Men and women may not think so differently after all

Although society has come a long way from the gender stereotypes that existed decades ago, there are still misperceptions that exist regarding men, women and sex. A paper recently published in Current Directions in Psychological Science found that commonly held assumptions about what drives people to have sex may not be true. 

"We’re hoping that this article helps to debunk and dispel common myths and make people more aware of the social factors (rather than supposed biologically based reasons) related to sex,” said researcher Terri Conley.

For example, while individuals tended to believe that men are sex-crazed and women are prudish, this does not reflect the way that people actually behave. Instead, the scientists found very little differences between the genders when it came to motivations behind having sex.

Researchers believe that studies like this one can help people develop a better understanding of the opposite gender and generate more discussion. Encouraging open communication in the bedroom is one of the best ways to ensure that people are practicing safer sex and protecting themselves against sexually transmitted diseases.