Surprising Facts About Sexual Arousal

Sexual arousal is something that seems to be quite normal, so simple to understand, right? Not quite. It’s not just as simple as “get stimulated, get horny.” It's also not exactly easy to figure out what turns on people - or if there's even a universal turn-on. Sexual arousal is just as complex as sexuality itself, and there are many aspects to it that most people would never guess. Here are some of the more surprising things most people never really know about sexual arousal, according to sexologists.

Pheromones found in women’s tears are a turn-off to men. If you want to get lucky during your next date, don’t rent a tearjerker for your date movie. Studies have shown that the smell of women’s tears is a major turn off to men.

Arousal can happen even when you’re scared. A common misconception is that people who are aroused during sexual assault want it, but that’s not true. Sexual arousal can happen even when you don’t want it do, primarily because our bodies tend to act on their own when stimulated.

Men produce more sperm and testosterone if they watch their partner having sex with other men. The reason for this is very likely because of a natural need to “compete” to have the most potent sperm. This also may be the evolutionary reason as to why so many men like cuckolding.

It takes a minimum of 30 minutes for a guy to get aroused again after orgasm. Among sexologists, this is called the refractory period. And it can last anywhere from 30 minutes to a total of several hours or more, depending on how healthy he is.

Garlic can make people get aroused by you. A study in the Czech Republic had people eat garlic cream cheese every day for one week, while wearing pads in their arm pits. They then had a control group that didn’t eat it. Men ranked the garlic wearer’s scents to be more attractive than those who didn’t eat it. (Pfft, and you thought garlic was a mood killer.)

Men and women are equally aroused when looking at adult films. A 2006 study at McGill University found out that we get turned on at about the same speed when we’re watching adult films. Oh, and from the study, it takes people a grand total of 10 minutes to reach peak arousal for both genders.

Certain scents trigger sexual arousal in both men and women. Men tend to be huge fans of pumpkin pie and lavender. Women, on the other hand, tend to go for the smell of baby powder, licorice, and cucumbers. All of a sudden, wearing that old school Cucumber Melon scrub from Bath and Body Works makes sense, doesn’t it?

The more sexually aroused a woman is, the less grossed out she is by anything. A study showed that women who were very sexually arduous are more likely to drink from a cup with an insect inside or use a towel that’s been handled by someone else. If you think about this, it makes sense. Sex is full of smells and actions that would seem gross in a normal situation.

Women are more likely to get aroused in the presence of a deep voiced man. One study found that women not only preferred deep voiced men, but that men are more likely to have more kids if they have a deeper voice. Women, on the other hand, are more likely to get guys if they have a higher voice. Sure explains Barry White, right?

Most men who have Erectile Dysfunction don’t actually have ED - they just have a hard time getting aroused. A good portion of Erectile Dysfunction cases aren’t actually physical problems. Most cases of guys not getting it up are caused by stress, a disinterest in sex, or depression.

Exercise can induce arousal. Studies done by researchers have also shown that you’re more likely to want to have sex with someone you met if you just got out of the gym. The reason behind this is because you probably already have signs of arousal going on…and that tricks your body into thinking that the heart-pounding vibes you’re getting are coming from him.

You can confuse other emotions with sexual arousal. Some people get turned on when they’re angry or upset - and this is actually a common phenomenon known as misappropriated arousal. This happens when your body gets “tricked” into thinking your physical reactions to your emotional state is a sign of sexual arousal. The end result is that your body goes full swing into arousal, and your mind follows suit.

Women are aroused by chimpanzees. A study showed that women who viewed footage of chimpanzee sex became sexually aroused and experienced vaginal lubrication. To be fair, the study also had them looking at regular adult films, too. So, maybe it wasn’t what it looked like?

There are three kinds of arousal. There’s reflexogenic arousal, which comes from actual contact. Then, there’s psychogenic arousal, which comes from audio or visual stimulation. And then there’s nocturnal arousal - which is also known as “wet dreams” by most people.

What arouses you can depend on your hormones. Women who are on the pill are more likely to get aroused by “fatherly” types who can provide stability for their kids. Meanwhile, women who are off the pill are more likely to opt for the “bad boy” type. The reason why is because our hormones dictate who we want.