This is the age when your sex drive will be at its most rampant (and girls, it might surprise you)
IT'S long been thought women reach their sexual peak a little later than men.
But, chances are girls, you'll be having the best sex of your life a little earlier than you expected - in fact, you might have already had it.
While past research has shown a woman's libido is most rampant in her 30s, new findings suggest that might not be true.
New data suggests almost half of women have found their sexual desire was highest between the ages of 18 and 24.
And one in four said the best sex of their lives was between the ages of 18 and 20.
However, blokes don't feel quite the same.
One in three said they most wanted sex from 18 to 24, while only 14 per cent said their libido peaked at 18 to 20.
The new findings challenge previous research suggesting that women take longer than men to reach their sexual peak.
In fact, sexual appetite appears to tail off a little as women get older - just 18 per cent said their libido peaked between the ages of 24 and 30, compared to compared to 24 per cent of men.
The male libido appears to be higher in their 30s - 25 per cent said it peaked in this decade compared to just 17 per cent of women.
There is a clear trend showing that early adulthood is when female libidos are highest whereas men are more likely to peak in their 20s and 30s
Richard Longhurst
The results come from a survey of 14,000 people carried out by online sex toy retailer Lovehoney, which looked at couples’ sexual peaks and how these impact on sexual happiness.
They appear to show that sexual compatibility is more important to women than men in a relationship.
A mismatched libido has caused problems in a relationship for 48 per cent of women compared to 41 per cent of men.
More than a quarter of women (27 per cent) wished their sex drive was higher compared to just one in five men.
Two-thirds of women (67 per cent) and a similar number of men (66 per cent) said they could tell if a partner had a high sex drive before sleeping with them through their mannerisms or other behaviour signs.
Having a high sex drive doesn't necessarily make you a better lover though - only 35 per cent of women said they thought it did, alongside 38 per cent of men.
Lovehoney co-owner Richard Longhurst said: “These new findings shatter conventional wisdom which says that men tend to peak sexually earlier in their late teens and early 20s whereas women desire sex more in their 30s.
“In fact, there is a clear trend showing that early adulthood is when female libidos are highest whereas men are more likely to peak in their 20s and 30s.
“What the results show is growing female sexual confidence which has been increasingly evident since the publication of Fifty Shades of Grey five years ago.
“It’s a welcome development.
“Women are happier to talk about how important sex is to them and how sexual happiness is the key to a successful relationship.
“If sex is not working in a relationship, it is women who are keener to take the lead in fixing things, with more women than men saying the mismatched sex drives can be brought into alignment.”
Another survey, published earlier this year found women are most likely to enjoy the best orgasms of their lives in their 30s.
The findings showed 36 was the prime time to climax - and unsurprisingly confidence was a key part of why.