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Sex as portrayed in Hollywood or in romance novels goes on for hours. Now, while some of you out there would be just fine with that, many of us have a to-do list to complete and can't spend hours between the sheets.

We have to admit, however, that the reality of how long sex actually lasts is a little disappointing.

Sex for most couples only lasts an average of 12 minutes, according to an article by Bustle that took a look at data reported by Lovely, a sex toy and tracking app. The report said Lovely came up with that number after reviewing information from 432 couples. Now, we do need to disclose that Lovely didn't indicate whether those 12 minutes also includes foreplay, and let's face it, that can make a big difference in sexual satisfaction.

A study by Glamour in 2013 found similar results when they asked 1,000 women how long foreplay and sex lasts. The majority of those surveyed indicated that foreplay lasted between 5 to 9 minutes, while sex lasted between 10 and 14 minutes.

And while 12 to 15 minutes isn't likely to gain you a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, some couples report being perfectly satisfied with that number, according to Lovely, which also asked couples to rank their sexual satisfaction level. But ... if you're wishing your man could just last a few minutes longer  ... you're definitely not alone on the front either.

According to an article by Bustle, Saucydates.com, an adult dating site, asked nearly 4,000 people "How long would you like sex to last?" For women, the average answer given was 25 minutes and 51 seconds. On the other hand, men actually want sex to last for a shorter period of time than women. We know ... we were surprised too! The average answer given by men was 25 minutes and 43 seconds. Looks like there's some work to do here, though, because the Glamour survey found that only 22 percent of women reported sex lasting for 20 minutes or more.

If you're hoping to stretch out the inning before you hit a home run, check out these 12 tips from Cosmopolitan.com to keep you going the extra mile.

And just like Salt-N-Pepa's hit song from 1990 "Let's Talk About Sex," that's the topic of conversation for this Forever 39 segment. So click on the podcast player above to hear more, but you might want to make sure the kids are occupied with Paw Patrol first before hitting play.

Also from this week's Forever 39 podcast — How does New Jersey rank for stress? PLUS: Is it time to say goodbye to high school reunions? Click on the podcast player above to hear the entire episode. Share your thoughts on all of them below, on Twitter, on Facebook or at forever39@nj1015.com.

— Annette and Megan, Forever 39

Join us for next week's podcast when we discuss selfitis, homeownership versus renting in New Jersey, and airline fares.

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