Sex for 10 minutes is just about perfect, say researchers
Sexual marathons lasting all night are boring but 10 minutes is just about perfect for most people, researchers have concluded.
They said between one and two minutes was too short, three to seven minutes was acceptable, and anything over 13 minutes was too long.
They added that sex lasting between seven and 13 minutes was "desirable".
The researchers noted that popular culture had tended to reinforce unrealistic ideas about how long sex should last.
Researcher Eric Corty, an associate professor of psychology at Penn State University, said: "Many men and women seem to believe the fantasy of all-night-long intercourse.
"This seems a situation ripe for disappointment and dissatisfaction.
"We hope this survey will dispel fantasies and encourage men and women with realistic data."
The findings were published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.