Sex experts have shared the real answers to the most googled questions about intimacy in 2024.
Whether you are hanging out with your pals at the pub or sitting across from your GP in their artificially lit office, people are generally too embarrassed to ask sexual questions out loud.
Instead, we often turn to Google with our most intimate queries – knowing that the trusty search engine won’t judge us.
Wondering if your sex drive is normal? Google it. Want to know what the speed bump position looks like? Google it. Questioning how many calories you burn while doing the deed? Google it. All of these made appearances on last year’s most Googled list.
But can you trust all the information you find online, especially when it comes to such a sensitive subject?
Here, Alice Child and Emily King, sexologists for sexual wellness platform SheSpot tell FEMAIL their expert advice on the most Googled sex queries of 2024. However, for any medical queries, it is recommended to seek advice from your GP.
This year, Google’s most searched sex query – according to Cosmopolitan UK – was: ‘What is autosexual?’
Kourtney Kardashian came out as autosexual in 2020 when she published a blog post about it on her website Poosh.
Sex experts have shared the real answers to the most googled questions about intimacy in 2024 (stock image)
To be autosexual means to be attracted to yourself more than others.
‘Somebody who identifies as autosexual prefers sexual arousal on their own,’ Alice said.
‘For example through self pleasure, fantasies, masturbation and erotic thoughts and dreams.’
Some autosexuals may be turned on exclusively by themselves, while some can get into the mood on by themselves and with others.
Never heard of autosexuality before? You are not alone.
Alice, a certified sex expert from the Institute of Somatic Sexology, clarified that it is ‘not a term or sexual orientation that many people would have heard before.’
Hence why we are all frantically Googling it.
Next up, people were keen to know whether it is ‘normal to bleed after sex’.
Alice Child (left) is a certified somatic sexologist and sex counsellor based in Sydney. Emily King (right) is a somatic sexologist and holistic facialist based in Edinburgh
Although nine per cent of reproductive-age women experience post-coital bleeding (PCB), neither Alice and Emily would describe it as ‘normal’.
‘Sex should be pleasurable,’ Alice told FEMAIL. ‘And if you’re bleeding afterwards it’s often a sign that not everything is as good as it can be.’
Fellow sexologist Emily agreed and added: ‘There are various things which can cause bleeding after sex, including infections and STIs, inflammation or hormonal changes.
‘Seek medical advise if this occurs regularly.’
Friction-based irritation caused by a lack of lubricant and failing to spend enough time building arousal can lead to bleeding.
But equally, polyps on your ovaries, changes in hormones and sexually transmitted infections are all causes of PCB – so our sexperts say that is always best to ‘rule out anything physical with your healthcare provider’.
Also among this year’s top trending questions was: ‘Is masturbation a sin?’
Kourtney Kardashian (pictured) came out as autosexual in a blog post in 2020
‘Absolutely not!’ she said. ‘Masturbation is a healthy, normal part of life that is good for our health!
‘It’s been proven to have physical and mental health benefits- it’s also where we learn more about our body and can learn about what touch and sensation we enjoy.
‘When done in a healthy way it’s often how people discover their erotic mind and body.’
Staying on the theme of pleasure, the next most Googled question was: ‘What is an orgasm?’
‘Put very simply, an orgasm is a build up of pleasurable erotic tension in the body with a moment of release,’ Alice said.
‘There are lots of different types of orgasm, that can be felt in many different ways depending on the erogenous zone being stimulated and the type of stimulation. Many people have even experienced orgasms in their sleep or even at the gym!
‘Common features of an orgasm could include muscle spasms, heart rate increase, temperature change, ejaculation, lubrication and/or squirting, and waves of pleasurable sensation being felt throughout the body.’
But Emily issued a caveat: ‘Ejaculation can happen during orgasms, but orgasms can occur without ejaculation.
Sexologist Alice Child told Femail that masturbation is a ‘perfectly normal part of life’ (Stock Image)
‘How you are feeling emotionally can impact the intensity and duration of the orgasm(s).’
Sharing her top tip on how to ‘improve your orgasmic experience’, Emily advised ‘partner genital touch with non-genital erogenous zone simulation’.
She said this could include touching your partner’s ears, neck, feet, nipples and even the back of their knees.
A lot of people were also curious about sex drive, asking: ‘How often do married couples have sex?’
‘There is no such thing as normal!’ Alice said.
‘Libido changes over a lifetime and no two couples have the exact same sexual, emotional and physical needs.’
Rather than worrying about a ‘perfect’ frequency of sex or comparing your sex life with those around you, Alice suggested focusing on the quality of the sex you are having.
She added: ‘Couples who feel desired, wanted and appreciated by each other are far more likely to feel sexually fulfilled year after year.’
And last but not least, Google was asked: ‘How long after a C-section can you have sex?’
Answering this common postpartum question, Emily, who owns a somatic sex therapy practice in Edinburgh, advised that new mothers wait for at least six weeks ‘to allow time for the cervix to close’.
‘I recommend focusing on sensual touch and connection rather than rigidly defined penetrative sex as this will be more nourishing to the body.
‘Postpartum is a period of healing and rest must be prioritised above all else.’
She added: ‘Consider what kinds of touch and sensual experiences would support you to feel nourished during this time, rather than worrying about having to have the kind of sex that may feel depleting.’
According to Healthline, there is no one-time fits all when returning to sexual activity after a C-section delivery and it can vary depending on whether you feel comfortable.
