrual Cycle. So Why Does It Exist?
August 23, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The menstrual cycle is a rare phenomenon in nature. In fact, it turns out that human beings are just one of a handful of species on Earth in which females...
Videos
Study: 1 in 8 Young Adults Say Watching Porn is a Form of Cheating
August 21, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
When it comes to infidelity, which behaviors count and which ones don’t? It turns out that different people answer this question in very different ways.. That said, there are some...
Dating & Relationships
Celebrating 66 Years of Women’s Sex Research This Week
August 19, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Sixty-six years ago this week (August 20, 1953), the media first reported on some of the major findings from Alfred Kinsey's classic book Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. As...
Sex Ed
People Who Use More Emojis Have More Sex
August 16, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
What does your use of emojis say about your sex and dating life? According to a new study published in the journal PLoS ONE, a lot, actually. In fact, frequent...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
The Flower That Tricks Insects Into Having Sex With It
August 16, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
I keep two plants in my home at all times. One is some leafy thing I bought years ago—I’m not really sure what it is, but it refuses to die...
Potpourri, Videos
The Ten Most-Read Questions and Answers on Sex and Psychology
August 15, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Here's an updated list of the ten most read question-and-answer features of all time on the blog. These questions (all submitted by readers of Sex and Psychology) span a very...
Sex Q&A
We May Be Able to Eradicate HIV Without Ever Finding a Cure For It
August 9, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
We are getting closer and closer to eradicating HIV, a sexually transmitted infection that has contributed to the deaths of at least 32 million people worldwide since the early 1980s....
Safe Sex, Videos
Changes in Americans’ Sexual Behavior Since the 1990s
August 7, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
How have Americans’ sexual behaviors changed over the past quarter of a century? A recent study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior offers some insight. In this study, researchers...
Sex Ed
Where Do Our Sexual Attractions Come From?
August 5, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Why are we sexually attracted to some people, but not others? Where do our attractions come from in the first place? As a social psychologist who has studied issues of...
Dating & Relationships
How We Can Use Science To Close the Orgasm Gap
August 2, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The orgasm gap refers to the well-documented research finding that heterosexual men tend to have more consistent experiences with orgasm than heterosexual women. Specifically, men are not only more likely...
Sex Ed, Videos
Should You Ever Keep a Relationship Secret?
July 31, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Keeping a relationship secret is exciting, right? That's what movies and television shows might lead you to believe. Couples who sneak around together are usually depicted as full of passion...
Dating & Relationships
How Many People Have Experimented With BDSM Before?
July 29, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
BDSM has long been deemed a paraphilia—meaning an unusual sexual interest—by psychologists and psychiatrists. The classification of BDSM as a paraphilia implies that it’s likely to be a pretty rare...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Ed
What is HPV and How Can You Protect Yourself From It?
July 26, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The human papilloma virus (HPV) is one of the most common sexually transmitted infections. More than one hundred strains of HPV exist and, while most of them don’t cause problems,...
Safe Sex, Videos
Who’s Into Polyamory? A Demographic Comparison of Polyamorists and Monogamists
July 24, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Polyamory is a concept that different people define in different ways, but common to most definitions is the capacity to develop more than one emotionally close relationship at the same...
Dating & Relationships
Do People’s Sexual Fantasies Differ Depending on Their Race or Ethnicity?
July 22, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
I surveyed 4,175 Americans about their sexual fantasies for my book Tell Me What You Want. Since this book came out, one of the more common questions I’ve been asked...
Sex Ed
How Your Political Views Shape Who You’re Attracted To
July 19, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Generally speaking, people tend to select romantic partners who hold similar political views. For example, consider a recent study in which researchers looked at party registration patterns of heterosexual married...
Dating & Relationships
When Women Get Blamed For Men’s Infidelity
July 17, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Three Women is a bestselling new book on sexual desire written by journalist Lisa Taddeo. It offers a deep dive into the sex lives and relationships of three American women...
Gender, Interviews
The Most Fantasized About Male and Female Celebrities
July 15, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Who’s your celebrity crush? I surveyed more than 4,000 American adults about their sexual fantasies for my book Tell Me What You Want and, among other things, I asked them...
Gender, Sex Ed
Women Who Sleep With Other Men While Their Husbands Watch: The Psychology of Cuckolding
July 10, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Three Women is a fascinating new book on sexual desire written by journalist Lisa Taddeo. It takes a deep dive into the sex lives and relationships of three American women...
Interviews
How Does Marijuana Affect Men’s Sexual Health and Performance?
July 8, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
How does marijuana affect men in the bedroom? Dozens of scientific studies have been published on the topic, and here’s what we’ve learned so far. Marijuana affects the subjective experience...
Sex Q&A
Relationships: The Importance of Being Growth-Oriented
July 5, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of people end relationships before ever truly giving them a chance, and it's because many of us take the "shopping list" approach to love. In other words, some...
Videos
What Counts as “Pornography?” It Depends Who You Ask
July 3, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
As a sex researcher, I’ve read a lot of studies on the subject of pornography. One thing that’s been pretty consistent across most of them is that what counts as...
Sex Ed
How Americans’ Views on Sexual Morality are Changing
July 1, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
According to the results of Gallup's 2019 Moral Issues Survey, Americans’ views on sexual morality continue to become more liberal overall. In fact, for many of the issues Americans were...
Sex Ed
We Can Predict Whether Men—But Not Women—Have Cheated Based on Their Face Alone
June 28, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
People can predict with modest accuracy whether a man (but not a woman) has cheated before based solely on the appearance of his face, according to a recent study published...
Dating & Relationships, Gender
How Long Does It Take Women And Men To Reach Orgasm?
June 26, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Much has been said and written in the popular media about the length of time it typically takes men and women to reach orgasm; however, most of this information is...
Gender, Sex Ed
People Have More Sex in the Summer. Here’s Why
June 24, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex is seasonal. Our patterns of sexual activity ebb and flow throughout the year, and right now we’re entering peak territory because it’s officially summer. Research from a variety of...
Sex Ed
Sexual Orientation Statistics For LGBT Pride Month
June 21, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
What percentage of Americans today identify as LGBT? And does this percentage differ across age groups? Also, how many Americans currently support same-sex marriage? And just how much does support...
LGBTQIA+, Videos
Seven Things You Should Know About Bisexuality For LGBT Pride Month
June 19, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Bisexuality continues to be a widely misunderstood sexual orientation. Given that this is LGBT Pride Month, I thought it would be useful to put together an article that explores some...
LGBTQIA+
The Psychology of Sadism: Why Some People Are Turned On By Others’ Pain
June 17, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual sadists are people who derive arousal from inflicting pain on others. This could be physical pain, such as hitting someone else, or it could be psychological pain, such as...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Ed, Sex Q&A
How A Male Contraceptive Pill Could Work (Video)
June 14, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Scientists have been working on developing a birth control pill for men for years. One prominent line of research has focused on using hormones to block production of sperm; however,...
Safe Sex, Videos
Four Things You Can Do To Keep Passion Alive And Boost Sexual Satisfaction
June 12, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
How does sexual satisfaction change over time in a relationship? The good news is that scientists have found that it increases. The bad news is that this increase only occurs...
Sex Ed
Gonorrhea Can Potentially Be Spread Through Kissing
June 10, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Gonorrhea is a relatively common sexually transmitted infection (STI) that can be passed along through oral, vaginal, and anal sex. It was once thought that these were the only sexual...
Safe Sex
The Keys To A Happier, Healthier Sex Life (Video)
June 7, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
What are the keys to a leading a happy and healthy sex life? And how do you unlock your authentic sexual self? Dr. Emily Nagoski addresses these questions in the...
Videos
What Kinds of Porn Do Men and Women Watch Most Often?
June 5, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
There are lots of articles out there describing the most-viewed porn categories on Pornhub and other popular adult sites—however, that’s not what this article is. While big data insights from...
Gender, Sex Ed
Ten Myths About Sexual Orientation Debunked By Science
June 3, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
June is LGBT Pride Month, so I'll be running several posts on LGBTQ+ issues on the blog over the next few weeks. To get us started, let's begin by debunking...
LGBTQIA+, Myth vs Fact
What the Kink Community Can Teach Us About Consent and Communication
May 31, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
A few days ago, I received several messages from friends saying they heard a segment on NPR about kink that mentioned me. Naturally, I was curious to give it a...
Safe Sex
How Do You “Come Out” as a Sex Therapist, Educator, or Researcher?
May 29, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Whenever someone asks what I do for a living, I have a decision to make: do I “out” myself as a sex scientist, or do I give a generic answer...
Psychology
Why Tinder is Frustrating for Everyone
May 27, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The internet is rife with articles describing people’s frustration with online dating apps like Tinder. It’s interesting when you think about it because these apps were designed to make dating...
Dating & Relationships, Gender
Why We Need To Rethink Casual Sex
May 24, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The way we think about casual sex is all wrong, as Dr. Terri Conley argues in the TEDx talk below. Conely walks us through some of the key findings from...
Gender, Videos
Penis Enlargement Surgery Is Risky–And There’s Little Evidence That It Works
May 22, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Penis size is a common body concern among men. While most guys report being satisfied with the size of their genitals, a sizable minority say they’re unhappy. For example, in...
Myth vs Fact, Sex Tips
This Sex Position Increases The Odds Of Simultaneous Orgasm For Men And Women
May 20, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
As a sex researcher, I’ve learned a lot about what it is that people fantasize about when it comes sex. In many of the fantasies I’ve heard, something I’ve noticed...
Sex Q&A
Smell Is Our Least Appreciated Sense: How Smell Affects Our Sex Lives and Health
May 17, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
You just might be taking your sense of smell for granted, argues Dr. Rachel Herz in the TEDx video below. In this talk, Herz describes how little appreciation we have...
Videos
Men And Women Have Different Sexual Regrets
May 15, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
When asked to describe a memorable regret, the things people mention most often involve love, sex, and romance. Common regrets include lost opportunities (like “the one that got away”), cheating...
Gender
Is Kink a Sexual Orientation?
May 13, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
What does it say about you if you’re into kinky or BDSM sex? Is it a serious leisure activity, or is it an innate aspect of your sexuality? Could the...
Kink & BDSM, LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
Why We Still Don’t Have Birth Control For Men (Besides Condoms and Vasectomies)
May 10, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
When it comes to men’s options for birth control, they really only have two choices: wear a condom or get a vasectomy. While the number of options available to women...
Safe Sex, Videos
Living Together Before Marriage is Still Illegal in Two States
May 8, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Cohabitation, or the act of living together with a partner outside of marriage, used to be a rarity. However, it has become quite common in the modern world. Many now...
Dating & Relationships
The Number of Americans Identifying as Bisexual has Tripled in the Last Decade
May 6, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The percentage of Americans who identify as LGBT is on the rise. Data from Gallup and other national surveys suggest that, as attitudes toward sexual minorities have become more positive,...
LGBTQIA+
The Truth About the “Oral Sex Gap”
May 3, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
According to countless popular media articles, there is a massive disparity between heterosexual men and women when it comes to giving oral sex. Some of these articles suggest that, in...
Gender, Myth vs Fact, Sex Ed
Women Who Use Marijuana Before Sex Report Better Orgasms
May 1, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
How does marijuana affect women’s sexual functioning? A recent study published in the journal Sexual Medicine sought to find out. Researchers anonymously surveyed hundreds of women visiting an obstetrics and...
Sex Ed
Why Sex Education Can’t Wait: Sex Before Age 13 is More Common Than You Think
April 29, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
In the United States, the average age of first sexual intercourse is 17 for men, according to data from the CDC. The number is roughly the same for women, and...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
The Truth About How Porn Affects Us
April 26, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
In the popular media, pornography has seemingly become the default source of blame for any and all sexual problems. Why are we in a “sex recession?” Porn. Why do we...
Myth vs Fact
How Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors Change as We Get Older
April 24, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex and aging is a topic that has been underexplored in sexuality research, given that the bulk of sex studies to date have focused on college students. However, we’ve learned...
Gender, Sex Ed
Being Similar To Your Partner Doesn’t Guarantee Greater Happiness
April 22, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Finding a compatible partner is one of the cornerstones of a happy and healthy relationship. But how do you determine who you’re compatible with? Intuitively, you might think the answer...
Dating & Relationships
When Sex Is More Than Just Sex
April 19, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
For humans, sex isn’t just about gratifying some carnal, animalistic urge. Rather, the physical act of sex can serve a lot of different psychological purposes. This helps to explain why...
Videos
One in Five People Report Having Been in a Sexually Open Relationship
April 17, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
How many people have ever been involved in a consensual non-monogamous (CNM) relationship before? The results of two recent studies involving nationally representative samples (one from the United States and...
Dating & Relationships
Should Men Be Circumcised In Order To Help Reduce STIs?
April 15, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Some physicians argue that male circumcision should be a routine procedure because it can help fight the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Not only does circumcision reduce men’s odds...
Myth vs Fact, Safe Sex
What We Can Learn About Consent From The BDSM Community
April 12, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual consent is all about having solid communication with your partner(s). However, many of us aren’t very good communicators in general when it comes to sex and, further, many of...
Videos
The History of Obscene Telephone Calls
April 10, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
People have been making obscene telephone calls for almost as long as the telephone has been in existence. In recent years, however, they have begun to change form, as digital...
Kink & BDSM
The Sexual Fantasies of People With Non-Binary Gender Identities
April 8, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
I have written quite a bit about similarities and differences in the sexual fantasies of self-identified men and women (see here for a summary). Of course, however, not everyone identifies...
LGBTQIA+
How To Talk To Your Kids About Sex
April 5, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
As a sex educator and researcher, one of the more common questions I get asked is when and how to talk to your kids about sex. Case in point: a...
Sex Ed
Why Spooning After Sex Might Be Good For Your Love Life
April 3, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
What do you do after sex? Some people like to spoon or cuddle, others go to sleep, and yet others get up to grab something to eat or drink. But...
Dating & Relationships
Children of Lesbian Parents are More Likely to Identify as Gay or Bisexual
April 1, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The idea that gay parents are more likely to have gay children has long been thought to be a myth among sexual orientation researchers. For example, a review of the...
LGBTQIA+
Desire Needs Space: A Sex Therapist on Keeping Passion Alive (Video)
March 29, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Maintaining sexual desire is a challenge that many long-term couples face. So how do you keep the passion alive? As sex and relationship therapist Esther Perel argues, one of the...
Videos
7 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Orgasms
March 27, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The science of orgasm is a fascinating subject. In this post, we’ll take a look at seven of the most interesting things scientists have discovered about orgasms. What to learn...
Sex Ed
The Fascinating Psychology Behind the Popularity of MILF Porn
March 25, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
In the book A Billion Wicked Thoughts, neuroscientists Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam analyzed the contents of over a billion searches on some of the most popular porn sites. They...
Sex Ed
The Most Problematic Belief About Relationships
March 22, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
People have a lot of wrong ideas about how relationships work, and these romantic myths and misconceptions can interfere with our ability to find happiness.
Sex Ed, Videos
5 Things Americans’ Google Searches Have Taught Us About Sex
March 20, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
In the last few years, Google Trends has become a favored research tools of sex scientists. Because not everyone is willing to participate in sex studies for various reasons, Google...
Sex Ed
The State of Sex Education in the United States in 2019 (Infographic)
March 18, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
In the United States today, adolescents' experiences with sex education are anything but consistent. Believe it or not, less than half of all states even require that sex education be...
Safe Sex
Why Different Sexual Orientations Exist (Video)
March 15, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
From an evolutionary standpoint, it makes sense that males of a given species tend to be attracted to females and vice versa because this will encourage frequent reproduction and survival...
LGBTQIA+, Videos
The 7 Most Common Sex Fantasies–And How Many People Have Ever Had Them
March 13, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Which sexual fantasies have you had? I surveyed 4,175 Americans about the content of their sex fantasies for my book Tell Me What You Want and found seven major themes...
Gender, Sex Ed
When Is The Right Time To Start Having Sex?
March 8, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
When you start seeing someone new, when’s the right time to begin having sex with that person? According to a non-scientific survey of OK Cupid users, people are all over...
Sex Ed
How You Can Tell Whether a Sex “Expert” Is Legitimate
March 6, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Gizmodo recently published an exposé on Daniel Sendler, someone who presented himself as a sex expert to the popular media and succeeded in getting a lot of publicity for himself...
Psychology
Consensual Violence: Sex, Sports, and the Politics of Injury (Featured Book Series)
March 6, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
In the last year, I have been approached to consult on a number of legal cases that center around disputes over whether a given sex act constituted consensual BDSM or...
Books & Films
Why A Lot Of Gay Men Are Attracted To Straight Men
February 27, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Pornhub’s annual year-in-review always offers tantalizing insights into what it is that turns people on—and last year’s review was no exception. I recently wrote about some of the top search...
LGBTQIA+
10 Things You Should Know About Condoms for #NationalCondomMonth
February 25, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) recognizes February as National Condom Month. For my part in helping to increase awareness of and education about condoms, I’ve put together the following...
Safe Sex
The Man Who Said a Vasectomy Made Him Gay
February 22, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
I spend a lot of time reading scientific journal articles as part of my job and, every now and then, I come across a paper that makes me say “WTF?”...
LGBTQIA+
Does Sex Affect Athletic Performance?
February 20, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Whenever a major sporting competition is about to occur, it’s common to see news articles about athletes who say they will be abstaining from sex until the event is over....
Sex Ed
How Being “In The Moment” Can Enhance Your Sex Life
February 18, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Difficulties with sexual desire and arousal are common among women and men alike. Unfortunately, medications don’t always fix these problems, in part, because many of these issues have psychological causes,...
Interviews, Videos
The Biggest Misconception About Sex
February 15, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
There are a LOT of things that people get wrong when it comes to sex and relationships. As someone who studies these topics for a living, I’ve noticed that some...
Sex Ed, Videos
The Science of Love (Video)
February 13, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Valentine’s Day is almost upon us and many people have love on the brain. So let’s talk about the science of love! I’ve put together a video compiling five things...
Dating & Relationships, Videos
The Science Of Love (VIDEO)
February 13, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
“Though we often associate love with the heart, the true magic can be seen inside the brain.”This fascinating video by ASAP Science explores the neurobiology behind love. It turns out...
Dating & Relationships, Videos
How Vasectomies Affect Men’s (And Women’s) Sex Lives
February 11, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Vasectomies are one of the most underutilized forms of birth control, in part, because a lot of men are worried about the procedure having a number of negative effects on...
Safe Sex
Exercise Can Help Prevent and Treat Erectile Dysfunction
February 8, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Erectile dysfunction or ED is one of the most common sexual difficulties experienced by men. As with most sexual difficulties, there are numerous potential causes, including some that are biological,...
Sex Tips
Feederism: Why Some People Are Turned On By Erotic Eating And Weight Gain
February 6, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Feederism has been described as "a fat fetish focused on erotic eating, feeding, and gaining weight" [1]. There are two types of people who exist within this fetish culture: feeders...
Kink & BDSM
Can Pedophilies Change?
February 4, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The mental health community has long been interested in developing treatments for persons who are attracted to prepubescent children with the goal of preventing sexual offenses. In fact, if you...
Kink & BDSM
3 Sex Fantasies That Are More Common Than You Think
February 1, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Paraphilia is the term psychiatrists and psychologists use to refer to any type of unusual or “non-normative” sexual interest. The number of sexual fantasies that have been deemed paraphilic has...
Sex Ed
9 Out of the Top 10 Traits Men and Women Want In a Romantic Partner are the Same
January 30, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
When it comes to what men and women want in a romantic partner, they’re stereotyped as wanting drastically different things. However, research suggests that they actually have a lot in...
Dating & Relationships
How Long People Want Sex To Last Versus How Long Sex Actually Lasts
January 28, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
How long do you want to spend on sex? And how long do you actually spend on sex when you have it? Research suggests that there’s often a discrepancy in...
Sex Ed
How To Talk To Your Partner About Your Sexual Fantasies
January 25, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
There's a lot we can potentially gain from talking to our partners about our sexual fantasies. Among other things, this has the potential to increase our sexual and relationship satisfaction...
Sex Ed, Videos
How Many Americans Have Paid For Sex Before?
January 23, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Purchasing sex used to be a very common behavior among American men. For example, Alfred Kinsey’s famous studies of human sexual behavior from the 1940s and 50s found that 69%...
Gender, Sex Ed
Why Is Porn Inspired By Video Games So Popular?
January 21, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
It seems as though every time a video game becomes a major hit, porn inspired by that game becomes a big thing. For example, when the PokémonGo craze hit in...
Sex Ed
How Can I Tell If My Partner Is Cheating?
January 18, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Readers of the blog often send me their questions about sex and relationships, and one that I’ve heard several times recently concerns infidelity and whether there are any reliable indicators...
Sex Q&A, Videos
Are We Really in a “Sex Recession?”
January 16, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
A recent study suggests that Americans are having less sex today than they were a quarter-century ago. These findings have received a lot of attention—I covered them on the blog...
Sex Ed
Nonconsensual Condom Removal: How Common is “Stealthing?”
January 14, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
In 2017, we added a new word to our sexual vocabulary: stealthing. A paper published in the Columbia Journal of Gender and Law defined it as “nonconsensual condom removal during...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
The Problem With The “Born This Way” Argument (Video)
January 11, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual orientation is something that many people consider to be an innate characteristic—it’s something you’re born with. This idea is popular within the LGBTQ community, and it’s something that has...
LGBTQIA+, Videos
Can Medications and Drugs Be Transferred Through Semen?
January 9, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Readers of the blog frequently send me questions about sex, and I’ve noticed that some of them seem to pop up more often than others. One that I find myself...
Sex Q&A
Sexual Fantasies About Body Fluids: How Many People Have Them?
January 7, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
The human body produces a number of different fluids—and those fluids represent a sexual turn-on for some people. From semen and sweat to blood and breast milk, almost any body...
Gender, Sex Ed
What Was Popular In Porn In 2018?
January 2, 2019 by Justin Lehmiller
Pornhub recently released their 2018 year-in-review of users’ viewing habits and the results were fascinating. Among other things, they reported an average of 92 million site visitors per day in...
Sex Ed
Happy New Year! Here Are 9 Resolutions For Better Sex In 2019
December 31, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Every time a new year comes around, people start making resolutions for self-improvement. For example, some of us resolve to lose weight or to get in shape, others vow to...
Potpourri, Sex Ed
The Most Common Reasons For Becoming a Sex Worker in a Country Where Sex Work is Legal
December 30, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
There are a lot of stereotypes about female sex workers, and one is that no woman would ever choose this profession voluntarily. Some people see sex work as inherently victimizing,...
Sex Ed
The Year in Sex: The 10 Most-Read Articles on Sex and Psychology in 2018
December 28, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
As 2018 winds down, let's take a look back at this year's ten most read articles on Sex and Psychology. The following posts represent an incredibly diverse range of content...
Potpourri
Eight Things Science Taught Us About Sex In 2018
December 26, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
2018 has been memorable for a lot of reasons—including what science taught us about sex. Here’s a quick recap of some of the most interesting things we learned about sex...
Sex Ed
Christmas Kissing: How Mistletoe Became a Kissing Cue
December 24, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of people decorate with mistletoe around Christmas, hanging it from the ceiling or over a door. Mistletoe is more than just a holiday decoration, though—it’s also a cue...
Potpourri
7 Years of Great Sex: It’s the Seventh Blogiversary of Sex and Psychology!
December 21, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
It's hard for me to believe this, but Sex and Psychology is now seven years old! When I began blogging in 2011, I had no idea where this journey would...
Potpourri
Believe It or Not, Nude Psychotherapy Used To Be A Thing—And Even The APA President Supported It
December 17, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
A few weeks ago, a friend of mine shared an article with me that offered a historical review of the “nude psychotherapy” movement in psychology. Wait—what? As I began to...
Sex Ed
Holiday Shopping Ideas For The Sexy People In Your Life
December 14, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
If you aren’t quite finished with your holiday shopping or (like me) haven’t even started yet, allow me to make your job a little easier this year. If you're in...
Potpourri
Forbidden Fruit: How Many of Us Have Fantasized About Our Partner’s Best Friend? Or Their Sibling?
December 14, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
In studying the sex fantasies of more than 4,000 Americans for my book Tell Me What You Want, I discovered that there’s one person who’s more likely to appear in...
Gender, Sex Ed
Romantic Red: Does Dressing In Red Really Make You More Sexually Attractive?
December 12, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Over the last decade, scientists have published a series of studies claiming that the color red is a sexual signal and that wearing it makes you more attractive to the...
Sex Ed
The Best Present You Can Give Your Partner This Holiday Season? Touch
December 10, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
It’s that time of year when many of us begin to search frantically for the perfect holiday gift for a significant other. Despite all of the time, effort, and money...
Potpourri
We’ve Just Entered The Season of Sex: People Have More Sex in December
December 7, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Research suggests that, on average, people tend to have more sex in the summer than they do in the winter; however, December is the exception to the winter sex slump....
Potpourri, Videos
People Think Sex Is Riskier Than It Really Is
December 5, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
There's a scene in the movie Mean Girls in which high school health teacher Coach Carr gives his students a lesson in sex education. It pretty much consists of him...
Sex Ed
Are Men And Women Really That Different When It Comes To Sex? Join Me For a Course on the Mars/Venus Debate
November 30, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
The idea that men and women are polar opposites when it comes to sex is a popular one, immortalized in bestselling books like Men are From Mars, Women are From...
Uncategorized
How Many People Want To Have Sex With A Robot?
November 28, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I’ve seen a lot of articles lately about sex robots and how they’re supposedly going to revolutionize our sex lives. A lot of these articles make the assumption that there’s...
Sex Ed
Sharing and Acting on Group Sex Fantasies: Gender and Sexual Orientation Differences
November 23, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I surveyed more than 4,000 Americans about their sexual fantasies for my book Tell Me What You Want and I found that group sex was one of the most common...
Gender, LGBTQIA+, Sex Ed
Seven Reasons To Give Thanks For Sex Today
November 22, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
For all of my readers celebrating Thanksgiving today, don't forget to give thanks for sex! Why? Research suggests that sex is good for us in many ways, both physically and...
Potpourri
People’s Orgasm Faces Look Surprisingly Different Across Cultures
November 21, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
When I was training to become a social psychologist, I learned that many emotions and facial expressions seem to be universal across cultures. Recently, however, researchers have begun to debate...
Sex Ed
Sex With An Ex: Is It A Terrible Idea?
November 19, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
“Welcome to the wonderful world of ex sex. It’s hot, it’s naughty…oh yeah, and it’s a really stupid idea.” – Cosmopolitan Magazine When a couple decides to end their relationship,...
Dating & Relationships
Why You Should Take Your Time When Putting On A Condom
November 16, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Condoms are one of the best tools we have available for reducing the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and preventing unintended pregnancies. Unfortunately, however, they don’t provide quite as...
Safe Sex
Why Being a “Details Person” Just Might Make You a Better in Bed
November 14, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Many psychologists believe that our personalities consist of five underlying traits: openness to experience (your willingness to try new things), conscientiousness (how detail oriented and organized you are), extraversion (how...
Sex Ed
The HPV Vaccine May Soon Be Readily Available To Americans Up To Age 45
November 12, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
A few years ago, I decided to get the HPV vaccine. This vaccine didn’t hit the market until I was well into adulthood, so I didn’t have a chance to...
Safe Sex
So You Want To Be A Science Blogger? Here’s What You Need To Know
November 9, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I’ve been running the Sex and Psychology blog for nearly 7 (!) years at this point. When I started, I didn’t know a whole lot about blogging. I gradually picked...
Psychology
Some Doctors Are Smearing C-Section Babies With Bacteria To Boost Their Health
November 7, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
A few years ago, I came across some research reporting that the way a child is born appears to have consequences for their health. How so? Scientists believe that the...
Sex Ed
10 Facts About Cheating And Infidelity, According To Science
November 5, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Infidelity has long been a topic of interest to scientists who study sex and relationships. Over the years, they’ve uncovered a number of fascinating things about how common cheating is,...
Dating & Relationships
Similarities and Differences in Men’s and Women’s Sex Fantasies
November 2, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
How are men’s and women’s sexual fantasies similar? And how are they different? I surveyed 4,175 Americans about their sex fantasies as part of my book Tell Me What You...
Videos
5 Important Things Science Has Taught Us About Sexual Attraction
October 31, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
What is it that attracts us to other people? Can you fall in love at first sight? Can computer algorithms successfully predict who will make a good match? Read on...
Dating & Relationships
“Casual Sex” Isn’t All That Casual
October 29, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
We tend to think of casual sex as, well, a pretty casual affair, meaning it’s just about the sex and nothing else. This view of casual sex is pervasive, even...
Sex Ed
Halloween Sex Offender Panic Is Here Again—But It’s Still Not Making Us Safer
October 26, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Each October, the media runs story after story warning parents about the dangers that sex offenders pose to children on Halloween. All of the panic stoked by these claims has...
Sex Ed
How (And Why) I Became A Sex Researcher
October 24, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
As someone who studies the science of sex for a living, I’m often asked what it is that drew me to this field. How and why did I decide to...
Potpourri
Sexless Marriages: How Common Are They, And How Do People Cope With Them?
October 22, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Nationally representative U.S. survey data reveal that approximately 1 in 7 adults today are living in a sexless marriage, meaning they report engaging in little to no sexual activity [1,...
Dating & Relationships
Future Doctors Score a “D” in Sexual Health Knowledge Because Sex Ed Barely Exists in Medical School
October 19, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
The state of sex education is poor for American adolescents—but you probably already knew that. However, what you may not have realized is that the state of sex education for...
Safe Sex, Sex Ed
Men Who Have More Sex Have a Lower Risk of Heart Attacks
October 15, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Scientists have found that sex seems to be good for us in many ways. For example, sexual activity has stress-relieving properties: when couples in a good quality relationship have sex...
Sex Ed
Seven Fascinating Facts About Sexual Fantasies
October 10, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I surveyed 4,175 Americans from all 50 states about their sexual fantasies for my book Tell Me What You Want. Participants were asked to describe their favorite sexual fantasy of...
Sex Ed
Video: The Science of Being Transgender
October 5, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Most people are cisgender, meaning that their gender identity corresponds with their birth sex; however, some people are transgender, meaning their gender identity and birth sex are different. Increasingly, scientists...
LGBTQIA+, Videos
First-Born Kids are Most Likely To Get a “Birds and Bees” Talk From Their Parents
October 1, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Parents have the potential to play an important role in their children’s sex education. Indeed, many of you reading this probably received a version of the “birds and bees” talk...
Sex Ed
“Unusual” Sexual Fantasies Are A Lot More Common Than You Might Think
October 1, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Psychologists and psychiatrists use the term paraphilia to refer to unusual sexual interests. In other words, a paraphilia represents a desire for an uncommon sexual object or activity. Hundreds of...
Gender, Kink & BDSM
Monogamous, Monogamish, or Polyamorous? Join Me For a Course on Figuring Out Which Type of Relationship is Right For You
September 28, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Relationships can take a lot of different forms, from monogamous to “monogamish” to polyamorous. Each approach has its own unique set of advantages and challenges. So how do you figure...
Uncategorized
10 More of Your Burning Questions About Sex, Answered (VIDEO)
September 26, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I’m answering more of YOUR questions about sex today. In the video below, I’ll review ten questions submitted by readers of Sex and Psychology and explore what science can tell...
Sex Q&A, Videos
Video: 10 Questions About Sex
September 26, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Today, I’m answering YOUR questions about sex. I’ve put together a brief video in which I review ten questions submitted by readers of Sex and Psychology and explore what science...
Sex Q&A, Videos
How Does Consent Work In An Orgy?
September 24, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
There’s a big assumption built into the way most people talk about sexual consent, which is that sex is exclusively a two-person activity. While it’s true that sex most often...
Sex Ed
Orgasms Trigger Migraine Headaches in Some, But Cure Them in Others
September 19, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
We’ve long known that there’s a link between sex and headaches. In fact, we can trace this all the way back to Hippocrates, who is thought to be the first...
Sex Ed, Sex Tips
My Favorite Story About the History of the Vibrator Isn’t True
September 17, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
About a decade ago, I came across a book entitled The Technology of Orgasm by Rachel Maines. It quickly became one of my favorites on the history of sex because...
Myth vs Fact
How Booze and Weed Affect Us During Sex
September 14, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Alcohol and marijuana are among the most popular substances people use to enhance their sexual experiences. But when it comes to their effects, how similar or different are these drugs?...
Sex Ed
From Oysters to Chocolate to Ginseng: Aphrodisiacs that Do and Don’t Work, According to Science
September 14, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
People have been searching for tools to enhance their sex lives for centuries. Historically, and even today, they have looked to various herbs and foods in the hope of finding...
Myth vs Fact, Sex Tips
Announcing the 6th Annual SPSP Sexuality Pre-Conference!
September 12, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I am pleased to announce the sixth annual SPSP Sexuality Pre-Conference! It will be held next February prior to the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology....
Sex Ed
4 Uncommon Sexual Fantasies And What They Mean
September 10, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I have been studying the science of sex for the last ten years. During that time, I’ve learned a lot about what turns people on, from the vanilla to the...
Sex Ed
Video: The Science of Love With Dr. Art Aron
September 7, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Why should scientists study love? Because, as social psychologist Dr. Art Aron explains in the video below, it's central to our health and happiness. Dr. Aron talks not only about...
Dating & Relationships, Videos
4 Things I’ll Miss About Academia—And 4 Things I Won’t
September 5, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I made a major career move this summer. After working ten years as a college professor, I decided it was time for something new: I left academia to become a...
Psychology
When are Married Couples Most Likely to Cheat? The Link Between Infidelity and Relationship Length
September 3, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I shared an article on Twitter the other day about the prevalence of infidelity, which prompted a response from my pal Dan Savage about how cheating is associated with the...
Dating & Relationships, Gender
Are You a “Grower” or a “Shower?”: Average Penis Length Changes From Flaccid to Erect
August 31, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Some men’s penises seem to grow more than others when they change from a flaccid to erect state. In colloquial terms, men who experience a larger increase in length are...
Sex Ed
A Safe-Sex Guide For LGBTQIA Persons
August 29, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Many sex education programs in the United States fail to meet the needs of sexual and gender minority students. This is especially true for programs that have an abstinence-only focus....
Safe Sex
Postcoital Dysphoria: When You Inexplicably Become Sad After Consensual, Satisfying Sex
August 27, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
How do you feel after sex? If you’re like most people, you’re probably pretty happy. After all, “it feels good” and “it’s fun” are among the most common reasons men...
Sex Ed
The Stereotypes Gay Men and Lesbians Hold About Bisexual Persons
August 22, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual orientation is all too commonly viewed as an either/or proposition, meaning you’re either gay or you’re straight, and nothing in between. This view is widely held, even by many...
LGBTQIA+
Celebrate 65 Years of Women’s Sex Research Today
August 18, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Sixty-five years ago today (August 20, 1953), the media first reported on some of the major findings from Alfred Kinsey's classic book Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. As many...
Sex Ed
What Your Sexual Fantasies Say About Your Personality
August 17, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Our sexual fantasies appear to reflect, at least in part, our personality traits and characteristics. In studying the sex fantasies of more than 4,000 Americans for my book Tell Me...
Sex Ed
How To Get Over Your Ex, According To Science
August 15, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
It can be challenging to get over a breakup. Many people find that they can’t stop thinking about their ex and that this has negative implications for their mental health,...
Dating & Relationships, Videos
What Actually Happens to Your Brain and Body During Sex? (Video)
August 15, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Why does sex tend to feel good? In order to answer this question, we need to step back and look at what our brains and bodies are doing during sexual...
Videos
Why Do Men Report Having More Sex Partners Than Women?
August 8, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
One of the most reliable findings across studies of human sexual behavior is that heterosexual men report substantially more lifetime sexual partners on average compared to heterosexual women. In theory,...
Gender, Sex Ed, Videos
Can Food Put Us In The Mood? How Hunger State Influences Responses to Romantic Imagery
August 6, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Food and romance are intimately intertwined in modern dating rituals. Indeed, restaurants are one of the most popular places people visit when they go on a date. Neuroscience research suggests...
Dating & Relationships
Video: The Science of “Blue Balls” and “Blue Vulva”
August 3, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
The term "blue balls" is frequently used to describe "a dull, aching sensation that occurs during sexual arousal before or without ejaculation." You may or may not realize this, but...
Videos
Join Me in NYC on August 8 For a Course on Getting the Sex Life and Relationship You Want
August 1, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Are you getting what you want when it comes to sex? Odds are, probably not. Most of us have sexual fantasies that we wish were part of our sexual reality;...
Uncategorized
If You Could Have Sex Every Day, Would You Be Happier?
July 27, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Studies suggests that most married adults have sex somewhere between a few times per month and a few times per week (side note: sexual frequency in relationships is similar for...
Sex Ed, Videos
Why Are Some People Sexually Attracted To Animals?
July 25, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
People who are sexually attracted to animals are often referred to as "zoophiles" in the psychological literature. Zoophilia is something that has long been considered a paraphilia, meaning an uncommon...
Kink & BDSM
Your Personality Traits Can Predict Your Sexual Behaviors, Attitudes, and Sexual Health
July 20, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Your sex life is, to some extent, a function of your personality. Sex scientists have accumulated a large body of research revealing linkages between what are known as the "Big...
Sex Ed
Americans’ Views on Sexual Morality are the Most Liberal on Record
July 18, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
According to the results of Gallup's 2018 Moral Issues Survey, Americans’ views on sexual morality continue to become more liberal. For the majority of issues Americans were surveyed about, Gallup...
Sex Ed
How To Maintain A Great Sex Life As You Get Older
July 16, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
When people think about sex and aging, they have a tendency to focus on all of the things that might interfere with sexual satisfaction as we get older, such as...
Videos
Why We Need More Research On Sex And Aging
July 16, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex and aging is a topic I've wanted to include more coverage of on the blog for a long time; however, when you run a research-based blog, it's hard to...
Videos
Where Do Our Sex Fantasies Come From?
July 11, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
What’s the source of your favorite sex fantasy? Did it emerge from a previous sexual experience? Is it from something you saw in porn or in the popular media? Or...
Sex Ed
Why Do We Fantasize About Sex? There Are More Reasons Than You Think
July 11, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Why do we have sexual fantasies? For many of you, the first thought that probably comes to mind is to enhance sexual arousal or to experience pleasure. However, that’s just...
Sex Ed
The Deeper Psychological Meaning Behind Your Sexual Fantasies
July 9, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
When we hear or read about other people’s sexual fantasies, we have a tendency to focus our attention on the specific act they describe, such as a threesome or bondage,...
Sex Ed
What I Learned By Asking 4,000 Americans About Their Biggest Sex Fantasies
July 6, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
My new book, Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life, will land in bookstores next week (July...
Sex Ed
The 7 Most Common Sexual Fantasies
July 4, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
What's your favorite sexual fantasy of all time? I asked 4,175 Americans to tell me their biggest sexual desire as part of a recent survey I conducted and the results...
Videos
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Pegging
July 2, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Anal activities have become increasingly popular in porn—and in people’s sex lives, too. For example, changes in Pornhub search trends reveal that queries for anal sex have increased by more...
Sex Ed
7 Things That Predict Higher (Or Lower) Sexual Satisfaction
June 29, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex scientists have found that people’s sexual satisfaction seems to depend on a wide range of factors, from how often they’re having sex to the types of sexual activities they’re...
Sex Ed
Female Hyenas Have an 8-Inch Clitoris–And It Makes For Tricky Mating
June 27, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I've been reading and hearing a lot about spotted hyenas in the media lately. They caught my attention because, well, hyenas don't usually show up in my newsfeed very often...
Media & Culture
Does Sex Affect Athletic Performance? Here’s What The Latest Research Says
June 25, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Many athletes abstain from sex before major sporting competitions because they (and sometimes their coaches) are worried that getting it on might have a negative impact on their performance. For...
Sex Ed
Tell Me What You Want: An Unprecedented Look At Our Sexual Fantasies–And What They Say About Us
June 22, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I am thrilled to announce that my new book, Tell Me What You Want: The Science of Sexual Desire and How It Can Help You Improve Your Sex Life, will...
Potpourri
More Evidence That Sex Could Be Good For Your Brain
June 20, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Research on both humans and animals increasingly suggests that being sexually active just might benefit the brain. Here's an overview of the evidence that has accumulated so far:A 2010 study...
Sex Ed
There’s Just One Problem With Suppressing Sexual Thoughts—It Doesn’t Work
June 18, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Let’s say you have a sexual fantasy about something—or someone—you’re not “supposed” to do, perhaps because it conflicts with the teachings of your religion. When a thought about this pops...
Sex Ed
5 Things You Should Know About Bisexuality For LGBT Pride Month
June 13, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Bisexuality continues to be a widely misunderstood sexual orientation. Given that this is LGBT Pride Month, I thought it would be useful to put together an article that explores some...
LGBTQIA+
How Your Sense Of Smell Shapes Your Sexual Experiences
June 11, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
It’s hardly a new revelation that our sense of smell plays an important role in our sexual and romantic lives. I mean, after all, the multi-billion dollar perfume, cologne, and...
Sex Ed
Americans’ Support for Same-Sex Marriage is at an All-Time High
June 8, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic change in support for same-sex marriage in the United States. Consider this: in 2007, the Pew Research Center conducted a national...
LGBTQIA+
What Does (And Doesn’t) Impact Men’s Sperm Health
June 6, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
It’s not uncommon for guys to experience fertility problems—even guys who are in the prime of their lives. Just consider that some health organizations claim that as many as 1...
Myth vs Fact
Three Observations About Sex And Culture In Europe
June 6, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I recently finished teaching a study abroad course on Sexuality and Culture in the Netherlands. After the course was over, I did some personal travel around Europe, with stops in...
Potpourri
10 Myths About Sexual Orientation Debunked By Science
June 1, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
In recognition of June being LGBT Pride Month, I'll be running several LGBT-themed posts on the blog over the next few weeks. To start us off, let's debunk some of...
LGBTQIA+
Why Our Sexual Identities and Sexual Behaviors Don’t Always Line Up
May 30, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
What percentage of the population is gay or bisexual? This is a surprisingly difficult question to answer because depending on the definition of sexual orientation you use—sexual identity, sexual attraction,...
LGBTQIA+
The Truth About Unwanted Sexual Arousal (VIDEO)
May 23, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Scientists who study sexual arousal have found that when they show participants a pornographic video, many people (especially women) show signs of genital arousal while simultaneously reporting that they do...
Sex Ed, Videos
What Forced Sex Fantasies Mean In the #MeToo Era
May 21, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
In the real world, forcing someone to have sex is something that is widely regarded as a repugnant act. By contrast, in our sexual fantasies, the prospect of being forced...
Sex Ed
What I Learned From An Afternoon With Two 77-Year-Old Sex Workers
May 18, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
As part of the study abroad course I’m teaching on Sex and Culture in the Netherlands, I booked us a tour of Amsterdam’s Red Light District with the famous Fokken...
Potpourri
Do Sex Workers Have Better Mental Health In Cultures Where Prostitution Is Legal?
May 17, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Today in my study abroad course on sex and culture in the Netherlands, we're focusing on sex work, especially the link between prostitution and mental health. Many studies have been...
Sex Ed
In the Netherlands, Attitudes Toward Homosexuality Are More Mixed Than You Might Think
May 16, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
The Netherlands is often seen as a utopia for people who are attracted to the same sex—and this view is perfectly understandable when you look at how homosexuality has historically...
LGBTQIA+
I’m Studying Sex in the Netherlands For the Next Two Weeks!
May 7, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Greetings from Amsterdam! For the second year in a row, I’m teaching a study abroad course on Sexuality and Culture in the Netherlands. Today is the first full day of...
Potpourri
10 Scientific Sex Terms You Probably Didn’t Know
May 4, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Scientific research papers are often indecipherable to the average reader. This is due, in part, to the fact that scientists use a lot of jargon—they have a special vocabulary that...
Potpourri
Fact Check: Are There Really Racial Differences In Penis Size?
May 2, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
The question of whether there are racial differences in penis size is one that has been notoriously difficult to answer with any degree of scientific certainty. The problem has been...
Myth vs Fact
The Link Between Homophobia and Insomnia and Why It Matters For LGB Health
April 30, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexual minority individuals—that is, people who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, or who otherwise report same-sex attraction or behavior—are at increased risk for developing a number of physical health...
LGBTQIA+
Is Erectile Dysfunction Really on the Rise in Young Men?
April 27, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
In the popular media, it’s easy to find claims of a rising “epidemic” of erectile dysfunction in young men. For example, this article argues that the rate of ED in...
Myth vs Fact, Sex Tips
When It Comes To Sex, “Average” and “Normal” Don’t Mean the Same Thing
April 25, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
People email me with questions about their sex lives all the time. More often than not, these questions boil down to the same theme: "Am I normal?"A lot of folks...
Media & Culture
Better Sex Through Mindfulness: An Interview With Dr. Lori Brotto (VIDEO)
April 23, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Difficulties with sexual desire and arousal are common, especially among women—and they’re notoriously difficult to treat with medications alone. However, the good news is that these problems are responsive to...
Interviews, Sex Tips, Videos
How the Practice of BDSM is Linked to Relationship Satisfaction
April 20, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
People who are into bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism, and masochism (or BDSM for short) experience a lot of stigma. For one thing, they are often seen as psychologically disturbed,...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
How Many Gay Men Say They Are Bisexual When They’re Coming Out?
April 16, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
In an episode of the classic television series Sex and the City, Carrie Bradshaw discovers that a guy she's seeing has dated both men and women. Uncomfortable with the thought...
LGBTQIA+
Swingers And Polyamorists May Have More Satisfying Sex Lives Than Monogamists
April 16, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
There’s a common assumption that monogamous relationships are superior to consensually non-monogamous relationships in virtually all ways. In fact, studies have found that monogamous relationships are thought to be better...
Dating & Relationships
The Most Common Reasons For Sex And How They Differ Based On Gender And Age
April 13, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
How many different reasons are there to have sex? At least 237, according to one study. However, that study was primarily based on young college students, which begs the question...
Gender, Sex Ed
When People Cheat, Who Do They Do It With? Is It Usually A Friend Or A Stranger?
April 11, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
There’s a lot of research out there looking at how many people have cheated, their reasons for cheating, and what “counts” as cheating; however, surprisingly little work has looked at...
Dating & Relationships, Gender
Changes In Americans’ Attitudes Toward And Experiences With Infidelity In The Last Two Decades
April 9, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Are Americans today more or less likely to cheat on their spouses than they were in the past? And how have their attitudes toward infidelity changed—have they become more or...
Dating & Relationships, Gender
Sexlessness: How Many Americans Didn’t Have Sex Last Year?
April 6, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Most people have sex at least once in their lives. For example, in a longitudinal study of over 20,000 American adolescents who were surveyed repeatedly over a 15-year period, just...
Sex Ed
Why Cars Are One Of The Most Popular Places To Have Sex
April 4, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
People fantasize about having sex in a wide range of settings, but cars are one of the most popular. As some evidence of this, I surveyed more than four thousand...
Sex Ed
How Is Porn Use Linked To Relationship Satisfaction? It’s Complicated
April 2, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
It’s easy to find articles in the popular media talking about how porn ruins relationships. Many scientific studies have made this claim, too. However, there’s a problematic assumption embedded in...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
The 4 Main Reasons People Stop Having Kids
March 30, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Why do people who start a family decide it’s time to stop having children? A new set of studies published in the journal Marriage and Family Review identifies 4 primary...
Sex Ed
The G-Spot Isn’t What You Think It Is
March 28, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Few aspects of genital anatomy have sparked as much scientific debate as the so-called G-spot (also known as the Grafenberg spot). Some researchers have argued that it is a distinct...
Sex Ed
Shades of Gay: Is There a Real Difference Between a Kinsey 5 and a Kinsey 6?
March 26, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
People tend to think about sexual orientation in terms of a small number of distinct categories—most commonly, straight, bisexual, and gay. Those who subscribe to this view expect that everyone...
LGBTQIA+
A Sex Therapist On Overcoming Male Sexual Performance Anxiety (Video)
March 21, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
One of the most popular stereotypes of male sexuality is that men want sex all of the time because they're just "wired" that way. In other words, sex is seen...
Sex Tips, Videos
The 15 Factors That Motivate People To Procreate
March 19, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Having children obviously takes a lot of work—and a lot of money. It really is an enormous sacrifice in so many ways. So why do so many of us do...
Sex Ed
How Many Men Admit To Sexual Assault When Hooked Up To A Lie Detector?
March 16, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
When comparing the number of women who say they’ve been sexually assaulted to the number of men who admit to perpetrating sexual assault, the numbers are highly discrepant. In fact,...
Sex Ed
Kissing Cousins: How Does Incest Affect The Health Of Offspring?
March 14, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Incest, usually defined as sex between close blood relatives, is one of the most pervasive sexual taboos across cultures. Many different theories have been advanced to explain this taboo, but...
Kink & BDSM, Videos
Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Cuckolding
March 12, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Some people are turned on by thought of watching their partner have sex with someone else. This fantasy goes by many names, but it is often referred to as cuckolding...
Sex Ed
What the Most Sexually Satisfied Couples are Doing in (and Out of) Bed
March 9, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
What keeps passion alive in a long-term relationship? According to a recent study of nearly 40,000 adults (all of whom were heterosexual and currently in romantic relationships), there were five...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
Four Fascinating Things I Learned About Sex At A Sex Research Conference
March 7, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
I recently returned from the Sexuality Pre-Conference, held just prior to the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology in Atlanta, Georgia. I had the chance to...
Sex Ed
Why Are Women More Likely To Regret Casual Sex Than Men?
March 5, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Several studies have found that women are more likely to have regrets about their previous experiences with casual sex than men. While men can certainly have regrets about casual sex,...
Gender, Sex Ed
Our Reasons For Cheating Depend On Our Personality, Gender, and Attachment Style
March 2, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
A recent study published in the Journal of Sex Research identified eight distinct motivations people can have for cheating (read all about those motives here). Beyond simply demonstrating the factors...
Dating & Relationships
How Do Monogamous And Consensually Non-Monogamous Relationships Compare? (Video)
February 28, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Studies have found that people overwhelmingly rate monogamous relationships as superior to consensually non-monogamous relationships on virtually every dimension you can think of [1]. For example, monogamy is seen as...
Dating & Relationships, Videos
From Friends With Benefits To Threesomes, How Single Americans Feel About Sex (Infographic)
February 26, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
How many single adults in the United States have had a friends with benefits relationship? How many are open to the idea of having a threesome? And what do they...
Sex Ed
Is Watching Porn a Form of Infidelity?
February 23, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
What “counts” as cheating on a romantic partner? It depends who you ask. Research finds that people define infidelity in very different ways. However, there are some things that people...
Dating & Relationships
Pink And Blue Weren’t Always Gendered Colors
February 21, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Pink and blue are colors that are commonly associated with gender in many Western cultures. Specifically, pink is widely considered to be a “girl color,” whereas blue is widely thought...
Gender, Videos
The Trump Administration Doubles Down On Abstinence-Only Sex Education
February 19, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
The Trump administration recently released its proposed budget for 2019 and, just like last year, it seeks to ensure that sex education in the United States remains focused on abstinence....
Sex Ed
These Are The 8 Main Reasons People Cheat
February 16, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Research consistently finds that between 1 in 4 and 1 in 5 married persons in the United States has committed infidelity [1]. Rates of infidelity in dating relationships are even...
Dating & Relationships
5 Fascinating Facts About Love
February 14, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
With Valentine’s Day upon us, many folks have love on the brain—so let’s talk about the science of love! In the video below, I've compiled five of the most fascinating...
Dating & Relationships, Videos
More Children Are Born–But Not Conceived–On Valentine’s Day
February 12, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Most people would probably assume that Valentine’s Day is linked to an increase in pregnancies. I mean, given the nature of this holiday and the emphasis on celebrating sex and...
Sex Ed
10 Things You Should Know About Oral Sex
February 9, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
How many people have had oral sex? Do men and women have similar feelings about this activity? Does oral sex "count" as sex? In this post, we'll take a look...
Sex Ed
Why Do People In Happy Relationships Cheat?
February 7, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
There's a common tendency to assume that when someone in a relationship cheats, they're doing it because the relationship is broken; however, this isn't necessarily true. People who are perfectly...
Dating & Relationships, Videos
Can You Build Up A Tolerance To Porn?
February 5, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
There’s a widespread belief that, if you watch enough porn, your brain will build up a tolerance to it, meaning that you will require more and more extreme stuff in...
Sex Ed
What You Should Know About Condoms For #NationalCondomMonth
February 2, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
The American Sexual Health Association (ASHA) has declared February to be National Condom Month. For my part in helping to increase awareness and education about condoms this February, I created...
Safe Sex, Videos
Sapiosexuality: When Intelligence Is A Sexual Turn-On
January 31, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
In popular culture, a sapiosexual or sapiophile is someone who thinks that high intelligence is sexually attractive. It’s not just that these individuals think it would be desirable to have...
Sex Ed
Obtaining Sexual Consent Isn’t Just The Right Thing To Do–It’s Also Really Sexy
January 29, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
There's been a lot of talk about the issue of sexual consent in response to the #MeToo movement. Much of this talk has focused on getting men to understand that...
Sex Ed
Do Men And Women Find Giving And Receiving Oral Sex Equally Pleasurable?
January 26, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader asked:“What percentage of men and women actually enjoy giving or receiving oral sex?”Good question! Let me start by saying that oral sex has become an incredibly common sexual...
Gender, Sex Q&A
Upper Body Strength Plays A Big Role In Men’s Physical Attractiveness
January 24, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
What do heterosexual women find attractive about the male body? A new study suggests that signs of muscularity and upper body strength are particularly important, while height and weight seem...
Sex Ed
Porn Use Is Linked To Lower Sexual Satisfaction In Men—But Only If They’re Religious
January 22, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Several studies have found that pornography use is associated with lower levels of sexual satisfaction (see here and here and here for a few examples). On the basis of this...
Sex Ed
What Percentage of the Population is Lesbian, Gay, or Bisexual? (Infographic)
January 19, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
How many people are lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB)? For one answer, check out the infographic below, which summarizes recent data from Britain's National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles....
LGBTQIA+
Can You Really Fall In Love At First Sight?
January 17, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
A lot of people claim to have had experiences with the phenomenon of “love at first sight.” But is it really possible to fall in love with someone instantaneously? Believe...
Dating & Relationships
What Was Popular In Porn In 2017?
January 15, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Pornhub recently released their annual year-in-review of users’ viewing habits and, as usual, the results were fascinating. Among other things, they reported an average of 81 million site visitors per...
Sex Ed
The State of Sex Education in the United States in 2018 (Infographic)
January 12, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Students' experiences with sex education are anything but consistent in the United States. Consider this: less than half of the states even require that it be taught at all! Moreover,...
Safe Sex
Our Sexual Fantasies Tell Us Something Important About Who We Are
January 10, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Two people can have sex fantasies about the same activity, but the way that specific activity plays out isn’t necessarily going to be the same from one person to the...
Sex Ed
Straight Men’s Same-Sex Friendships Are Surprisingly Intimate
January 8, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
One of the most common stereotypes about straight men’s same-sex friendships is that they’re lacking in emotional depth. Their friendships are seen as revolving around shared activities like watching football...
Dating & Relationships
We’ve Reached Peak Online Dating Season
January 5, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
The busiest time of year for online dating is the nearly two-month stretch that runs from the day after Christmas through Valentine’s Day. It reaches its peak on the Sunday...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
We’re In Peak Online Dating Season. Here’s Why
January 4, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
The busiest time of year for online dating is the nearly two-month stretch that runs from the day after Christmas through Valentine’s Day. It reaches its peak on the Sunday...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
Monogamy Can’t Be Assumed—It Needs To Be Negotiated And Defined
January 3, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
What does it mean to be in a monogamous relationship? It depends who you ask. In the modern world, it has become increasingly difficult to define “monogamy” in any kind...
Dating & Relationships
Happy New Year! Here Are 8 Resolutions For Better Sex In 2018
January 1, 2018 by Justin Lehmiller
Every time a new year comes around, a lot of us start making resolutions for self-improvement. For example, some people resolve to lose weight or get in shape, others vow...
Potpourri, Sex Ed
The Year in Sex: The 10 Most-Read Articles on Sex and Psychology in 2017
December 29, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
As 2017 winds down, let's take a look back at this year's ten most read articles on Sex and Psychology. The following posts represent an incredibly diverse range of content...
Potpourri
Why Do We Kiss Under Mistletoe?
December 25, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Many of us decorate with mistletoe around the Christmas holiday. It's often hung from the ceiling or over a door, with kisses offered to those who stand under it. Have...
Potpourri
6 Years of Great Sex: It’s the Sixth Blogiversary of Sex and Psychology!
December 22, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
It's hard for me to believe this, but Sex and Psychology is six years old today! When I began blogging in 2011, I had no idea where this journey would...
Potpourri
Experiences With BDSM And Group Sex Among Friends With Benefits And Romantic Partners
December 20, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Do people engaged in casual, “no strings attached” sexual relationships engage in similar sexual activities compared to people in committed romantic relationships? There is some research to suggest that the...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
Some People Get Sick Every Time They Orgasm. It’s Called Post-Orgasmic Illness Syndrome
December 18, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Most people think of orgasms as a positive experience—one they look forward to repeating time and again. However, this isn’t true for people who experience something known as post-orgasmic illness...
Sex Tips
The Season of Sex: Sex Trends in December (Video)
December 15, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Generally speaking, people tend to have more sex in the summer months than they do in the winter months; however, December is the exception to this winter sex slump. In...
Potpourri, Videos
A Sex Therapist On Why You Shouldn’t Get Hung Up On Finding “The One” (Video)
December 15, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
When it comes to relationships, a lot of people are under the impression that there’s just one “right” person out there for them—a so-called “soul mate” or perfect partner. In...
Videos
Men Overestimate How Often Women Have Orgasms
December 13, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
I recently blogged about a study that examined women’s experiences with orgasm during vaginal intercourse. The results revealed that question wording is crucial when it comes to understanding how often...
Sex Ed
Your Sex Life At Home May Affect How Happy And Productive You Are At Work
December 11, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex has the potential to benefit us in numerous ways. Among other things, research suggests that it may be good for our physical health (it is a form of exercise...
Sex Ed
The Best Present You Can Give Your Partner This Holiday Season? Touch
December 8, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
It’s that time of year when many of us start a frantic search for the perfect holiday gift for a significant other. Despite putting a lot time, effort, and money...
Potpourri
Shifting Standards Of Sex: Whether A Given Behavior “Counts” As Sex Depends On Who Does It
December 6, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
You might think that it would be easy to define a term like sex—but it’s not. It turns out that different people have very different definitions, and they make all...
Sex Ed
How Often Do Women Orgasm During Sex? It Depends How You Ask The Question
December 4, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Several studies have looked at women’s experiences with orgasm during penile-vaginal intercourse. However, these studies have produced variable results, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions about how often women...
Sex Ed
What Is The Future Of HIV Treatment? #worldAIDSday
December 1, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Today is World AIDS Day, a global public health campaign that began 29 years ago in order to increase HIV/AIDS awareness and education. In support of this campaign, I'm sharing...
Safe Sex, Videos
Who’s Most Likely To Have A Consensually Non-Monogamous Relationship?
November 29, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Consensually non-monogamous (CNM) relationships are those in which all of the partners involved agree to have sexual and/or romantic relationships with other persons. This can take many forms, from swinging...
Dating & Relationships
Taking Antibiotics After Unprotected Sex May Reduce STI Risk
November 27, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
New research finds that the antibiotic doxycycline reduces the odds of contracting some bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) if taken within 72 hours of condomless sex.The findings, presented earlier this...
Safe Sex
What Your Eyes Reveal About Your Sexual Orientation
November 24, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex scientists have a lot of tools to choose from when it comes to measuring people’s sexual orientation. However, every tool poses a unique set of challenges.The most straightforward way...
LGBTQIA+
7 Reasons To Give Thanks For Sex Today
November 23, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
For all of my readers celebrating Thanksgiving today, don't forget to give thanks for sex! Why? Research has found that sex is good for us in numerous ways, both physically...
Potpourri
The Psychology of Human Sexuality (2nd Edition) is Now in Print!
November 20, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
I've taught human sexuality courses in colleges and universities for more than a decade. Teaching a course on this subject obviously poses a number of unique challenges, but one of...
Psychology
Kissing Is Not A Universal Sexual And Romantic Behavior Across Cultures
November 17, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Many sexuality researchers and educators have claimed that kissing is a universal or near universal sexual and romantic behavior. For example, several sexuality textbooks explicitly say that kissing isn't just...
Sex Ed
Sexual Orientation and Mental Health: Are Bisexuals at Greater Risk for Depression and Anxiety?
November 15, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Psychologists have long known that gays and lesbians have an elevated risk of depression and anxiety compared to heterosexual individuals. This health disparity is thought to be due in large...
LGBTQIA+
STD Rates Are Rising, But It’s Not Because of Tinder and Grindr
November 13, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
In the modern world, we have a tendency to blame almost all of our problems on technology--and this is especially true when it comes to sexual problems. For example, I’ve...
Sex Ed
Video: Are Romantic Matching Algorithms Possible?
November 10, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Eharmony and other popular online dating sites promise to help users find compatible romantic partners through the use of specialized matching algorithms. These services were founded on the idea that...
Dating & Relationships, Videos
What A Decade Of Data From Pornhub Reveals About Our Sexual Interests
November 8, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
This year, Pornhub celebrated its tenth birthday. To commemorate the occasion, they released some fascinating data on trends in users’ viewing habits. Among other things, over 10 million videos have...
Sex Ed
Marijuana Smokers Report Having More Sex Than Non-Smokers
November 6, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
What effect does marijuana have on sexual function? Surprisingly little research has addressed this question, and the few studies that exist have produced conflicting results. For example, while survey research...
Sex Ed
Video: 7 Scientific Facts About Vaginas And Vulvas
October 30, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
In the video below, I've compiled a list of seven interesting facts about vaginas and vulvas--all tastefully displayed against the backdrop of (mostly) fruits and flowers that bear a minor...
Videos
How Erotic Dreams Are Connected To Pornography Use And Sexual Behavior
October 27, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Most people have had dreams about sex before. However, there’s a lot of variability in the kinds of sex dreams that people have. So where does all of that variation...
Sex Ed
Halloween Sex Offender Panic Is Here Again—But It’s Not Making Us Any Safer
October 27, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Each October, the media runs story after story warning parents about the dangers that sex offenders pose to children on Halloween. All of the panic stoked by these claims has...
Sex Ed
Halloween Is One Of The Least Popular Days To Give Birth
October 27, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
The number of babies born each day naturally fluctuates throughout the year. However, researchers have found that certain days are linked to consistent increases or decreases in the birth rate....
Sex Ed
How Are Rates Of STDs Changing In The US? (Infographic)
October 27, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a major public health concern in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are estimated to be 110...
Safe Sex
What Does (And Doesn’t) Predict Divorce, According To Science
October 23, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Social scientists have long been interested in the factors that predict divorce. Over the years, they’ve identified a number of things that seem to increase the odds of a couple...
Dating & Relationships
Why Kegel Exercises Are Good For Both Women And Men
October 18, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Kegel exercises have been around for a long time. First described by Dr. Arnold Kegel back in the 1940s, they were originally developed as a way to help women experiencing...
Sex Tips
What You Think You Know About Sexual Fetishes Is Probably Wrong
October 16, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
People can develop sexual fetishes for virtually anything. For example, some people are turned on by feeding others or watching them eat, others are turned on by drinking or coming...
Kink & BDSM
Why More Men In Hollywood Aren’t Speaking Out About Sexual Harassment of Women—And How We Can Change That
October 13, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Dozens of allegations of sexual harassment and assault against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein have surfaced in the last two weeks (see here for a complete list). These allegations have prompted...
Media & Culture
Yes, You Can Break Your Penis. And This Is The Most Common Way It Happens
October 13, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
While erections are sometimes referred to as “boners,” the truth of the matter is that there aren't actually any bones in the human penis. Some animals do have penile bones,...
Sex Tips
Infographic: Women’s Experiences With Orgasm During Vaginal Intercourse
October 11, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
How often do women orgasm during penile-vaginal intercourse? And just how important is clitoral stimulation when it comes to a woman's likelihood of experiencing orgasm during sex? A new paper...
Sex Ed
7 Facts About The Penis (VIDEO)
October 6, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
The penis is a fascinating piece of human anatomy; however, it turns out that most of us don't actually know all that much about it. So, in the video below,...
Videos
Do We Want Partners Who Are Older Or Younger Than Us? Here’s What The Research Says
October 4, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Study after study has found that men and women have different age preferences when it comes to choosing both sexual and romantic partners. On average, men seem to prefer partners...
Dating & Relationships, Gender
Where Do Fetishes Come From? (VIDEO)
September 29, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Fetishes are sexual desires that hinge upon specific objects (like boots or panties), non-sexual body parts (like feet or armpits), or bodily fluids (like urine or breast milk). Though many...
Kink & BDSM, Videos
Porn Isn’t The Reason Millennials Are Having Less Sex
September 27, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Compared to generations past, millennials are having less sex. And the post-millennials—or iGen, as social psychologist Jean Twenge has dubbed them—are doing it even less. Much has been said and...
Sex Ed
How Sexual Satisfaction Changes in Long-Term Relationships
September 25, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Does sexual satisfaction change over the course of a long-term romantic relationship and, is so, how? On the one hand, you might think that satisfaction increases as partners learn how...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
Ten Fascinating Facts About Orgasm (Video)
September 22, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Think you know everything there is to know about orgasms? Test your knowledge by watching the video below, which highlights ten of the most fun and interesting scientific facts about...
Videos
Women’s Preferred “Shapes” and Styles of Genital Touch (Infographic)
September 20, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
What kinds of genital touch do women find to be most pleasurable? A lot of research has explored this question; however, most of it has suffered from major limitations. For...
Sex Ed
Once a Cheater, Always a Cheater? Here’s What the Science Says
September 18, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Is it a bad idea to get romantically involved with someone you know has committed infidelity in the past? Common sense tells us that "once a cheater, always a cheater."...
Dating & Relationships
The Ethics of Sexual Orientation Research: When Is Sexuality Too Risky To Study?
September 15, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
A new paper accepted for publication in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology suggesting that computers have better “gaydar” than humans made quite a media splash this week. Specifically,...
LGBTQIA+, Psychology
How Sexual and Non-Sexual Communication Differ
September 15, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Communicating early and often about sex is one of the keys to a successful long-term romantic relationship. Indeed, research has consistently found that the more sexual communication couples engage in,...
Sex Ed
Announcing the 5th Annual SPSP Sexuality Pre-Conference!
September 13, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
I am pleased to announce the fifth annual SPSP Sexuality Pre-Conference! It will be held next March, just prior to the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social...
Sex Ed
Till Porn Do Us Part: Why You Should Be Skeptical of the New Study Claiming Porn Kills Love
September 6, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
A new study published in the Journal of Sex Research reports that when married people start using porn, their odds of getting divorced double. In other words, the results would...
Dating & Relationships, Sex Ed
What the Dutch Can Teach Us About Sex Education
September 4, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
This past summer, I taught a study abroad course on sex and culture in the Netherlands. We covered a lot of ground in this class, including an in-depth look at...
Safe Sex
The HPV Vaccine is Still Woefully Underutilized—Here’s How We Can Change That
September 4, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection. In addition to genital warts, it has the potential to cause a wide range of cancers, including cancers of...
Safe Sex
Who Has a Higher Sex Drive: Women or Men?
August 30, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
My social media feed has been blowing up lately with links to article headlines like this one from HuffPost, “Women Want More Sex Than Their Partner Does, According To New...
Gender, Media & Culture, Myth vs Fact
Americans’ Attitudes Toward and Experiences with Sex Toys and Sexual Media (Infographic)
August 30, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
To date, most national sex surveys in America have focused on people's attitudes toward and experiences with a relatively narrow range of sexual behaviors, namely: vaginal intercourse, oral sex, anal...
Sex Ed
When Your Sex Drives Get Out Of Sync: Dealing With A Sexual Desire Discrepancy
August 28, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Over the years, I’ve received countless emails from readers saying things along the lines of, “He says I don't want it enough. I think he wants it too much. What...
Sex Tips
Is It A Bad Idea To Have Sex For Your Health?
August 23, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
I received an email from a reader the other day who read an article chastising a lot of popular magazines and websites for pushing the narrative that we should be...
Sex Q&A
“Common Sense” Isn’t A Substitute For Scientific Research
August 23, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
I spend a lot of time talking, writing, and tweeting about the latest scientific research on sex and relationships. Over the years, I've had more than a few people respond...
Psychology
Do Gay and Bisexual Men on PrEP Take More Sexual Risks?
August 19, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Pre-exposure prophylaxis (also known as PrEP for short) is an increasingly popular method of HIV prevention among persons at the highest risk of infection. It involves taking one pill per...
Safe Sex
Celebrate 64 Years of Female Sex Research This Weekend
August 18, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Sixty-four years ago this Sunday (August 20, 1953), the media first reported on some of the major findings from Alfred Kinsey's classic book Sexual Behavior in the Human Female. As...
Sex Ed
How Many Americans Have Tried BDSM? (Infographic)
August 16, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
The immense popularity of Fifty Shades of Grey has prompted a lot of curiosity about BDSM (bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism, and masochism). Among other things, people have begun to...
Sex Ed
Sex Is Good For Our Mental Health
August 14, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex stands to benefit us in many ways. For example, research has found that being sexually active appears to be good for our physical health—not only does having sex burn...
Sex Ed
This Is How Many American Adults Have Never Had Sex
August 14, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Like most sex researchers, I tend to study people who have sex--and, over the years, we've developed a large scientific literature about them. But what about the people who, for...
Sex Ed
A Look at the South Korean Sex Industry (Video)
August 11, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
What is “normal” or “typical” when it comes to sex isn’t the same from one culture to the next. In fact, there’s incredible variation in sexual attitudes and practices throughout...
Videos
Does Everybody Have a Gay Gene?
August 9, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Where does our sexual orientation come from? That's a question that we don't yet fully understand. However, a growing body of research suggests that it may be determined, at least...
LGBTQIA+, Videos
What You Think You Know About Men’s Sexuality Is Probably Wrong
August 7, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
One of the most popular stereotypes of male sexuality is that guys want sex ALL the time. They're always in the mood because they're constantly thinking about it. After all,...
Sex Ed
Women’s Most and Least Common Reasons for Having Sex
August 4, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
There are a lot of different things that can motivate people to have sex. In fact, one study identified 237 distinct reasons for getting it on! But do our reasons...
Sex Ed
Faking Orgasms: Why Do So Many People Do It? And Is It A Good Or Bad Thing?
July 31, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
If I asked you to imagine someone faking an orgasm, odds are that you'd probably picture a woman. It has long been assumed that fake orgasms are unique to women,...
Sex Ed
How Many Americans Have Had A “Social” Sexual Experience? (Infographic)
July 31, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
When we engage in sexual activity, it's usually with just one other person. Sometimes, however, people engage in “social” sexual experiences in which multiple people are involved in some way....
Sex Ed
How Many People Have “Unusual” Sexual Desires?
July 26, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Psychologists and psychiatrists use the term paraphilia to refer to an unusual sexual interest. More specifically, paraphilias are recurrent desires for uncommon sexual objects or activities. Although hundreds of desires...
Kink & BDSM
5 Ways Women Can Orgasm That Don’t Involve Sexual Activity
July 24, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Women don’t need to have sex in order to reach orgasm. In fact, they don’t necessarily even need any genital stimulation at all. Here are five ways women can experience...
Sex Ed
Is It Possible to “Undo” a Circumcision? Here’s What We Know About Foreskin Restoration
July 21, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader asked the following question:"If you've been circumcised, is there any way to get your foreskin back?"Some circumcised men lament the removal of their foreskin, wishing to be "uncircumcised."...
Sex Ed
Does Circumcision Affect Men’s Odds of Having Premature Ejaculation?
July 19, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
A reader asked the following question:“Are circumcised men less likely to have premature ejaculation?”People have long been curious about what effects circumcision (or removal of the penile foreskin) has on...
Sex Tips
Are Sex Researchers More Sexually Active Than Everyone Else?
July 19, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
When you study sex for a living, people have a tendency to think that you really love sex—and that you must be having it all the time, too! In other...
Sex Ed
Disability Desires: People Who are Aroused by the Idea of Becoming Physically Disabled
July 14, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Paraphilia is the term psychologists and psychiatrists use to refer to any unusual sexual interest. It’s important to note that an unusual interest is not necessarily harmful and it's not...
Kink & BDSM
5 Fascinating Things Americans’ Google Searches Have Taught Us About Sex
July 14, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Google Trends has quickly become one of the favorite research tools of sex scientists. Why? In part, because not everyone is willing to participate in sex studies and, among those...
Sex Ed
People Are More Willing To Have Sex With Bisexuals Than Have Relationships With Them
July 12, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Bisexual people, both male and female, tend to be stereotyped negatively. For example, they are often seen as sexually confused, secretly gay, highly promiscuous, and incapable of monogamy. These negative...
LGBTQIA+
The Season of Sex: Why Sexual Activity Peaks in the Summer
July 10, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
In the animal kingdom, there are some species that only mate seasonally. They do it just a few times per year, coinciding with their fertile periods. Humans, by contrast, are...
Sex Ed
Three Sexual Fantasies That Are More Common Than You Think
July 7, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Paraphilia is a very general term used by psychologists to refer to any kind of unusual sexual interest. The number of desires that have been deemed paraphilic has grown substantially...
Kink & BDSM, Sex Ed
Americans’ Support for Same-Sex Marriage is at an All-Time High—Even Among Republicans
July 5, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic change in support for same-sex marriage in the United States. Consider this: in 2007, the Pew Research Center conducted a national...
LGBTQIA+
What “Counts” As Sex To Gay, Lesbian, And Bisexual Adults?
July 3, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Research has found that there’s a lot of variability when it comes to what people define as “sex.” Perhaps not surprisingly, this means there’s a lot of variability when it...
LGBTQIA+
The Orgasm Gap in Porn is Bigger Than We Realized
July 3, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Porn has been criticized for a lot of reasons, but one of the most common complaints lodged against it is that it isn’t realistic, especially in the way it depicts...
Sex Ed
What No One Ever Told You About People Who Are Single (Video)
June 28, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Even though the marriage rate in the United States recently hit an all-time low, most Americans still view the institution positively and consider it to be the ideal relationship state....
Dating & Relationships, Videos
Are You Asexual? Here’s How Scientists Measure Asexuality
June 26, 2017 by Justin Lehmiller
Sex scientists have become increasingly interested in the topic of asexuality in the last few years. For example, they’ve published studies on everything from the genital arousal patterns of asexual...
LGBTQIA+