Why Sex Isn't As Gross As It Should Be

Eww.

Sexual Arousal Plays Big Part In Overcoming Disgust

Ever notice it only smells like sex AFTER you're done having it? Come to think of it, with all the fluids and sounds and grunts, sex should be pretty gross. But a new study says that it's our arousal that gets us over all the icky parts.

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Scientists from the University of Groningen in The Netherlands wondered how exactly we manage to overcome all the sticky, icky parts of sex and actually find the desire to get down to business.

According to the results, it's all in our heads.

For the study researchers found 90 women and split them into three groups, showing each group a different video. One video featured a "female-friendly" erotic video, another showed exhilarating sports like skydiving and rafting, and the last one showed a boring clip of a train.

After watching the videos, the groups were asked to perform a series of 16 gross activities. They included eating a cookie that was right next to a live worm, drinking from a cup with a fake bug in it, and sticking their hand in a tray of used condoms.

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The women who watched the erotic video were more likely to perform a greater number of tasks than those who hadn't, leading the study's authors to conclude that sexual arousal allows us to get past what we might normally find off-putting.

So what does this mean for the average sexual relationship? Say the researchers, a woman's desire to engage in sexual activity is based largely on whether or not she's turned on. Low arousal is one of the largest factors preventing women from enjoying themselves in the bedroom.

Men, take note.

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