According to the biggest study yet carried out into sexual motivations, responses among which,include that:-

1- It is a "reasonably effective way of overcoming boredom",

2- It helps you fall asleep

3- It gets you rid of a stress headache.



For others, the desire for revenge was the major factor, while some lovers were motivated by a purely selfless wish to make the other person feel good.



The researchers also confirmed what most already consider obvious - men and women think differently about sex.



They found it was more about the physical experience for men, while women's desires were based on an emotional need. Women were much more likely to say: "I realised that I was in love." Men were more likely to say: "I wanted to increase the number of partners I had experienced."



Researcher Cindy Meston said: "We identified 237 distinct reasons why people have sex. They ranged from the mundane 'It feels good', to the spiritual 'I wanted to feel closer to God'. From the altruistic 'I wanted the other person to feel good', to the manipulative 'I wanted to get a promotion'."



For the study, reported in the Archives of Sexual Behaviour this week, psychologists at the University of Texas quizzed more than 2 000 men and women aged 17 to 52.



"Why people have sex is a surprisingly little-studied topic," says their report. "One reason for its relative neglect is that scientists might simply assume that the answers are obvious."



Each of the 237 reasons was given the highest rating by at least one of the people taking part.



"The frequently endorsed reasons for having sex reflect what motivates most people most of the time: attraction, pleasure, affection, love, romance, emotional closeness, arousal, the desire to please, adventure, excitement and opportunity," say the psychologists.



"The less frequently-endorsed reasons, however, may be no less important. One person's seemingly trivial reason for having sex might well be another's magnificent obsession."



Feeling different about sex is one thing, but how do your thoughts concur or differ?

Can we have "Feelings and Thoughts" at war here?

Tell us your views

Percy Sledge sang; "When A Man Loves A Woman..." It's rare, like in our Uganda, but when it happens, he might refuse to take your mercy love. All or nothing. So I don't believe all men and always, don't mix love with emotions. Some fifteen years ago, men and women back home fell in love more than they do today. This positive energy of people falling in love made that city magical and fun even to a stranger. When people are in love they glow, and are happy and it's contageous. But right now, yes, sex is war back home. Like out here too. That's why there is no remorse in passing on deseases. There is no trust, and the consequences are lethal. So both feelings and thoughts are at war. That's one of the reasons there is this feeling like of soldiers who've over stayed at the battle field at home namely, "war fatigue". Twakoowa!!