I am a shamefully obsessive fan of the PBS show Downton Abbey. It’s like a soap opera, except British, so it seems less trashy to watch it at 2 in the afternoon on a Saturday, I guess. In three seasons on the show, which is set in the English countryside in the 1920s, I don’t think I’ve heard a character utter the word “sex” once. It’s been implied, with an embarrassed air, but never has a character actually said, “let’s have sex,” or “we had sex.” When one member of the show’s family has premarital “relations,” they become a pariah to all who know about it. It’s weird, but hey – it’s 1920.

So it’s funny to read that some of these taboos still exist, even in college students today. According to a study out of Ohio State University, students who are questioned about their sex lives are likely to lie unless hooked up to a lie detector test, but of course males and females lie in different ways:

Women not linked up to the lie detector reported having had fewer sexual partners, being older when they lost their virginity and having had fewer one-night stands. Men reported the opposite: Those not linked up to the lie detector reported having had more sexual partners, being younger when they lost their virginity and having had more one-night stands. According to the researchers, these results show that people are likely to lie about their sexual history to make their experiences line up with gender stereotypes.

We think it’s time these stereotypes die, like the incredibly unflattering flapper styles of Downton Abbey (ugh). Why is it that shows like 16 and Pregnant and Toddlers and Tiaras are allowed to exist, but adults engaging in consensual, natural behaviors is still looked down upon?

THROW ASIDE THE STEREOTYPES, ladies! Say you’ve hooked up with as many guys as you have, and OWN it! There ain’t no shame in being a sexual woman. And guys, no need to lie. It’s not that impressive, seriously.

Via Huffington Post