Why Women Have Sex

Psychologists Cindy Meston and David Buss, authors of the 2007 study “Why Humans Have Sex,” have completed a second go-round, this time focused on women only. They come up with 237 reasons, and though they're not enumerated in the article, Time asks Buss for some highlights:

• Besides sexual attraction and love, big reasons woman have sex are "to boost their self-esteem or sexual esteem, to get revenge, to secure 'mate insurance' in case a partner dumps them, to relieve pain, to achieve health benefits such as getting rid of a headache—yes, it works—to decrease stress, to lose weight, and as a sleep aid."

• Buss was “surprised by the importance of revenge. Women's revenge sex involved getting back at a cheating partner, or having sex with the partner of a friend who had poached her partner.”
• Advice for guys without v-shaped torsos and strong jaws: “Have good hygiene. Sense of smell is critical. Otherwise, “personality, sense of humor, self-confidence and social status” are important, Buss says. “These things can transform an average-looking man into a sexually attractive man in the minds of many women.”

(More dating stories.)