How long do American men last for in the bedroom?

Men in New Mexico are able to lay claim to a surprising boast after new research suggests that on average, they last longer in the bedroom compared to those in all the other states across the United States.

An smartphone mobile app named Spreadsheets which tracks the ‘duration, thrusts, and decibel peak’ of a couple’s sexual rhythm, analysed the data from 10,000 of its users to assess just how long couples from different states in America were lasting for.

According to the Spreadsheets app website, the technology works by monitoring ‘user’s movement and audio levels through the accelerometer and microphone to provide statistical and visual analysis of their performance in bed’. Those using the app can unlock 30 ‘achievements’ – a points-based system where couples can set targets or challenges for themselves, such as earning ten points for early morning sex.

For those concerned about privacy, you might be relieved to learn that the app will not record or playback audio or video and all data is stored securely on a person’s mobile device and information will never be relayed, backed up, or synced to the internet, according to the Spreadsheets website.
New Mexico, a state located in the southwest and western regions  of the United States, topped the average intercourse time (excluding foreplay) with just over seven minutes, compared to a mere average time of 81 seconds in the state of Alaska.

The full list was as follows:

1. New Mexico (7:01)
2. West Virginia (5:38)
3. Idaho (5:11)
4. South Carolina (4:48)
5. Missouri (4:22)
6. Michigan (4:14)
7. Utah (3:55)
8. Oregon (3:51)
9. Nebraska (3:47)
10. Alabama (3:38)
11. Delaware (3:33)
12. Hawaii (3:28)
13. Wisconsin (3:22)
14. North Dakota (3:18)
15. Arizona (3:17)
16. Maryland (3:15)
17. Mississippi (3:10)
18. Rhode Island (3:09)
19. Connecticut (3:07)
20. Texas (3:06)
21. New Hampshire (3:04)
22. Wyoming (3:03)
23. New York (3:01)
24. Pennsylvania (2:58)
25. Maine (2:58)
26. Washington (2:51)
27. Iowa (2:50)
28. Illinois (2:49)
29. North Carolina (2:47)
30. Tennessee (2:46)
31. Kansas (2:38)
32. California (2:38)
33. Massachusetts (2:31)
34. Florida (2:29)
35. New Jersey (2:28)
36. Indiana (2:26)
37. Virginia (2:23)
38. Oklahoma (2:21)
39. Colorado (2:21)
40. Minnesota (2:19)
41. Ohio (2:18)
42. Louisiana (2:17)
43. Kentucky (2:14)
44. Arkansas (2:08)
45. District of Columbia (2:08)
46. Nevada (2:07)
47. Georgia (2:07)
48. Montana (2:03)
49. Vermont (1:48)
50. South Dakota (1:30)
51. Alaska (1:21)

Precisely how long sexual intercourse should last can vary from one couple to the next, i.e. what is satisfying for one couple may not be satisfactory for another. The 2009 study ‘Canadian and American Sex Therapists’ Perceptions of Normal and Abnormal Ejaculatory Latencies: How Long Should Intercourse Last?’, determined that sexual intercourse usually ranges from three to seven minutes on average and another study found the average time was five and a half minutes from the moment of penetration to ejaculation.

For a man to ejaculate prior to or within a minute of penetration, this is usually deemed to be a genuine medical condition requiring treatment through over the counter products such as Stud 100 spray and/or the prescription-only medication Priligy – the latter works to prolong a man’s sexual performance by an average of 200% to 300%.

As highlighted earlier, sometimes a man’s premature ejaculation problems are so severe that sex is a seemingly impossible task as he ejaculated before entering the vagina. This can be hugely damaging for a man’s self-confidence, and frustrating for both partners especially if they are trying for a baby.

Potentially fatal West Nile Virus sweeps across America

Have you ever heard of the ‘West Nile Virus’? If not, you probably will this week as news has emerged of the highly deadly mosquito-borne disease that is causing hundreds of deaths in the United States and health officials are bracing themselves for what could be the worst year ever for the particular virus.

The West Nile Virus (WNV) received its name after first being identified in the West Nile sub-region of the East African nation of Uganda in 1937. The condition ends up eventually effecting humans after a person is bitten by a mosquito that has previously bitten an infected bird. It is thought that the majority of cases of WNV are not serious and have no symptoms. The milder form of the disease is segregated as ‘West Nile fever’.

However, generally one in five people will feel unwell and the early symptoms are very similar to another mosquito-related disease, Malaria. They include headache, muscle aches, fever, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting and lack of appetite. These milder flu-like symptoms will usually last for around 3-6 days. Unfortunately, there is one in 150 who go on to develop more severe symptoms, which can be sometimes life-threatening. The more serious cases can see the sufferer experience disorientation, loss of consciousness, stiffness to the neck and even paralysis.

Before the mid-1990s, WNV was relatively uncommon and not considered to be a huge risk for humans. Then in 1994, Algeria was hit with an outbreak of the virus and then Romania witness a similar occurrence in 1996. In fact it was not until 1999 that the Western Hemisphere first witnessed a case of the disease, when a diagnosis was made in New York City.

Since then, the problem has become global, which brings us to the present day. Since the beginning of 2012 there have been 118 deaths that are connected to West Nile virus according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  This has gone up from a figure of 87 reported on 2 September, meaning the death toll is rapidly increasing. The number of cases to be reported this year in total stands at 2,636 and on 2 September the number stood at 1,993, a 32% increase in less than a fortnight.

The primary area of danger appears to be in the state of Texas which is accountable for 40% of all of the latest human cases of the disease, the CDC confirmed. Other states in the U.S. that have been breakouts of the disease include Louisiana, South Dakota, Mississippi, Michigan and Oklahoma.
The previous most deadly year of the WNV came a decade ago in 2002 when approximately 3,000 severe cases of the virus were reported, resulting in 284 fatalities. Many of the deaths occur because of the fatal complications that can eventually develop, such as meningitis or encephalitis.

On the CDC website, it states: “The 2,636 cases reported thus far in 2012 is the highest number of West Nile virus disease cases reported to CDC through the second week in September since 2003.” The risks show no sign of slowing though, with Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases for the CDC commenting, “We are still seeing many, many new cases continue to come in”, adding that the number of deaths is predicted to keep on rising.