I Shaved My Legs for That?

Therapists rate how long satisfying sex lasts and find that the difference between 'adequate' sex and 'desirable' sex is a matter of minutes.

By Joan Raymond | Newsweek Web Exclusive

Apr 10, 2008 | Updated: 5:49 p.m. ET Apr 10, 2008

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According to a new study, iconic rock band AC/DC got it wrong. When it comes to sex, no one wants to be "shook" all night long. The best sex, say therapists, lasts about 7 to 13 minutes. Who knew? Lead author, psychologist Eric Corty of Penn State, talks to NEWSWEEK's Joan Raymond about the study results, set to appear in the May issue of the Journal of Sexual Medicine, and about why it's important for couples to know that a good roll in the hay doesn't need to last much longer than the time it takes to make a hard-boiled egg. Excerpts:

NEWSWEEK: Why conduct a study on sex duration and what makes for a satisfying experience?
Eric Corty: I was curious, and I was interested in what therapists thought about the issue. After all, these are people who have counseled thousands of couples about the most intimate aspects of their relationships.

Exactly how was the study conducted?
We sent surveys to 50 members of the Society for Sex Therapy and Research asking them to rate a range of time intervals for intra-vaginal ejaculatory latency. In English, that means the time elapsed from when the penis enters the vagina, until ejaculation. The therapists were asked to rate the time intervals on a scale of "too short," "adequate," "desirable" and "too long." The response rate was 68 percent.

What did they have to say?
When it comes to time and vaginal penetration and ejaculation, the average for "too short" was rated as 1 to 2 minutes. "Adequate" was 3 to 7 minutes. "Desirable" was 7 to 13 minutes. And "too long" was 10 minutes to 30 minutes. What we concluded is that intercourse that lasts from about 3 to 13 minutes is considered the norm.

Were there gender differences in these responses?
No. Surprisingly, there was no statistical difference in responses in terms of therapist's gender. I thought that perhaps there would be. But men and women responded the same way. And the age of the respondent wasn't a factor either.

Why ask therapists, not lay people, this question?
Because they are professionals. They are medical doctors, Ph.D.'s, social workers and other experts. They bring a lot to the table, based on their clinical judgment and their education. If anyone could rate time intervals for sex, these experts would be the best people to go to.

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Posted By: elotrolado @ 05/23/2008 2:12:24 AM

What a shallow article based on a flimsy survey. Makes me glad to be a gay man, too. I know of no gay men who want sex to be 3 minutes. And of course sex includes much more than just penetration, whether it be vaginal or anal. Flirting, dancing, rubbing, teasing, sucking, kissing, laughing when cumming...my God, it takes me 3 minutes just to put on some music and get started. Lesbians I know can go all night, having multiple orgasms--so lucky!
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Posted By: freyja @ 05/22/2008 7:16:35 PM

I'd like to know why in a survey to determine adequate to desirable sex "times" WHY is only the time it takes for the man to ejaculate considered????????? Many women need more than that as far as time goes and THERAPISTS should not be insinuating that a woman's time to reach orgasm is not as imprtant as the man's. I mean really, what I hear women complain the most about when it comes to (heterosexual) sex is when men basically ejaculate and then they're done....roll over and go to sleep. OF ALL People Therapists should not be discounting female orgasms as well as female ejaculation. They should be educating poeple about it.
My partner and i don't consider that we've had great sex unless we both orgasm and usually spend at least 40 min to a couple of hours making each other really happy. I think maybe lesbians must have the best sex of all.
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Posted By: user can't think of a name @ 05/22/2008 3:26:30 PM

dear justmma, 1. Get your husband to touch you. 2.Or use a *** ring to stimulate your clitoris. 3. Choose a sex position where your clitoris is being rubbed against, one suggestion is legs intertwined, you on an angle with a back and forth rocking motion. 4. try going between stimulating your clitoris and stimulating your nipples, perhaps you will build up more sensitivity in your nipples and then less (or no) stimulation of the clitoris will be needed.
Y