There is a lot of pressure on boys to ‘be men’. But what does that mean, particularly around sex?

See if you can spot the fact from fiction.

Men think only about sex
Men do think about sex a lot. This is because they have a testosterone peak every 15 minutes. This is the hormone that fuels desire. But this doesn’t mean that guys have to act on every sexual thought - or that it’s the only thing they think about.

To be a real man your penis must be big
It is the guy behind the penis that counts, not the size. Having a large penis will not make up for disrespectful, abusive or mean behaviour! What counts, is how you treat people, not what’s in your pants.

A man must only protect himself when having sex
When you’re sexually active, you need to look out for yourself AND your partner. This means using a condom every single time, not matter what the girl says. Are you adult enough to have a child? Do you want to have to deal with an STI or HIV? If the answers are no, then never, ever skip using a condom.

Men hate talking about their feelings or relationships
This is not true. Just like girls, guys want to feel loved, secure and respected in a relationship. Telling your partner what you need and how you feel will bring you closer together.

Guys aren’t just sex machines. Just like girls they have emotions around relationships like love, desire, tenderness, heartbreak and happiness.

(adapted from Dr Eve’s Sex Book: A Guide for Young People)