# Things you never knew about the other sex until recently **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 25, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693 "2009-03-25T02:27:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/161 "2009-03-28T05:33:04Z")
And here I thought having to shave was annoying. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/162 "2009-03-28T06:41:38Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > NOT TAUGHT The two that made me bitter were: 1. homosexuality – like, ever, at all; in grade 9 we grazed the subject if only to note that it exists 2. the fact that if you masturbate frequently, you will probably not have wet dreams. They were presented as something that happens to practically all males at puberty and I spent a few years freaked out that it was going to happen and then another few years freaked out because it hadn’t happened yet. To this day I’ve never had one. ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/163 "2009-03-28T08:14:56Z")
> [@Reply](#): > > Why not? For us, everything exits from the one same uberhole. Sure, but no one’s attempting to stick a penis into your uberhole. Nor do you ever expell a baby from it. It would seem to follow that the vagina needs to be substantially bigger and more elastic than a urethra. It performs a number of functions that just aren’t needed in guys. > [@](#): > > What do you mean plugged up? Can’t you guys have sex while pregnant? The cervix normally has a very small opening anyway (you normally can’t even get something even the width of a pencil through it, unless you use certain hospital-grade pharmaceuticals or are being flushed full of “I’m in labor!” hormones). But it is also plugged with thick sticky mucous most of the time. Your swimmers literally can’t get into the uterus – nevermind the fallopian tubes – except for a few days immediately before, during, and after ovulation. It’s also open during menses, obviously, but considering the constant outward flow I’m not sure many swimmers have much chance getting in then, either. So yes, we can have sex while pregnant, but the penis doesn’t ever go beyond the vaginal canal. Nothing gets into or out of the cervix most of the time – not semen, certainly not pee. > [@](#): > > And yeah, I always figured if a tampon was bloody and wet when you had to pee, you’d just discard it and put in a new one. Otherwise, take it out, pee, and put it back in. Kinda like a stick-in diaper. _hurk_ Do you often re-use dirty diapers? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/164 "2009-03-28T08:27:37Z")
> [@Todderbob](#): > > Our parts are different, don’t they teach girls _anything_ in sex ed? 😛 Hell, I had the _anatomy_ down by the time I was 8. (Although my mum teaches the Billings method, so I am probably a special case – I was often her test audience for new video or textual materials.) Reproductive biology I had down cold. I agree though that no one thought to teach anything about sex drives, or relationships, or that sex and foreplay bust the seams of your pleasure centers. Had a rather rude awakening with my first boyfriend. Talk about being thrown into the deep end. That was a pretty shitty experience all around. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/165 "2009-03-28T10:25:00Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > My periods suck majorly. They last seven days and only two of those days are ‘light’. The first and last day. I have to double up on the overnight pads when I sleep AND use wads of toilet paper in strategic locations in the front and back because it gets everywhere at night. Fun times! And I also know from experience, unprotected sex right after your period is over, is so not ‘safe’. Ignorance begets baby. My first day is kind of like that, so usually I just put a tampon in and also wear a pad to be on the safe side. Do you wear a tampon in addition to the heavy pad and toilet paper? ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/166 "2009-03-28T10:53:03Z")
On a completely different note, I had no idea women rearranged furniture. Seriously, I’ve talked to a bunch of women about this over the last few months and apparently there’s some female urge to move tables and couches around once every few weeks or so. What’s up with that? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/167 "2009-03-28T14:12:47Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > 1. Zipped Wang Syndrome is pretty unusual if you don’t go commando. > > 2. Button flies are annoying if you need to piss really bad. And of course, if you’re going commando, your nether regions run the risk of going “Helloooo, nurse !” right through a button fly. [QUOTE=groo] Every once in awhile, I’ll be sitting and looking at my balls, as is my custom, and they start moving around like an animatronic Abe Lincoln. [/QUOTE] This sentence is superb. And true : balls move about and slither around by themselves quite a bit, esp. if there’s some tension on the scrotum (because you’re pulling your penis up to look at them for example, or when you’re getting aroused). This entertains my SO to no end. ---
**Author:** ![AngelSoft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angelsoft/32/440_2.png) [@AngelSoft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelSoft)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/168 "2009-03-28T14:58:26Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > My first day is kind of like that, so usually I just put a tampon in and also wear a pad to be on the safe side. Do you wear a tampon in addition to the heavy pad and toilet paper? Luckily no, it never got to that point. I’m also lucky that I rarely have cramps. Usually cramps are soon followed by clots. Funny thing is, I was able to wear tampons for no problem before I had my daughter, but now…they’re really uncomfortable and I just can’t wear them. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/169 "2009-03-28T15:03:26Z")
> [@AngelSoft](#): > > Luckily no, it never got to that point. I’m also lucky that I rarely have cramps. Usually cramps are soon followed by clots. Funny thing is, I was able to wear tampons for no problem before I had my daughter, but now…they’re really uncomfortable and I just can’t wear them. Oh, okay. I just thought that might be easier than putting in all the TP, but I see. Yeah, for me, it used to get everywhere before I used tampons. Sometimes I’d wear two pads and it’d still be messy. ---
**Author:** ![emmaliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7bcc69/32.png) [@emmaliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emmaliminal)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/170 "2009-03-28T15:35:02Z")
Here’s something I don’t know about my own gender: how do so many women wear close-fitting jeans all day, apparently comfortably? I can’t stand 'em for more than a few hours and have way too much “housekeeping” to do while they’re on. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/171 "2009-03-28T15:38:40Z")
> [@emmaliminal](#): > > Here’s something I don’t know about my own gender: how do so many women wear close-fitting jeans all day, apparently comfortably? I can’t stand 'em for more than a few hours and have way too much “housekeeping” to do while they’re on. I don’t know. I’ve tried, and failed. (I’m a woman.) But like, how do you not get a raging yeast infection? ---
**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:** [March 28, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/172 "2009-03-28T15:56:24Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > 1. the fact that if you masturbate frequently, you will probably not have wet dreams. They were presented as something that happens to practically all males at puberty and I spent a few years freaked out that it was going to happen and then another few years freaked out because it hadn’t happened yet. To this day I’ve never had one. Yeah, I had my first _ahem_ emission when I… uh… accidentally stumbled across a movie called _Watch Me_, part of Skinemax’s late-night offerings. I sort of instinctively began jacking off. Never had a wet dream. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/173 "2009-03-28T16:01:17Z")
> [@matt\_mcl](#): > > 1. the fact that if you masturbate frequently, you will probably not have wet dreams. They were presented as something that happens to practically all males at puberty and I spent a few years freaked out that it was going to happen and then another few years freaked out because it hadn’t happened yet. To this day I’ve never had one. Me neither. But then, I was an industrious masturbator by age eleven or so (well before my first ejaculation). ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/174 "2009-03-28T16:01:58Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Yeah, I had my first _ahem_ emission when I… uh… accidentally stumbled across a movie called _Watch Me_, part of Skinemax’s late-night offerings. I sort of instinctively began jacking off. > > Never had a wet dream. That is one thing I can feel proud about knowing about the opposite sex. I read it somewhere, I’m not sure where. I also don’t know very men who have had wet dreams. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever met a man who’s talked about having had one. I just remember them from when we had to learn about puberty in fifth grade. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/175 "2009-03-28T16:43:15Z")
> [@PatriotGrrrl](#): > > That some guys don’t like underwear that has too large of a fly opening, and doesn’t have a little button to keep it closed. Apparently their penis can stick out the opening, though still under their trousers, and that feels weird. Oh, god, that is so annoying. Particularly when it happens in a meeting with both genders present. You’re torn between desperately needing to adjust the penis and not wanting to seem a perv. ---
**Author:** ![PeskiPiksi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e495f1/32.png) [@PeskiPiksi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PeskiPiksi)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/176 "2009-03-28T16:57:56Z")
Okay, I just found a wonderful visual to help us ladies understand the whole “how do you not sit on those things?” question: [Here](http://failblog.org/2009/03/24/barstool-design-win/). (Probably safe for work unless your boss is looking over your shoulder…links to the failblog.) ---
**Author:** ![Orpington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/cc9497/32.png) [@Orpington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orpington)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/177 "2009-03-28T17:57:47Z")
1. spelling correction - the thing they put inside us for a pelvic exam is called a _speculum_, not a _spectrum_ 2. my husband (52 YO) still occasionally has a wet dream - and it could be within a few days of the last time we had sex. He’s just always had lots of them. My 1st husband did too. And they both were never shy about masturbating if they need to. So do you guys who’ve never had one ever have erotic dreams, just not accompanied by ejaculation? I have wet dreams (any other ladies with me here?), sometimes just wake up with a yummy dreamy feeling, but sometimes I have a full orgasm with lots of wetness and the whole thing. (Not that this happens to me real frequently, but occasionally) 3. yeah, I have trouble with tight pants too. I just (try to) make sure every time I have my pants down to pee or whatever, I position everything carefully on one side of the seam. With my everyday jeans I guess I’ve gotten used to it so this actually works, but when I wear something different but still tight, I have to rearrange all the time just like a baseball player. As to how women who wear tight clothing manage not to get yeast infections - well, I used to get them a long time ago. Tried all the lifestyle adjustments - only cotton panties, if need to dress up wear dresses & skirts instead of trousers, use garter belt instead of pantyhose, keep it dry and breezy down there as much as possible. It didn’t help at all. It did make it slightly less itchy and swollen during an infection, but didn’t decrease the frequency (but it was a great excuse to wear a garter belt often!!). What finally stopped them was changing my diet - reducing refined sugar and carbs and increasing meat. 4. I’m surprised no one’s brought this up yet - if you have really bad periods that really interfere with your life it is possible to mostly stop them with daily birth control pills - instead of taking them 3 weeks, then skipping a week while you have your period, you just take them every single day. After a few months your periods decrease to almost never. (The drawback is you will have occasional unpredictable spotting but it varies from person to person. It also varies from one brand to another, even if they allegedly have the same amounts of exactly the same hormones.) I’ve been doing this for 8-9 years. It’s often prescribed this way for endometriosis, but they’re discovering it also tends to help women with chronic migraines, severe mood swings, depression or bipolar issues, even if they never really seemed to be cyclical before. 5. as to the proper names for girly bits - everything visible from the outside is called the vulva. The urethra and vagina are inside; only their openings are external. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/178 "2009-03-28T18:20:48Z")
> [@Orpington](#): > > 1. yeah, I have trouble with tight pants too. I just (try to) make sure every time I have my pants down to pee or whatever, I position everything carefully on one side of the seam. With my everyday jeans I guess I’ve gotten used to it so this actually works, but when I wear something different but still tight, I have to rearrange all the time just like a baseball player. As to how women who wear tight clothing manage not to get yeast infections - well, I used to get them a long time ago. Tried all the lifestyle adjustments - only cotton panties, if need to dress up wear dresses & skirts instead of trousers, use garter belt instead of pantyhose, keep it dry and breezy down there as much as possible. It didn’t help at all. It did make it slightly less itchy and swollen during an infection, but didn’t decrease the frequency (but it was a great excuse to wear a garter belt often!!). What finally stopped them was changing my diet - reducing refined sugar and carbs and increasing meat. To be fair, I don’t think my yeast infections, back when I got them, were caused by tight pants. I mostly got them when I was on anti bios or on the pill. Since going off those, I haven’t gotten a single one. I also don’t wear tight pants mainly because I try and it’s too uncomfortable. I wear well fitting clothes that look flattering, but they feel very comfy. And I always wear cotton underoos and breathable fabrics and in warm weather, pretty much exclusively skirts/dresses. I just hate the feel of super tight pants. ---
**Author:** ![Suse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Suse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suse)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/179 "2009-03-28T18:27:53Z")
> [@davekhps](#): > > Wait, there is one woman-related thing that I learned (or rather, had reinforced). > > For a long time, I just didn’t know how much variation there was in how _wet_ women got during foreplay/sex. Some women get really wet on a dime, others take far longer to get there, and some never get wet at all (thus, the need for lube). And yes, I’m talking women who were into me, properly warmed up and horny, etc. > > I’ve also learned that birth control can have a lot to do with this. I’ve seen studies that allege quite a few differences in this area between women on the Pill/women who aren’t. In my personal experience, I have to say that the Pill really kinda screws up sex in comparison to the women I’ve been with who haven’t been on it. Different wetness, smells, tastes, levels of horniness, etc. Totally anecdotal, I know, but intuitively, it makes sense to me-- these _are_ important hormones that are getting messed up here, after all. > > Weird stuff. And if you are with a post-menopausal woman and she says lube is a must each time, believe her. It is not an evaluation of your performance, but a lack of the necessary hormones. And another thing about periods - sometimes they _don’t stop_. Like for months at a time don’t stop. If that happens to you or your SO, seek medical advice. Trust me on this. ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693/180 "2009-03-28T18:32:15Z")
> [@Suse](#): > > And another thing about periods - sometimes they _don’t stop_. Wait, _ **what?** _ This, I didn’t know. Can I get some elaboration, if possible? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-you-never-knew-about-the-other-sex-until-recently/490693.md?page=10)