A new survey aims to set the record straight about how long heterosexual intercourse should last.
The verdict: 3 to 13 minutes, with 3-7 minutes deemed "acceptable" and 7 to 13 minutes dubbed "desirable."
Thirty-four sex therapists in the U.S. and Canada completed the survey. They had 26 years of clinical experience, on average; 45% of them were men.
One skipped the timing question, 25 mentioned specific amounts of time, and eight said time for intercourse depends on the couple.
The survey may correct the public's "unrealistic" expectations for sexual performance to last longer, note Corty and colleagues in May's edition of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.