It’s safe to say that the state of sex education is not great in the United States. From abstinence-only education to inaccessible contraception to anti-abortion misinformation, most young people don’t get helpful, accurate information about sex. Because of the lack of education, a lot of people have intimate encounters without knowing what to expect — or worse, they base their expectations on movies and pornography.
Someone on Reddit wanted to address this issue directly, so the person asked, “What’s something you wish you knew about sex before you had sex?” Commenters from all over were quick to offer their answers, and their responses range from good to bad to downright gross. Here’s what people had to say.
The Good:
“Have fun and enjoy it. It might not be what you’re expecting but don’t take it too seriously regardless of how it goes. You get better the more you do it, and sometimes lightning strikes and it’s mind blowing, sometimes it isn’t. Wear protection, make sure everyone is consenting, and go for it.” –Klaus_B-Team
“That it can be so mind blowing that it consumes you. My hs bf and I waited like a year before having sex. We were each other’s first for everything. I lived off campus and we didn’t come up for air for days. And it was like that for a like an entire semester. I’m surprised I wasn’t fired from my job or failed all my classes. But it was close lol.” –Due-Topic7995
“What an orgasm was. All the shaking was so embarrassing when I didn’t know what was happening. Turns out the love of my life was d— good at what he did.” –Silver6Rules
“That doing it with someone you loved deeply is SO much better.” –CharmingMechanic2473
“There’s a lot of giggling :)” –yourstoner
The Bad:
“Afterward, you have to be careful disengaging to make sure the condom stays where it should.” –killercurvesahead
“That people are not always honest about having tested negative for STD’s and you should not take their word for it before you have sex.” –Scary-Yam7455
“Just because the sex is good doesn’t mean they love or even care for you.” –Important_Bother_430
“About the medical condition called vaginismus.” –Falana_dimkhana
“I wish I knew how few women orgasm from penetration alone…” –DarkSkyDad
“It’s really easy to make a baby. All it takes is once, and that one time can lead to the next 20 years being a financial mess due to paying for two households.” –C4ptainchr0nic
The Gross:
“Sex has an…aroma…that others can pick upon (including family members).” –I_Am_The_Grapevine
“moving, jiggling, and shaking around a lot really gets the bowels going. so make sure you have a shit (and a shower) before going to town.” –MyStationIsAbandoned
“That vagina farts are hilarious, and they don’t like when you laugh.” –cm80292
