“Not tonight. I have a headache.” I must admit I am guilty of occasionally using this line. But is this excuse even true? Rumors have it that orgasms actually relieve headaches. But before we make Excedrin the headache medicine go out of business, it’s time to figure out the truth about sex.

Aside from wanting to know the truth, I had another agenda. I wanted to discover the sex IQ of the students at the University of Kansas. Sure we learn the basics growing up, but what about the stuff we’re not taught in sex ed? The statements you hear by word of mouth and have no idea whether they are actually true. I asked 100 random men and 100 random women about these rumors, and let me tell you, nothing makes people more uncomfortable than the lack of sexual knowledge.

Sex cures mild depression

40% of women said true

62% of men said true

Reality: False

While the thought of sex can put a person in a good mood, it is not known to cure any type of depression says the Women’s Health Associates of Shawnee, that had RN Janet Pekarek respond with their group answers. Orgasms release endorphins, which in return cause happiness, but all of this is temporary, Pekarek says.

Orgasms cure headaches

13% of women said true

37% of men said true

Reality: False

Orgasms can temporarily relieve headaches but they won’t cure a headache, Pekarek says. She says this is once again the result of the endorphins that rush around a person’s body after an orgasm. So if you plan to use this method to cure a headache, don’t be surprised if your head starts to hurt again within 30 minutes, Pekarek says.

All women have a G-spot

9% of women said true

92% of men said true

Reality: False

“Stick to the clitoris,” Pekarek says laughing. She says while the G-spot does exist for some women, it doesn’t for every woman and they should stick with what works.

“My guy friends talk about how they are going to find this spot on a girl and all I want to do is tell them to grow up,” says Molly, Leawood sophomore, who asks that her last name not be used.

All guys have a 10-minute refractory period

32% of women said true

12% of men said true

Reality: False

“I wish” was the most common response after a female answered false. Every body is built differently and this is just one of the many things that is different, Pekarek says. Some guys could be ready to go two minutes later while others need an afternoon breather, she says.

Birth control can decrease a women’s sex drive

54% of women said true

19% of men said true

Reality: True

The key word in this statement is can, Pekarek says. A few birth controls do have low sex drive as a side effect but the majority of them don’t, she says. If you think yours might the easiest thing to do is check its Web site and read the side effects, then call your doctor if necessary.

Men like sex more than women

36% of women said true

27% of men said true

Reality: False

While this statement is just a matter of preference Pekarek says they have many women coming in talking about how they enjoy sex.

It’s not the media that told us men like sex more than women, but rather our culture, says Barbara Barnett, assistant professor in journalism. “There were cultural values that defined masculinity as conquest — having sex with lots of women — and femininity as virginity — saving yourself for one man,” says Barnett, who teaches Diversity in Media. As for the media, Barnett says most TV shows still show the virgin/whore dichotomy, which defines a woman by her sexuality as one or the other, but shows men just as men. Barnett says shows such as Sex and the City break this image though by showing women as a sexual being and yet still being shown just as women.