How long do people have sex for?

Joseph Chance (0:04)

How long do people have sex for?

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Popular fantasy might suggest that we need to have hours of sex in order to be satisfied. But is that actually true? A study published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine in 2005 looked into intra-vaginal ejaculation latency time among 500 heterosexual couples from 5 different countries. Now, intra-vaginal ejaculation latency time might sound like a complicated term, but basically it just means how long penetration lasts. So foreplay doesn't count as sex under that definition. Having gathered survey answers from all the couples involved, the researchers noted that sex duration varied significantly, lasting as little as 33 seconds in some cases, or as long as 44 minutes. But they were able to work out that the average duration was 5.4 minutes, a lot less than some people might think. Is 5.4 minutes really long enough to have satisfying sex though? Well, in 2008, researchers from Penn State Erie in the US decided to look into how long sex should last in order to be satisfying. To do so, they decided to ask people who were genuine experts on the subject, 50 members of the Society for Sex Therapy and Research, which included psychologists, physicians, social workers, marriage or family therapists and nurses.

Based on their experience, the sex therapists found that sex of under 3 minutes warrants clinical concern. From 3 to 7 minutes is adequate, 7 to 13 minutes is desirable, and 10 to 30 minutes is too long. How long does foreplay last then? Another study published in the Journal of Sex Research in 2004 found that people believe the ideal duration for foreplay is around 18 minutes. In reality, it's a bit less, averaging about 13 minutes. It's fair to say that overall, science has proven that sex duration is lower than people tend to expect, showing that sex doesn't need to go on and on in order to be satisfying. It's important too to note that there's no right or wrong when it comes to how long sex lasts. The quantity of a sexual encounter depends mostly on listening to each other and good chemistry between partners. As Zorn Villanez wrote for a Medical News Today article on the subject in 2023, people should communicate what makes sex feel good and satisfying for them and structure the encounter around this. Having continual, open communication and focusing on each individual's pleasure can generally make sex better. There you have it.

Now you know how long people have sex for. In under three minutes, we answer your questions and help you understand the true meaning behind the trends, concepts and acronyms that are making headlines. Listen along and you will really know for sure.