# Is the average time for sex really this short? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 3, 2014, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889 "2014-06-03T02:36:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/41 "2014-06-04T00:46:36Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > He didn’t say he was _hard_. He did say 6 hours “sustained” though. I took “sustained” to mean maintaining erection throughout. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/42 "2014-06-04T00:59:45Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > He did say 6 hours “sustained” though. I took “sustained” to mean maintaining erection throughout. It was. I have no idea if I have that capability now but I did at one time and it didn’t cause any physical damage. That was a one time deal based on exceptional circumstances. We were convinced that we would never see each other again so it turned into an extremely long goodbye sex session that literally lasted 6 hours straight. The only reason we stopped was the sun came up and we had to go to work. ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/43 "2014-06-04T12:46:45Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > From the OP That didn’t answer my question (about the starting point; I know the end point)…unless you were suggesting that I read the article. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/44 "2014-06-04T16:00:28Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > It was. I have no idea if I have that capability now but I did at one time and it didn’t cause any physical damage. That was a one time deal based on exceptional circumstances. We were convinced that we would never see each other again so it turned into an extremely long goodbye sex session that literally lasted 6 hours straight. The only reason we stopped was the sun came up and we had to go to work. Really, everyone is different from everyone else. I think you’ve discovered that you are an outlier in this area. Feel good or bad about it, it’s up to you. I would, however, encourage you to avoid judging other people against your own experiences (me = better, them = worse). ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/45 "2014-06-04T16:08:46Z")
Chemistry has a lot to do with it, about 5 years ago I hooked up with a lady on the internet. We were both about 60 at the time. For the most part I consider myself pretty average in the sex dept but we seemed to have some kind of chemistry going on where we just couldn’t quit banging. The date started on friday night and continued to early monday morning. No foreplay to speak of just sucking and fucking. I had no idea I could keep an erection that long anymore or even stay interested that long. I didn’t even take viagra that weekend. The strange part was there was nothing exceptional about the sex beyond the great desire we had to keep doing each other. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Ektar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58956e/32.png) [@Captain\_Ektar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Ektar)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/46 "2014-06-04T16:26:43Z")
> [@Malthus](#): > > I’ve not timed it - but in general, the “actual intercourse” is, as it were, the icing on the cake, or the fireworks at the end of the festivities. It usually does not last very long, because so very much has happened before it. 🆒 +1 ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/47 "2014-06-04T18:19:55Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > It was. I have no idea if I have that capability now but I did at one time and it didn’t cause any physical damage. That was a one time deal based on exceptional circumstances. We were convinced that we would never see each other again so it turned into an extremely long goodbye sex session that literally lasted 6 hours straight. The only reason we stopped was the sun came up and we had to go to work. A sex session is not what is being discussed here. Its that actual pelvic thrust without interruption time. Are you saying you did the old in an’ out for 6 hours straight without stopping? In my youth I certainly had sessions that lasted that long. But they were made up of multiple happy fun times. As a whole I would consider it one session but there certainly wasn’t 6 hours straight of thrusting. At some point someone needs a bathroom break or a drink of water. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/48 "2014-06-04T18:27:26Z")
> [@Koxinga](#): > > It’s the flip side of Cosmopolitan advising gals to “drive him wild in bed by yanking on his testicles! He’ll love it!” :eek: I’ve said it before: As a teen, my Mom’s Cosmos did more to distort my expectations of sex than my Dad’s Playboys did. And that was in the 1970s! In any case, yes, as others have mentioned, that relatively short time period is more appropriate if what you are going for is uninterrupted hammerin’. Because otherwise you may get sore. Or bored. OTOH in a multiple-course event, both parties can “take a breather” and stand down letting the other party(parties?) pick up the pace during some intervals. Personal case I too seem to seem to have become sort of quickie-resistant, needing a multistage lead-in, with rest breaks, building up before the finale. (Though in turn some ladies DO seem to expect you to remain absolutely standing at attention all the way through every chapter and verse, lest it be seen as a personal impugnation… well, dear, when I was 25 and running 5Ks weekly that could have been feasible. It’s been a while). ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/49 "2014-06-04T18:34:01Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > At some point someone needs a bathroom break or a drink of water. I was assuming a support team; handing over a water bottle, wiping sweat off his back, fanning her, mopping up, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/50 "2014-06-04T18:41:08Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > As a whole I would consider it one session but there certainly wasn’t 6 hours straight of thrusting. At some point someone needs a bathroom break or a drink of water. I’m more impressed by the cardio involved then the sexual stamina. I couldn’t walk around the block for six hours let alone engage in any kind of semi-vigorous sex for that long. Even as out of shape as I am that would be the equivalent of running a marathon. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/51 "2014-06-04T18:50:47Z")
maybe he measured it in PPH - ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/52 "2014-06-04T19:01:23Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > I’m more impressed by the cardio involved then the sexual stamina. I couldn’t walk around the block for six hours let alone engage in any kind of semi-vigorous sex for that long. Even as out of shape as I am that would be the equivalent of running a marathon. that is reason enough to be awarding medals and ribbons. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/53 "2014-06-04T19:36:38Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I was assuming a support team; handing over a water bottle, wiping sweat off his back, fanning her, mopping up, etc. Don’t forget the cheerleaders. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Quatro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc8723/32.png) [@Mr\_Quatro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Quatro)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/54 "2014-06-04T19:45:18Z")
It’s not how long the man can last without ejaculation … it’s how long can a woman put up with the in and out routine with a 200lb + man on top of her with her legs spread wide and his breathing hard on one side of her face? 30 minutes? I don’t think so … foreplay is suppose to reduce the amount of time spent in the saddle not increase it. ---
**Author:** ![prettydorky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f04885/32.png) [@prettydorky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/prettydorky)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/55 "2014-06-04T19:47:39Z")
How do guys get the idea that women like this? Maybe some do, but I was shuddering reading the OP. 6 hours of penetration sounds sweaty and awful. I have always far preferred multiple shorter sessions to one long one. Sometimes, I really really (really!) like it if a guy finishes right away. Provided he pays me a little attention afterward and doesn’t just roll over, fart, and start snoring. We’re trying to conceive right now, so there have been a couple of sessions that are just about making a deposit. For those, we maximize all the other stuff so that we are ready to finish as soon as we start. I mean, things are different every time. I don’t always like a lot of foreplay, sometimes the person and you have been apart for a while, sometimes it’s your third round that day so it takes longer, etc etc. I don’t keep track of the time, but thinking back on all of the sex I’ve ever had, I would bet it would be about a 10-15 minute average. That might even be a little on the high end. ---
**Author:** ![tim-n-va](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim-n-va/32/3001_2.png) [@tim-n-va](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim-n-va)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/56 "2014-06-04T19:57:11Z")
Not sure if I missed the answer above but just in case, the opposite of premature ejaculation is anorgasmia. It is a side effect of some anti-depressants. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/57 "2014-06-04T20:06:35Z")
> [@prettydorky](#): > > How do guys get the idea that women like this? I suspect the answer is “porn” - same place (some) guys get the notion that women in general prefer gigantic penises. Most porn dispenses with foreplay (other than oral) altogether, goes straight for lengthy jackhammering sessions. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/58 "2014-06-04T20:31:00Z")
> [@prettydorky](#): > > How do guys get the idea that women like this? I think it’s mostly a lack of communication. I mean, have you and your partner ever had a detailed conversation about chafing? Maybe you have, but in my (admittedly limited) experiences with women, most are very hesitant about saying what they want. She might say “Oh, right there!” but I have to stumble across it… and then I’m totally confused when that same spot isn’t working the same way the next week. There are a lot of women out there who need to get that guys are mostly pretty good at following directions, but we suck at mind reading. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/59 "2014-06-04T20:39:22Z")
> [@tim-n-va](#): > > Not sure if I missed the answer above but just in case, the opposite of premature ejaculation is anorgasmia. It is a side effect of some anti-depressants. I’ve had both. Sometimes in the same day ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889/60 "2014-06-04T21:30:47Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > It was. I have no idea if I have that capability now but I did at one time and it didn’t cause any physical damage. That was a one time deal based on exceptional circumstances. We were convinced that we would never see each other again so it turned into an extremely long goodbye sex session that literally lasted 6 hours straight. The only reason we stopped was the sun came up and we had to go to work. I’m a little skeptical is this isn’t a classic example of how a fond memory gets aggrandized with the passage of time. I’ve had all night marathons too, but my penis certainly didn’t stay hard through out. It usually goes something like this: Fuck - lay in bed and talk- Fuck- lay in bed and watch tv for an hour or so- Fuck- Grab something to munch on from the kitchen- Fuck- more talking Fuck- etc… If my penis stayed hard during those breaks, I would have been miserable. And I don’t even want to imagine the pain involved if I went six full hours with out busting a nut. For me every one of those sessions involves a climax. (For both parties. Or at least I hope so.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-average-time-for-sex-really-this-short/689889.md?page=4)