Would you rather give up chocolate or social media for life?
You know the game. You’re given a question and you have to choose between two painful answers. For college students, this game tends to travel towards sexual territory. I can’t blame them. College is the best time to experiment and really get to know your sexual likes and dislikes.
Unfortunately, we only think of the pros of sex without thinking of the consequences. Unprotected sex is on the rise in the Unites States, but hey. No one really considers getting an STI when you’re in the throes of passion. Once you start, it’s hard to remember what it was like before sex. It’s hard to forget how nice it feels to be so intimate with someone else.
So, if it’s already proven that we love sex, what would we give up for it?
Researchers at DrEd took the classic “Would You Rather…” game and transformed it into an eye-opening study. They questioned 2,000 people from America and Europe to see what they would and wouldn’t give up for intercourse. The results were surprising.
First, they started off easy. Participants were asked what physical needs and wants they would give up for sex. Around 75% of respondents said that they would rather give up alcohol than sex, with partying following close behind. Surprisingly, only 63% of people would give up pizza than sex. In other words, more than one-third of people would willingly choose cheesy deliciousness over a night of passion. Then again, pizza will never leave you unsatisfied…Ahem.
In general, food was hard to give up, but nothing tops how many people wouldn’t give up their cell phones. Only 42% of participants would willingly give up their devices. Then again, some people are turning to Siri for their sexual fantasies…
After getting participants comfortable, researchers turned things up a notch. Now they asked, “Would you rather lose a finger or arm or never have sex again?” Wait, what? How did limbs come into the picture? I didn’t sign up for this. I like my fingers and my arms, thank you very much.
However, men in the study must have thought otherwise. When it came to losing a finger, almost 83% of U.S. men would sacrifice their digit than give up sex for life, with 76% of European men following closely behind. Meanwhile, only 57% of U.S. women and 54% of European women would give up a finger. Even after altering the question to giving up oral sex or losing a finger, men were still more likely than women to give up a body part.
How about instead of a finger, you’d lose an arm? Unsurprisingly, participants were less willing to give up an entire arm, but some people definitely considered it. About 42% of U.S. men were willing to lose an arm as long as they could still have sex. I thought I was thirsty, but I think I’ll pass on the limb cutting altogether.
Okay, let’s take a break. Sit back and relax a bit to get the morbid images out of your mind. Let’s look at Instagram pictures of kittens or look at the cute animal video your mom sent you on Facebook. We turn to social media more often than you think, with just under 80% of adults in the U.S. using Facebook. So would you give it up for sex?
The study says we just might. If given the choice to give up social media or sex for a year, almost 90% of men would log off Facebook. Numbers dropped considerably for women, however. While over 74% of women would give up social media, 25% gave up sex.
Researchers continued the game, but one thing was for sure: we’d give up a lot for sex. If we consider it so important in our lives, then we should start practicing safe sex more often. Our sexual health is more important than ever, and putting on a condom and talking to your partners are some of the best ways to protect yourselves. Trust me, no amount of sex makes an STI worth it.
DrEd offers confidential consultations with real doctors and medical professionals that can answer all your health questions and concerns. You can even get prescriptions and treatments sent discreetly to your doorstep, so what do you have to lose? Practice safe sex and get tested.
If over 80% of men are willing to lose a finger for sex, it wouldn’t hurt to use a condom.