How long sex should actually last, according to men

Have you ever wondered just how long men actually want sex and foreplay to last? Well, we have all the answers for you.

From the way the adult industry portrays sex and relationships, you would probably think that men want sex to last for as long as an hour (or more).

For women though, that's far from the case.

GQ looked into the matter and quizzed a 'handful' of women and non-binary people about their bedroom habits and discovered that five to 10 minutes of penetrative sex was the ideal, as well as 10 to 15 minutes of foreplay.

Now, studies have indicated that men have a higher sex drive than women, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they want prolonged sex to match this.

Studies have shown that men have a higher sex drive than women (Getty Stock)

While there may be discrepancies between sex drives in men and women, it appears as if both sexes are on the same page when it comes to how long they want to get down and dirty for.

A 2004 study found that men like to spend around 18 minutes on both intercourse and foreplay, Sex and Psychology reported.

The same study of 152 heterosexual couples in Canada revealed that women like intercourse to last for 14 minutes and foreplay to last 19 minutes – so there wasn't too much difference in both party's preferences.

These ideals didn't match how long each couple actually spent on intercourse and foreplay, though. It was revealed that heterosexual adults think that sex typically lasts somewhere around 18 to 21 minutes.

You know what you need to do, people.

It turns out that men and women like to be intimate for around the same length of time (Getty Stock)

Elsewhere, an expert has weighed in on what they believe to be the perfect amount of time to spend on foreplay.

Speaking to the Metro, certified sex and relationship coach Gemma Nice shared: "Men can usually climax in around 5-7 minutes, whereas it typically takes a female anywhere between 20-30 minutes."

With the difference in mind, Nice advised that couples meet somewhere in the middle and spend around 15 to 20 minutes on their pre-game. However, the longer you spend on foreplay the more beneficial it can be...

"The longer you’re engaged in foreplay, the more aroused and relaxed the body will be," Nice explained.

"When your body is in a state of calm, the blood can then flow from the heart, lungs and brain and move down to the genitals, allowing the 10,000+ nerve endings there to be activated. This can then give a better overall sexual satisfaction to both partners."

Take notes, folks.