Sex is an integral and natural part of our adult lives. Our sex drive is what pushes all of humanity to procreate. With sex and desire bearing such an important role in life, you’d think people would have a better grasp on it. But truth be told, many people are misinformed about sex, from how to get the most pleasure out of their love life to how to stay safe and healthy in the bedroom. Want to test your sex IQ? Check out the top ten sex myths below to see how your knowledge stacks up.

The physical chemistry you see on TV and in the movies suggests that when two lovers meet, sparks fly and mind-blowing sex naturally follows. But as we all know, in the real world, it’s not always that easy. The human body doesn’t come with an instruction manual. The “tricks of the trade” that pleased a former partner do not always translate with someone new. Good communication is key to good sex, as is a willingness to be open to trying new techniques and positions to find out what both partners find pleasurable. It can be a little awkward at first over-communicating during sex, but think about the outcome: a partner who knows how to do it right every time.

Though many men would have you believe they’re ready to go 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the truth is that men experience daily fluctuations in libido, as do women. A man’s readiness to hop in the sack can be impacted by many of the same factors that impact a woman’s level of desire, including diet, sleep health, stress, medical conditions, self-confidence and relationship disharmony.

Women also have other factors affecting their libido, including their menstrual cycle and/or birth control pills. Many women are also more impacted than men by emotional and environmental factors, including cultural stigmas that keep them from being vocal and assertive about their desires.

Sex is an important aspect of physical and emotional health and well-being for adults of all ages, even those in their golden years. While some people believe that a decrease in libido is a natural part of aging, a loss of sexual desire can be related to a number of other factors including hormone deficiencies, depression, anxiety disorders, side effects of medication, changes to a relationship, communication barriers or loss of a spouse or partner.

While many people believe Viagra and other similar oral medications are the best, or only, treatment for men with erectile dysfunction, the truth is that for many men, these drugs are not a viable option or they simply are not effective.

Oral medications are only a temporary fix to a problem that may have other underlying health causes that should be addressed by a qualified physician. In addition, many men with health conditions including hypertension and diabetes cannot take oral prescriptions due to serious potential side effects or contraindications with other medications. For men who cannot use oral meds, there are a number of other options, including urethral suppositories and ICP, an injection that produces an erection within minutes.

As Mark Twain so succinctly put it, “It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog.” Even if every man could probably tell you exactly how big his penis is, size is not a barometer for manhood. As anyone with sexual experience well knows, true sexual enthusiasm far outweighs any gifted parts. And contrary to another popular myth, you can’t tell what a guy is packing below the belt based on the size of his hands and feet.

Named for the Greek goddess of sensuality and love, aphrodisiacs are said to put you in the mood. While oysters, dark chocolate, strawberries and tiger penis might make you feel l’amour, there is no scientific evidence to support the validity of aphrodisiacs. But, while there is no science to foods and/or herbs causing arousal, a certain food can trigger an erotic memory or desire in your own mind, so in a sense, we all have our own aphrodisiacs.

While public restrooms are host to a number of germs, from those that cause the common cold to Hepatitis A and sexually transmitted diseases like gonorrhea, most organisms can only survive for a very short time and the toilet seat is a highly unlikely transmitter of disease.

In addition, to catch an STD in a restroom, germs would have to make contact directly with your urethral or genital tract or enter through an open sore, which is possible but very rare.

Some men do find that premature ejaculation begins at the onset of sexual maturity but plenty of men also find it to be an issue later in life. In fact, premature ejaculation affects 30%1 of men at sometime in their life.

Often, early ejaculation in men who are in their 30’s or older is a co-symptom of erectile dysfunction or fatigue, poor cardiovascular conditioning, depression, anxiety or neurologic symptoms. In older, mature men it can sometimes be secondary to prostatitis.

While many women, and some men too, have feigned a headache to get out of sex, intercourse actually relieves minor aches and pains, including headaches. Oxytocin and other feel good endorphins released during orgasm are responsible for the pain relief.

From teenagers to former President Bill Clinton, oral sex seems to have the stigma of a “free pass” as far as sexual relationships go. Yes, it does count as sex, and yes you can get a sexually transmitted disease from oral sex. Whether you are giving oral sex to a female or male, there is still an exchange of fluids where diseases can enter your body through sores or small cuts in your mouth and throat.

Now that you’ve brushed-up your knowledge on the top 10 sex myths, go out and have fun on the one day a year that truly celebrates lovers everywhere – Valentine’s Day. Just remember, while it is very important to stay safe and be smart, sex is not only a necessary bodily function, but also a very enjoyable bodily function.