Brush up on sex facts and fiction as we bust some common myths

Sales of condoms decrease when a recession hits

When the stock market took a dive, other things began to rise. Sales of condoms jumped by over 6 per cent in the last quarter of 2008 in the USA. Either it's too expensive to go out, or too expensive to have a kid or both.

2. More than 1 out of every 10 online sites are pornography.

A 2006 Internet Filter Review estimated that 12 per cent of all sites are porn-based.

3. Humans are the only species to have sex for pleasure.

Although scientists haven't identified every animal that does, we do know that we aren't alone in loving to get it on.

4. “Sex” is the most frequently searched word online.

A little over a year ago the term “sex” was overtaken by the word “Facebook” in search volume on Google. Right now, “Facebook” is searched five times more often than sex.

This leads us to wonder, has Facebook ruined our sex lives?

5. Women who didn't attend university are more likely to have both oral and/or anal sex.

Studies show that women who have received post-high school educations are more open to giving and receiving both oral and anal sex. Look what you learn in uni!

6. The strongest muscle (for its size) in the body is the tongue.

Although there's some discrepancy on how to measure this strength, the tongue is the strongest muscle when it comes to its size.

7. Women have increased sex drives during ovulation.

Women have a heightened libido during ovulation. It's nature's way of getting us knocked up.

8. Chocolate is a natural aphrodisiac.

While chocolate contains phenylalanine, an amino acid that raises the body's endorphins which are natural antidepressants and libido lifters, chocolate’s aphrodisiac effects have yet to be scientifically proven.

9. Men's sexual organs are designed for more pleasure than women's.

Women win this contest hands down. The clitoris, after all, is the only known organ that's sole purpose is pleasure. It has the most nerve endings per area of any part of the body.

10. Having sex once a week can boost your immunity.

Researchers at Wilkes University in the US found that having sex regularly does, in fact, give you an immunity bump.

They found a 30 per cent increase in immunoglobulin A (IgA) proteins in people who had sex once or twice a week, compared to those who didn’t have sex. IgA binds to pathogens when they first enter the body and gets the immune system to destroy the invaders.

11. The avocado was named after sperm.

The Aztecs used the avocado as a sex stimulant, naming it ahuacatl, which actually means "testicle".

12. The vanilla plant was named after the vagina.

The word vanilla came from the Spanish word "vainilla", which is a form of the word "vaina", meaning "sheath". This word is, in turn, from Latin "vagina".

Click the image to read what animals can teach us about sex