# How long does good sex take? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 3, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838 "2008-04-03T19:43:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/1 "2008-04-03T19:43:42Z")
According to a recent survey to be published in the May issue of the **Journal of Sexual Medicine** , good sex (not including foreplay) takes 3 to 13 minutes [Link](http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sfl-flasex0403sbapr03,0,7870387.story) Please tell us what you guessed before you looked at the spoiler or clicked the link. It might also be interesting if you indicated your sex. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/2 "2008-04-03T19:48:06Z")
Bumping nasties in the AM before work: 3 min The long bath shoulder rub foreplay oral sexathon: 30 min - 1 hour Both are very different, both good. Male- ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/3 "2008-04-03T19:49:14Z")
At least 45 minutes or so. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/4 "2008-04-03T19:50:18Z")
[QUOTE=Winston Smith] According to a recent survey to be published in the May issue of the **Journal of Sexual Medicine** , **(not including foreplay)** [/QUOTE] I’d already heard of the study so I knew the ‘answer,’ but that highlighted bit makes the findings pretty irrelevant, IME. That’s like asking ‘How long does it take to eat a good meal? (minus appetizers and dessert)?’ ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/5 "2008-04-03T19:52:18Z")
If we’re just talking the act of coitus, from first penetration to male orgasm\*, I’d say four or five minutes. - If I happen to come before she does, and need to help her across the finish line with hands or mouth, that’s afterplay. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/6 "2008-04-03T20:07:27Z")
20 minutes to over an hour depending on how energetic I and the wife feel at the time. Both of us usually have multiple orgasms (her more than myself, of course). But then quickies can last less than 10 minutes and are still good, too. Damn, most all sex is good when you cum to think about it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/7 "2008-04-03T20:35:04Z")
Depends on if it’s with the wife or the girlfriend. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/8 "2008-04-03T22:22:24Z")
This thread is right next to “Choosing a new personal device.” ---
**Author:** ![sinjin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2008, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/9 "2008-04-03T23:35:22Z")
A lifetime. And I mean that in a good way. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/10 "2008-04-04T05:48:02Z")
Seriously, maybe I’m odd, but I say 20 minutes, minimum. That’s for fast, hard, crazy sex. Slow, gentle, take-your-time-and-enjoy-it sex takes at least 45 minutes. I’ve had the 5-10 minute sex when we’re in a hurry, and it gets the job done… but it’s like a McDonald’s hamburger when you really want a steak. Satisfies the physical urge but doesn’t really cut it mentally. All this is penetration to orgasm. Tack on a few more minutes on either side for… well, just use your imagination. Before I clicked the link I couldn’t guess because all I have to go on is my own experience. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/11 "2008-04-04T05:57:33Z")
Before my last partner, I’d have said probably around half an hour or so. Afterwards, I’d prefer the really intense kind (with most all the goodies packed in) to at least last 90 minutes. But for a quickie, well all bets are off. Those can be pretty hot no matter what the duration. … Especially if your pushed up against a wall in a semi-public place. 😃 I’ll be in my bunk with my headphones on. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/12 "2008-04-04T05:59:30Z")
Quickies can be great, but so can fucking all weekend. The best sex I ever had was when a friend of mine who I’d had cyberfling with online came to visit. We basically had sex for the three days she was there, with obvious breaks but sometimes we went for hours at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Santo\_Rugger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Santo\_Rugger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Santo_Rugger)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/13 "2008-04-04T06:57:15Z")
It depends on how much she charges per hour, and whether or not she prorates it. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/14 "2008-04-04T08:40:40Z")
Maybe I’m just weird, but limiting the timing to the penetrative part of sex strikes me as weird. Actually I can pretty much take it or leave it when it comes (heh) to penetration. Sometimes we’ll finish up with penetration (in which case 3 minutes is sometimes rather optimistic, depending on what she’s been doing to me beforehand!) but often not. I find my orgasm is usually more pleasurable when it’s not constrained by being inside a vagina. (Now how clinical does _that_ sound?) Yep, maybe I am just weird. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 10:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/15 "2008-04-04T10:35:55Z")
Depends who you ask, me or my girlfriend 😛 I’ll go with 3-4 minutes, how long I think I last. On uncovering the spoiler, I just make it 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Wheeljack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/838e76/32.png) [@Wheeljack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheeljack)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/16 "2008-04-04T11:06:03Z")
Yeeeeah… um. An egg timer would do. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/17 "2008-04-04T12:18:05Z")
[QUOTE=Winston Smith] Please tell us what you guessed before you looked at the spoiler or clicked the link. It might also be interesting if you indicated your sex. [/QUOTE] It shows up when you hover over the link. ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/18 "2008-04-04T12:20:08Z")
Long enough to reach the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/19 "2008-04-04T13:45:44Z")
Personally, I can be quite satisfied after five minutes. She’s multi-orgasmic though so we usually go for about 20 before I get to finish. I’m caring like that. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2008, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838/20 "2008-04-04T14:56:13Z")
[QUOTE=Joey P] It shows up when you hover over the link. [/QUOTE] So much for spoilers, eh? I never noticed that. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-does-good-sex-take/443838.md?page=2)