A lot of people conflate longer sex with better sex, but that’s not always the case.

You came here looking for an answer, and an answer I will give you: Sex should last one hour, 34 minutes, and 22 seconds—the exact runtime of Wayne's World.

Shyeah, right! While I have a lot of respect (and follow-up questions) for anyone who’s regularly managing to bone for the duration of a feature film, of course I’m joking. There isn’t a specific length of time that sex should last, but people tend to conflate longer sex with better sex. Marathon sex sessions are used as a measurement of just how steamy an evening was. And while quickies can be fun, they should constitute a piece of a balanced sex life—not the whole thing. They’re like the candy and ice cream part of the food pyramid—very tasty, just not intended for everyday sustenance.

While there's no magic number, one study back in 2005 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine asked a bunch of sex therapists for their opinions on how long sex should last. Their guidelines separated sex into four categories: adequate, too short, too long, and desirable. They rated penetrative vaginal sex that lasted from 1-2 minutes as “too short,” and sex that lasted 10-30 minutes as “too long.” Meanwhile, “adequate” sex lasted 3-7 minutes and desirable sex lasted 7-13 minutes.

It’s difficult to get good data on the amount of time the average person spends getting freaky—are you keeping track of how long you’re humping and pumping?—especially because sex can be defined in a myriad of ways. For example, some people (and most studies) are only counting penetrative sex, which isn’t a particularly effective way to measure sex, since it’s both extremely heteronormative and not the way most people with vaginas are orgasming.

So I asked a handful of women and nonbinary people how long they’d ideally like sex to last, and with a few exceptions, the answers settled around five to ten minutes of intercourse, and longer for foreplay.

One woman said her ideal was 10-15 minutes of foreplay and 10 minutes of intercourse: “I find I get rather impatient in bed, or perhaps I just haven’t met someone worth taking more time.” Another said, “I feel like this sounds short, but honestly 5-10 mins plus like 15-ish minutes of foreplay.” Another woman said, “I generally like sex to last 15-20 minutes, with intercourse being like maybe a quarter of that.” Two women and one nonbinary woman answered that their ideal sex session including foreplay would last an hour or so—which seems like an endeavor! Good for them!

It turns out people consistently say that they want sex to last longer than it does. Almost everyone I informally interviewed felt that their answers were shorter than average, when in reality almost all of them were either in line with or above the average duration of sex, which is around 5.4 minutes.

So while we’re all self-conscious that we’re shortchanging our down-and-dirty time, sex really doesn’t take that long—even for people who are completely happy with their sex lives. I don’t mean to suggest that shorter sex is better, by any means. But according to a Twitter poll asking, “Do you ever get bored during penetrative sex or want it to just be over already?” Eighty-two percent of the 819 participants said yes. The reason I knew to ask that (possibly leading) question is that I, too, have been bored during penetrative sex, just up there thinking about the fact that I need to check on the status of my car registration or how Joan Cusack hasn’t had a single leading film role (which is a damn shame).

According to another Twitter poll I conducted of 2,380 people who are on the receiving end of penetrative sex, most (61 percent) wanted the actual penetration to last about 5-10 minutes (without counting foreplay). Twenty-six percent said they wanted it to last longer than 11 minutes. For the most part, those who are penetrated don’t think that longer penetration is better, so you can stop thinking about your grandma playing baseball, or whatever it is you’ve been doing to try to avoid coming too soon.

So according to the data, rather than attempting a marathon jackhammer sesh, you should switch things up! In that study, the more sex acts that a couple did, the more likely both of them were to orgasm, and the benefit of multiple sexual acts was even more significant for women than for men.

The lesson here is you don’t need to be having sex longer; you need to be having sex better.

Sex may give a boost to certain aspects of people's well-being and physical health, some research suggests. However, several studies on the subject are now outdated, and not all potential benefits apply to everyone.

Scientific research has highlighted several possible benefits besides procreation that come with sexual intercourse. These pluses include preserving heart health in some people, reducing blood pressure, and boosting immunity.

Sex can also improve mood, relationships, and mental well-being.

In this article, we look at the possible health benefits of sex and highlight relevant research, focusing on the physical rather than emotional aspects.

 
Helping heart health
Share on PinterestPartnered sex may be benefical for cardiovascular health.
Partnered sex appears to have some protective effect on cardiovascular health, especially in women.

A 2016 study looked at the potential health benefits of sexual activity with a regular partner.

This research found that sexually active women have a lower risk of cardiac events later in life.

However, the study also concluded that high levels of sexual activity might increase the risk of cardiovascular events in men. This conclusion contradicts most earlier research, and further studies are necessary to verify this risk.

Males and females with heart problems should ask a doctor about how much sex is safe for them. They should also be specific about the regularity and intensity with which they have sex, as this may affect the potential strain on the heart.

 
 
Reducing blood pressure
The same 2016 study also measured blood pressure as one of the markers of heart health. The researchers found that older women who expressed satisfaction with their sex lives were less likely to have high blood pressure.

However, the study authors did not find the same results in older men.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), high blood pressure can affect both libido and a man's ability to achieve and maintain an erection.

Medication for high blood pressure can also reduce libido and cause erectile dysfunction.

While this does not confirm a benefit, it may show a link between blood pressure and sexual health.

Many people with high blood pressure, or hypertension, have safety concerns when it comes to sexual intercourse.

While it is always important to speak with a doctor, it is usually safe for people with high blood pressure to have sex.

If hypertension medication is causing sexual difficulties, a person can talk to their doctor who may be able to prescribe a different medication or dosage to relieve the adverse effects.

 
 
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Boosting the immune system
Share on PinterestResearch is inconclusive about whether regular sex can boost the immune system.
Some early research found that regular sex increased the effectiveness of the immune system.

Researchers found that people who had frequent sex, which they defined as one to two times per week, had more immunoglobin A (IgA) in their system than others. IgA is an antibody that lives in the mucosal tissue, such as the salivary glands, nose, and vaginal tissue.

However, it is important to recognize that this study appeared in 2004, and researchers have not repeated it since. A new study might yield different results.

A more recent study looked at a small group of women to see if there were differences between the immune activity of those who were sexually active and those who are not.

The study examined their immune system's ability to kill different infectious pathogens at various points in the menstrual cycle.

While the results suggest that there might be some differences between the groups, the authors say more research is necessary before drawing any conclusions.

Reducing prostate cancer risk
An early study, again from 2004, found that high frequency of ejaculation may reduce the risk of prostate cancer.

The study investigated almost 30,000 males, looking at how often they ejaculated at different points in their life.

They concluded that those who ejaculated more than 21 times per month had a lower risk of prostate cancer than men who only ejaculated 4–7 times per month.

In 2016, the researchers extended this study for an additional 10 years to continue their research on the participants' risk for developing prostate cancer.

This follow-up confirmed the initial findings. The males who ejaculated most frequently had a lower risk for prostate cancer those who ejaculated less often.

 
 
 
Relieving stress
Sex can serve as a natural way to relieve stress. A 2019 study looked at the effect that intimacy with a partner had on cortisol levels. Cortisol is a steroid hormone that circulates the body in response to stress.

The researchers found that expressions of intimacy, whether sexual or not, helped to bring cortisol levels in both males and female back within normal range.

Sex triggers the release of oxytocin, endorphins, and other "feel-good" hormones, which may be responsible for this stress reducing effect.

Here, learn more about stress.
Improving sleep

Hormones released during sex may improve sleep.
The National Sleep Foundation suggest that sexual activity has hormonal benefits for sleep.

The same hormones that reduce stress and anxiety are also responsible for inducing sleepiness. Sex leads to the release of oxytocin, dopamine, and endorphins throughout the body.

After a person has an orgasm, another hormone called prolactin starts to circulate. Prolactin induces feelings of satisfaction and relaxation.

 
Precautions
While sex can be a pleasurable and potentially healthful activity, it is essential to remember that sex without protection can pose a risk to overall health.

People who have sex without using contraceptives have a risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies. Using a condom or other contraceptive method can reduce the risk of these outcomes.

If a person has multiple partners, they can bring down the risk by reducing the number of people with whom they have sexual contact.

If sex becomes painful or causes bleeding, a person should talk to a healthcare professional.