Oh man, I can barely even write “wetter sex is better sex” without getting a complete and total hard-on (Yes, women can get those, too!). Lubricated sex is just slipperier, sexier, and hotter with a capital “H.” I mean — am I right or am I right?

Clearly, I’m right. I usually am (LOL), but lubrication can lead to some pretty interesting stories. I once dated a dude who almost seemed offended when I brought home a bottle of lube. His interpretation of my purchase was that he wasn’t getting me “turned on enough” on his own. Meanwhile, I was thinking about how we could enhance the already awesome sexual experience for both of us. The miscommunication was flippin’ awkward as hell and left me feeling straight-up misunderstood.

On the total other end of the spectrum, and while we’re in the spirit of sharing (as always with my CalExotics family) on lube for sex, there was this other guy I dated during my “cougar” phase. Grrrrrowwwl! Let’s just say I had him beat in the age game by a good 10 years. He was hot as hell but decided in a moment of passion to spit on me before sex. Now I’m talking straight-up hock a loogie directly onto my vag! I get it — saliva is wet. But damn! Getting spit on in that way, well… That threw me off my A-game to say the least (though there is no judgment here if that’s what you’re into). It’s interesting how people can have such different practices for adding extra lubrication, and for me, that was an experience to remember.

Stories aside, I like bringing the lubrication discussion to the forefront. How and why do people use lube? Obviously, one of the best ways I know how to talk about that is by sharing my personal experiences. But I’d also like to offer some interesting lube stats from a recent survey CalExotics conducted of 300+ adults (of all ages). Here are some major take-aways:

• Approximately 50% of the adult population uses extra lubrication during sex.
• Of those using extra lubrication during sex, 64% are using lube, 19% are using household products like coconut oil or aloe vera, and 17% are using spit.
• Over 20% of those surveyed use added lubrication every time they have sex.
• Respondents aged 18 to 29 were more likely to use spit for lubrication than any other age group.
• Younger people are more inclined to use lubrication when needed. Adults 18 to 29 years old are more likely to say they use lube when they need it (56%) versus adults in the 30 – 44 age range (33%) or the 45 – 60 (30%) age range.
• People who are having less sex are using more lube: 28% of people who have sex one to two times per week use lube every single time, versus only 8% of people who have sex three to four times per week.
• Respondents preferring cowgirl and doggie-style sex were more likely to use lube than those who do it missionary-style.
• Respondents who prefer missionary-style are more likely to say they never use lube (50%).
• Both men and women had similar rates of response for all lube questions; gender doesn’t appear to affect lube usage.

Pretty interesting to know that sexual positions play a role in lube, right? But whether I’m doin’ it doggie-style or missionary, y’all know what I think about — lube. I friggin’ love it! And it really doesn’t matter if I’m “wet enough on my own.” I still like adding it! Whether you are into lube for sex or not, I encourage you to talk about it with your partner(s) and find something that works for you. Have fun experimenting, playing, slipping and sliding. ;)

~ Miranda Buzzlove