Study: 237 reasons people have sex

AUSTIN, Texas, July 31 (UPI) -- A University of Texas at Austin study has identified 237 reasons that human beings have sex.

Psychology researchers David Buss and Cindy Meston conducted two studies -- the first with 400 men and women asked to list reasons people have sex and the second with 1,500 undergraduate students asked to explain experiences and attitudes about sex -- and identified four major factors and 13 sub-factors that affect why people engage in sexual intercourse.

The scientists said people generally have sex for physical reasons, such as pleasure; goal-based reasons, including reproduction; emotional reasons, such as love and commitment; and insecurity-based reasons, including self-esteem issues.

"Why people have sex is extremely important, but rarely studied," Buss said. "Surprisingly, many scientists assume the answer is obvious but people have different reasons for having sex, some of which are rather complex."