EON

Auston – Researchers at the University of Texas have called it the most thorough study of sexual motivation ever compiled, and it has raised eyebrows.

They explored the reasons people get in the mood, and the study has gotten a lot of different answers.

“I was kind of surprised,” people don’t usually walk up and talk to you and ask you what you think about sex, so I was kind of taken aback,” said Raquel Stewart, an English student at UT.

Everyone knows what sex is, but the reasons why people have sex aren’t always clear.

“I admit, there are those days when maybe it’s been a long day, and you need some stress relief,” said Camille Sale, a freshman at UT.

“Why not, it feels good,” said Joseph Rivers, a chemistry graduate student at UT. “There’s no higher reason than that.”

“I think the only reason to have sex is to have kids,” said Jeff McCarty.

Researchers surveyed nearly 2,000 people, and the No. 1 reason both men and women gave: “I was attracted to the person.”

Also in the top 10: “I wanted to express my love for the person.”

But there were also more interesting answers.

No. 160: “I wanted to change the topic of conversation.”

Others said they had sex to get rid of a headaches (No. 173) and burn calories instead of going to the gym (No. 176).

“Those are OK reasons, but I think they’re just covering up the real reason is just because they want to,” Rivers said.

The study is published in this month’s issue of Archives of Sexual Behavior.