Does a high IQ equal a high sex drive?
Students at Cambridge university spend more on sex toys than at any other university, closely followed by students at Oxford, figures show, sparking speculation that higher IQs can lead to higher sex drives.
4:05PM BST 21 May 2013
Cambridge students spent £9,793 on sex toys and soft bondage in the last year, with bestselling products including rabbit vibrators and jiggle balls, an analysis based on sales figures at an online sex toys retailer has shown.
The Cambridge students topped a league table detailing sex spending at top colleges in the UK.
Students at Oxford university came second on the league table, spending £9,689 on sex toys, the analysis showed. They favoured more exclusive toys than Cambridge, spending almost three times as much on luxury vibrators.
Manchester University came third in the league table, although it ranked far behind the Oxbridge universities, with students spending just £5,441, the figures by online sex toy retailer Lovehoney reveal.
Cambridge students visited its site 5,995 times last year compared to 5,158 visits from Oxford and 3,905 from Manchester.
High IQ = High sex drive?
Lovehoney said the high levels of sex toy spending appears to show a "heightened interest in sex amongst students in the Russell Group of elite universities".
All bar three of the top 10 spending colleges are in the Russell Group. Five other Russell Group colleges made the top 20 – Nottingham (£2,811 -12th), Durham (£2,451 – 15th), Bristol (£2,332 – 18th), Cardiff (£2,300 – 19th) and Exeter (£2,299 -20th).
Lovehoney, which based its analysis on spending using Google Analytics, which allows retailers to work out the spender's email address, said the figures could mean that "students with a high IQs may also have high sex drives".
Neal Slateford, Lovehoney co-founder, said: “It is interesting that spending on sex toys is far high amongst students at our elite universities.
“It’s no bad thing if brainier people are randier but we tend to find that everyone in the UK has become far more interested and relaxed about sex – not just our friends at Oxford and Cambridge. “
Work hard, play hard
Cambridge University graduate Alice Little, 27, who studied English at New Hall, said: "It seems Oxbridge students know that sex and sex toys are the smartest way to relieve stress. Cambridge definitely has a work hard, play hard culture so it comes as no surprise Cambridge students spend the most to relieve the pressure of studying at a top university.
"High-achievers aim for excellence in all areas of their life, so it makes sense that achieving sexual happiness is one of their goals."
Felix Hamer, studying at Keble College, Oxford, said: “I think that intelligent people are more creative in the bedroom.”
A 19-year-old female student studying English at Oxford said: "When I came to university in Oxford, I was struck by how open everybody was about sex. Oxford sometimes has a bit of a stuffy, old-fashioned reputation but in terms of sexuality it's very liberal. The added independence of a university lifestyle means that you can actually start to experiment with new things.
"Although some people are still hesitant to discuss sex toys, they know that in such a liberal and friendly environment there isn't a stigma attached to enjoying sex with a partner or just by yourself.”
