50 Cultural, Linguistic, and Statistical Facts

Scientists are unsure why humans have pubic hair, but they theorize that the hair traps secretions that hold pheromones, or sexual scents.c In women, the labia minora (singular: labium minus) vary more than any other part of the female genitalia. The labia minora (Latin for “smaller lips”) can range from pink, burgundy, brown, or a mixture of colors. They may be small, or large enough to extend beyond the labia majora (Latin for “larger lips”), and one may be longer than the other. Contrary to myth, they are not lengthened or wrinkled by masturbation.c The word “clitoris” is Greek for “divine and goddess like.” The clitoris is present only in female mammals. It is actually approximately 4 inches long, with 3/4 of the clitoris extending inside a female’s body.c The opening of the vagina is called the introitus, from the Latin intro or “into, within” + ire, meaning “to go into.”c Aphrodite, the goddess of sexual intercourse, emerged from the foaming semen of her father’s castrated testicles.e The word “vagina” means “sheath” or “scabbard” in Latin, suggesting that love and war have been connected for thousands of years.h The word “penis” is Latin for “tail” and is probably also from the Old English faesl, meaning “progeny” or “offspring.”f The vagina is not “a hole,” contrary to popular believe. It is instead, a potential space that can range from 2 to 2.5 inches wide from around 3 to 6 inches long, with the average vagina measuring 4.5 inches.c Known as the “veil of the temple,” the hymen is related to the word “hymn” and is named after the Greek god of marriage.h For most men, one testicle hangs lower than the other one For most men, the left testicle hangs lower—but in some men, most commonly left-handed men, the right one hangs lower.d Men do not need to be sexually aroused to have an erection. Erections can occur if a man is frightened, nervous, or has a full bladder. It’s normal for a man to have several erections during the dream phrase of sleep.d During a woman’s period, the opening of the cervix (Latin for “neck” or “nape of neck”) and uterus stretch slightly to allow the shedding of the endometrium. During this time, harmful sexually transmitted bacteria have easier access to the uterus, increasing the risk of serious pelvic infections. HIV is also more easily transmitted during a woman’s period.c Married people are more likely to masturbate than people living alone, according to the National Health and Social Life Survey (NHSLS).d For men seeking penile enlargement surgery, the average gain in size is about 1 inch when flaccid and 1/2 inch when erect. More than 65% of men who opt for penile enlargement surgery are dissatisfied with the result.d The condom is said to be named after the Earl of Condom, a British physician at the court of Charles II who was asked by the king to design him something to keep him from developing syphilis. The oiled sheep intestine was a big hit.d Though nudity was accepted in ancient Greece, an exposed erection was frowned upon. Additionally, a small penis was considered ideal.d The average number of times a healthy male will ejaculate in a lifetime is 7,200. Of this number, approximately 2,000 times will result from masturbation.d Most men have the most powerful erections during REM sleep. Researchers believe nighttime erections may be to preserve the elastic penile tissues.d In 2000, the Mississippi state legislature introduced a bill to make it illegal for a male customer to have an erection at a strip club even if he is fully dressed.d Leonardo da Vinci was the first to discover that blood, not air, filled an erect penis Leonardo da Vinci discovered that blood filled an erect penis—not air, as had been previously believed.d Folk medicine used a variety of herbal potions and mechanical devices to harden the penis, such as crushed rhinoceros horn and pulverized antelope, deer, and horse testicles, as well as parings of human nails. Sometimes even a piece of bone was eased into the urethra.d President Lyndon B. Johnson referred to his penis as “Jumbo.”d A 1999 golf tournament in Australia offered a penis enlargement to the player with the longest drive.d The fear of having, seeing, or thinking about an erection is called ithyphallophobia.a Approximately 80 cases have been reported in medical literature of men born with two penises. A diphallus can present as either one organ that separates into two or as two distinct organs. The penises can be side by side, on top of each other, or in separate locations. Most men with diphallus are sterile.d The word “testis” (testes, plural) shares the same root as “testify” and comes from the Latin, meaning “witness.” This is perhaps because the ancient Roman practice of a man’s bearing witness or “testifying” by holding his testis as he spoke.d When men of Australia’s Walibri tribe greet each other, they shake penises instead of hands.d Of all the primates, man has the largest penis. The gorilla has a two-inch penis, while the chimpanzee's is three inches. The blue whale has the largest penis in the animal kingdom: 11 feet.d In 2003, a Texas man woke up from bladder surgery to discover that doctors had removed his penis without his permission.d The risk of erectile dysfunction increases with age Thirty-four percent of all American men ages 40 to 70, or about 20 million men, suffer from some significant level of erectile dysfunction (ED).d In 2004, Norwegian sexologists published a “Penis Atlas” which featured 100 photographs of men’s penises to correct and clarify misunderstandings about the male sex organs.d The ancient Romans thought penile hardness was directly linked to what a person ate. The shape, color, and flavor of food determined its impact on one’s sex life. Therefore root vegetables such as carrots became instant symbols of strength of libido.d A rumor that Ozti’s (Ice Man’s) scrotal sac still had viable sperm—quick-frozen as in sperm banks—prompted a number of Austrian women in the 1990s to ask if they could be artificially inseminated and have his baby.h To maximize oral sex, it is worth paying attention to what food you eat. Foods such as kiwi, celery, and pineapple can make genital secretion sweet. Dairy products, meat, and alcohol are generally thought to worsen the taste.a Upper Paleolithic art dating back 30,000 years depicts people using dildos to pleasure themselves and others. That means mankind invented sex toys long before the wheel.e Slang for “prostitute” in Victorian times was “blowsy” and slang for “ejaculation” was “blow,” leading to the current phrase “blow job.” In ancient Greece, a blow job was called “playing the flute.”e The average man has 11 erections per day and 9 erections a night.b The smell of pumpkin pie, licorice, chocolate, and donuts increase the blood to a man’s genitals.a Women who went to college are more likely to enjoy receiving and giving oral sex.c A teaspoon of semen contains 5 calories. A sperm takes one hour to swim seven inches.d There are between 500 and 1,000 deaths per year due to auto-erotic asphyxiation.d Avocados are known as the “fruit of the testicle tree” and are believed to have aphrodisiac qualities.d Sexual appeal involves complex biological, psychological, and cultural preferences Sexual appeal is not all about body shape, weight, height, or breast size. Sex appeal is all of a person, such as his or her attitude, confidence, and the way he or she smells, walks and talks.a Remote-control panties are one type of sex toy. The vibrator is built into the panty itself and stays outside the body, providing vibrations to the clitoris and outer vagina.a When a drone (a male honey bee) mates with a queen bee, its abdomen is ripped open during copulation and it dies soon after.h The word “pornography” is from the Greek pornographos—from porne = “prostitute,” which originally meant “bought” or “purchased,” and graphos= “to write.”h Formicophilia is the sexual interest of small insects or worms crawling over one’s body.d Contrary to popular opinion, the word “fuck” is not an acronym for the phrase “Fornication Under Command of the King.” It is a very old word that is hard to trace because the editors of the initial Oxford English Dictionary considered the word taboo in 1893. It may have a Scandinavian origin, similar to the Norwegian word fukka, meaning to “copulate,” or the Swedish foka, meaning“to copulate, strike, push,”or fock, meaning “penis.”e Sex hasn’t always been associated with sin and guilt. Pre-Christian religions often regarded sex as a celebration and as a form of worship. Sex was seen as mirroring the sensual power of the Gods.d Roxxy is the world’s first sex robot. It costs between $7,000-9,000. She comes with artificial intelligence and five personalities, and weighs approximately 120 pounds. Customers can customize her features, including breast size, the color of her hair, and her race. A male robot, named Rocky, is also in the works.g -- Posted September 28, 2010 References a Berman, Laura. 2008. Real Sex for Real Women: Intimacy, Pleasure, and Sexual Well-Being. New York, NY: Dorling Kindersley Limited. b “Frequently Asked Questions to the Kinsey Institute.” The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction. July 15, 2010. Accessed: September 13, 2010. c Hutcherson, Hilda, M.D. 2002. What Your Mother Never Told You about Sex. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam’s Sons. d Lamm, Steven, M.D. 2005. The Hardness Factor. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. e Macleod, Dan and Debra. 2007. Lube Jobs: A Woman’s Guide to Great Sex. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers. f “Penis.” Online Etymology Dictionary. Accessed: September 13, 2010. g “Roxxy Sex Robot: World’s First Sex Robot Can Do More Than Chat.” Huffington Post. March 18, 2010. Accessed: September 12, 2010. h Taylor, Timothy. 1996. The Prehistory of Sex: Four Million Years of Human Sexual Culture. New York, NY: Bantam Books.