Most of us know that masturbation won’t really lead to blindness … and that green M&Ms won’t magically make you feel aroused. But there are still a number of claims about sex at which we can’t help but scratch our heads: Oysters are aphrodisiacs, right? And what’s the deal with the G-spot?
To get to the bottom of these sex-life stumpers, we ran them by a panel of experts — and here’s what we found out:
Do Aphrodisiacs Work?
Ah, aphrodisiacs — for thousands of years, people have been downing herbs, spices, fruits, and veggies in order to enhance their sex lives. Today, the most notorious sexy snacks include oysters (either because they're high in zinc — or because they resemble a woman's vulva), dark chocolate (thanks to its effect on our brains’ neurotransmitters and endorphins), and avocados (which have been linked to fertility).
But are they really all that effective? According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, no. The FDA has asserted that there is no evidence that aphrodisiacs have any effect on libido at all. However, a 2011 analysis indicated that certain herbal aphrodisiacs do appear to have an effect, but more research is needed.
Can You Really Have Multiple Orgasms?
Hoping to have the Big O-O-O tonight?
According to sex researchers, multiple orgasms aren’t exactly what they’re made out to be. Instead, they are really just “aftershocks” related to the original orgasm.
Aftershocks or not, they can still be quite pleasurable for women — and for a small percentage of men, too. “Men typically have a postorgasmic refractory phase during which they cannot maintain an erection or experience a second orgasm,” says Dr. Stember. “Some men, however, can maintain rigidity after orgasm or experience a second orgasm during the same sexual episode.”
Can Too-Tight Underwear Trigger Erectile Dysfunction?
You may have heard that extra-tight tighty-whities come with one big risk: erectile dysfunction.
The truth? There’s no scientific proof to back the claim, says Jennifer Landa, MD, a preventive medicine specialist in private practice in Orlando, Fla. But men may still need to take heed: “There are studies that show that tight-fitting underwear can increase the temperature of the scrotum, which can be a cause of male infertility” by harming sperm, she warns.
Is the G-Spot Real?
The mystical “G-spot” — that area in the vaginal wall that’s reported to trigger an extremely intense orgasm when stimulated — has been the subject of debate for years and years.
Most experts believe that it’s a reality for some women and “a gynecological UFO for others” — and many women swear they’ve found it. However, the most recent research doesn’t look promising: "Without a doubt, a discreet anatomic entity called the G-spot does not exist," researcher Amichai Kilchevsky, MD, wrote in the Journal of Sexual Medicine after analyzing 60 years of research on the topic.
Do Sex Dreams Reveal Your True Feelings?
If you and your boss are getting it on in dreamland, that means you must be sexually attracted to her, right?
Actually, attraction is not necessarily part of your sex dreams, according to Lauri Loewenberg, a certified dream analyst and author of Dream On It. Although the dream might allow you to safely play out a fantasy about someone, she says, “most sex dreams involve a partner we would never even consider touching with a 10-foot pole.” Instead, the dream partner may symbolize an unmet need in your sex life. If, for example, the partner in your dream is laid-back and carefree, embracing those qualities may help you better deal with your own stress.
Can You ‘Think Yourself Off’?
A hands-free orgasm?
Some people (including Lady Gaga) have claimed they are able to think their way to orgasm, says Barry Komisaruk, PhD, a neuroscientist with the department of psychology at Rutgers University in New Jersey. “But while thinking yourself into having an orgasm has been reported anecdotally, the overwhelming majority require some degree of physical stimulation.”
Still, Komisaruk says that at least trying to think your way to an orgasm could prove valuable for improving the sex lives of women who don’t experience orgasms or people who have sexual problems.
Can Excessive Masturbation Trigger Erectile Dysfunction?
Is there such a thing as too much masturbation — so much so that it could cause sexual dysfunction when you’re with your partner?
According to the American Psychiatric Association, the only time masturbation becomes too excessive is if it gets in the way of daily activities. And Dr. Landa says that no clinical data suggest that masturbation can increase your risk for sexual problems.
However, there have been reported problems about excessive dependence on pornography, she notes. "It seems that there is a subset of men who become reliant on pornography for erections.”
Can Men Have Erection-Free Orgasms?
Seems implausible, right? But Stember says that it can occur.
In a man’s sex life, “it is not true, surprisingly enough, that an erection is required for orgasm,” he says. “After treatment for prostate cancer, for example, many men find themselves unable to achieve an erection rigid enough for penetration, but discover they can still reach orgasm with stimulation.” The good news for men with this sexual problem is that their rigidity can be restored with treatment.
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