# Do humans instinctively know how to perform coitus? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 12, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-humans-instinctively-know-how-to-perform-coitus/445052 "2008-04-12T17:24:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2008, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-humans-instinctively-know-how-to-perform-coitus/445052/21 "2008-04-12T23:19:19Z")
[QUOTE=tremorviolet] [OT]Slough rhymes with “how”? I always thought it was pronounced “sloe”. [/QUOTE] As the name of the place in the UK, it rhymes with “how.” With reference to a swamp, it is generally pronounced “slew” in the US. If you mean shedding skin, it’s pronounced “sluff.” Ain’t English fun? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WF\_Tomba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d9b06d/32.png) [@WF\_Tomba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WF_Tomba)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-humans-instinctively-know-how-to-perform-coitus/445052/22 "2008-04-13T04:44:06Z")
Maybe I just didn’t phrase the OP properly . . . or maybe there’s just no known answer to what I’m asking . . . ---
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-humans-instinctively-know-how-to-perform-coitus/445052/23 "2008-04-13T05:31:12Z")
[QUOTE=WF Tomba] Other mammals don’t seem to need to be taught the basic moves, but humans pass this knowledge down culturally, usually before sexual maturity. [/QUOTE] That’s probably only because other mammals don’t have the ability to spend hours a day on the internet studying reproduction, and young male dogs don’t have Playpups to sneak a peek at. ---
**Author:** ![Jinx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Jinx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jinx)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-humans-instinctively-know-how-to-perform-coitus/445052/24 "2008-04-13T10:10:34Z")
[QUOTE=WF Tomba] True, it would not be hard to figure out, although I suspect you’d put it in the wrong hole about half the time. But is there specific instinctive knowledge? Bulls don’t have to figure it out by trial and error, do they? [/QUOTE] …Well, two bulls might! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-humans-instinctively-know-how-to-perform-coitus/445052/25 "2008-04-13T13:38:05Z")
Kaspar Hauser, who was raised in isolation for the first 16 or so years of his life, was never able to figure out human sexuality. It’s reported that he became enamoured with a woman but became very stressed and frustrated at not knowing how to express or consummate his desires. ---
**Author:** ![Thrasymachus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ce73a5/32.png) [@Thrasymachus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thrasymachus)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-humans-instinctively-know-how-to-perform-coitus/445052/26 "2008-04-13T16:55:30Z")
[QUOTE=psychonaut] Kaspar Hauser, who was raised in isolation for the first 16 or so years of his life, was never able to figure out human sexuality. It’s reported that he became enamoured with a woman but became very stressed and frustrated at not knowing how to express or consummate his desires. [/QUOTE] Yeah, that’s pretty much how it is for a lot of us… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-humans-instinctively-know-how-to-perform-coitus/445052.md?page=1)