SOME SEX MYTHS ARE just flat out ridiculous. While your girl knows (or should know) that having you wear two condoms is definitely not better than one, there are a few myths that might send her for a loop. Even as you get older and more experienced it’s not always easy to separate fact from fiction. Here are the five most commonly spread sex rumors—we’ve set the record straight.
The ever-mysterious G-spot has got quite a few questioning its existence. Scientific journals have had difficulty pinpointed its exact location; but it’s fact that it exists. There’s an area on the front wall of the vagina that can produce pleasurable sensations for some women when stimulated correctly. “The research community knows that the sensations are real, but we cannot pinpoint the exact source of the pleasure,” says Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., a sex researcher at Indiana University. But just because the G-spot is not a visible mass you can point to—like an elbow or a breast—certainly doesn’t mean it’s mythological, she adds.
“No matter what time of the month it is, getting pregnant is always a possibility if you’re having unprotected sex,” says Emily Morse, dating expert and host of the Sex with Emily radio show. The risk might be smaller during this time, but it’s still there. Sperm can stay alive for almost a week after it enters her body making it possible for her to get pregnant after her cycle is over. Don’t be foolish—wrap it up.
We’ve all heard about oysters and dark chocolate supposedly boosting your sex drive, but is it all just hype? “There is a lot of research available that shows how certain foods can improve your sexual function,” Herbenick says, but there’s not hard evidence that proves the commonly cited aphrodisiacs—oysters, red wine, dark chocolate, avocado—are actually boosting your desire. That doesn’t mean you should nix them from your pre-sex routine if you don’t want to, though. “If something makes you feel sexy, go for it,” Herbenick says. “Just know that the food itself isn’t magical.”
Squirting is a real thing, guys. However, it’s often confused with female ejaculation. Female ejaculate—which is different than the lubrication produced when she’s turned on—is a small amount of whitish fluid that occurs during or just before her climax. As for women who squirt, it’s hard to tell whether they are truly experiencing the projection of female ejaculate or if they’re just peeing a little, Herbenick says. Some women experience a bit of “gushing” during climax, but the reason often boils down to anatomical differences in genital tissue.
Visual stimulation during sex does not always goes hand-in-hand with watching porn. She may not realize that not all stimuli needs to be X-rated. For example, tons of women prefer to leave the lights on during sex so they can admire their partner’s eyes, lips, and muscles, Herbenick says. Or it can be as simple as using a mirror as a prop to watch you and your partner get busy. The most important thing to remember: Men and women have difference preferences. “Most of the porn that’s out there is made for men, by men,” Herbenick says. “So just because that certain genre doesn’t cater to a woman’s sexual appetite, doesn’t mean that she won’t use visual aids to get in the mood.”
This story first appeared on SHAPE.com