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Our bodies are incredibly intricate machines, so naturally, maintaining and troubleshooting them when something goes wrong can be quite difficult. So it's important that we are at least somewhat familiar with the "user manual." Otherwise, we risk handing our health & wellness to guesswork and hearsay.

A recent Reddit post asked everyone on the platform to list the facts about our anatomy that many grown-ups still don't understand, and thousands jumped in to share the ignorance they've encountered. From growth to metabolism and reproduction, it looks like plenty of folks need to revisit high school biology.

#1

A display of clothes in a store, showcasing human bodies in fashion. Bra sizing, it doesn't help that most major manufacturers and sellers of bras also don't know how it works.

ginger260 , Ron Lach Report

David Paterson
Community Member
1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Shoes, too. The pair of shoes I just bought claims to be size 11, 12, 13 and 44. I have never, not once in my life, seen shoes the same shape as my feet.

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    #2

    A man helping a woman who appears to be in pain, illustrating human bodies in distress. Shocked how many guys think women can “hold” their period, like it’s pee. Not only is this not the case, exerting your core muscles or bending/moving around a lot pushes more blood out, which sometimes feels a little alarming.

    1800crimetime , Julia Larson Report

    #3

    Woman with curly hair clutching her stomach in pain, representing facts about human bodies and health. I’ve been surprised at the lack of knowledge men have about the v****a and reproductive system.
    Once a guy said he doesn’t have period s*x because he doesn’t want an std. I’m like what?! So I explained how that doesn’t give you an std.

    And then another time a guy mentioned how he didn’t know why women didn’t just take the time to squeeze and push out all the period blood all at once and save the hassle of it coming out for days (?!).

    Then another time where I had to explain that a cramp wasn’t just the blood being clogged at the end, it’s the uterus squeezing to help itself shed. Shed what?, he says.

    I don’t understand. These people had the same s*x ed I did, how did this happen?

    lipstick_dipstick , Sora Shimazaki Report

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    #4

    Outstretched arm with tattoos catching water drops, symbolizing the intricacies of human bodies. If you stick ur hand in ur crack after a shower and it does not come out smelling like the rest of your body, you need to get back in the shower because you are not done yet. Scrub IN the crack. You should know what your sphincter feels like.

    jeff1074 , Maria Luiza Melo Report

    SlightlyTarnished
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Bathing 101. Soap up and wash your a**e thouroghly.

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    #5

    A woman waking up in bed with chest pain, illustrating human bodies and facts. What’s alarming is a lot of women don’t know they will have significantly different symptoms to what men experience during a heart attack. This is due to medical science using male anatomy even into the 2020s to diagnose female health issues.

    Journo_Jimbo , Getty Images Report

    David Paterson
    Community Member
    49 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Not just women. Some men (including me, and many Asian men) have heart attack symptoms that much more closely resemble those of a typical woman.

    #6

    A man with a dog, posing in front of a red shutter. Exploring NSFW facts about human bodies. Boners don't always mean that the guy's h***y.

    BoredFanta , CR7Rameshh Report

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    #7

    A man and a woman embracing on a beach, highlighting the intricate NSFW facts about human bodies. Awkward sentence to say but, qu*efing. Many people don't realize that when you pull out and swap positions air WILL rush in, and then be forced out when you put it back in.

    And girls, we don't care at all. So stop being embarrassed about it.

    Analgorilla , Seljan Salimova Report

    #8

    A high voltage danger sign on a wooden post, illustrating NSFW facts about human bodies and safety. If the voltage is high enough, as a human you do not have to actually touch it to get shocked. It will jump out and hit you if you get to close.

    Shrapnel_10 , Erik Mclean Report

    seanpar0820
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If its high enough anything could happen if your close enough to a power line to see it. In the woods that I hike and hunt there are huge power lines above a cut out area. You not only can hear the static sound but can also feel a difference in the air when around them. Its pretty amazing

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    #9

    A pregnant woman holding her belly, showcasing human bodies and facts. People who want their pregnancies can still end up having to terminate them if there's a medical emergency. Just earlier today, I saw a post on FB about women who have died in that situation because of abortion bans. Of course, some unempathetic waste of space had to comment about how they could have just not had s*x.

    MiniPantherMa , Tima Miroshnichenko Report

    seanpar0820
    Community Member
    1 hour ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    A women's body is her own d**n business regardless of the reason.

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    #10

    The Clitoris isn't just a tiny bean, it actually has 5 arms; one goes to the Clitoris and the remaining 4 go to each of the Labia Minora and Majora.

    So Guys; don't just focus on the Clit!

    Also Vulvas aren't identical. Only a small proportion of women have Innies. Most women have Labia Minora which protude. Labia Minora can be smooth or frilled, different lengths, shapes & colour to the surrounding skin. Its normal but many women have been taught to think of their genitals as ugly and shameful and it needs to stop.

    SouthernAlbinoChimp Report

    Daya
    Community Member
    46 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Let's be honest: neither male nor female genitals are "pretty". Once I have heard a woman say: "Everybody has genitals that look like extraterrestrial brocoli, but that is fine because everyone is built this way."

    #11

    Group of diverse people smiling outdoors, showing different aspects of human bodies. Anything to do with humans; the gauss curve is f*****g wide. Just because X is Y on average, does not mean you are abnormal is you are super far off. Everybody is weird in some ways.

    RovakX , Su Casa Panamá Report

    David Paterson
    Community Member
    41 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes. The Gauss curve is very much wider than most people think. This is not well known.

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    #12

    A woman with hair tied up, looking at her phone. Discovering NSFW facts about human bodies. Bruh. The fact that women dont pee out of their v****a.

    I deada*s had an ex who thought I was an idiot and completely wrong for telling her that she has 3 holes down under. She was convinced that it was a*s n vag. Unreal.

    KvDOLPHIN , Miriam Alonso Report

    SlightlyTarnished
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    High School biology has failed so many.......

    #13

    A couple smiling on a bed, looking at a pregnancy test. Learning NSFW facts about human bodies. The whole IVF/embryo development process. It was crazy concerning to me how many people in my life don’t know the insanely basic stages of embryo development (edit: regardless if it’s in a testing tube or the body!) that should have been taught in middle school science. Not all fertilized eggs even result in a zygote and not all zygotes result in an embryo that will make it to blastocyst. And not all healthy embryos will implant.

    I have a family member who is insanely against IVF even though that’s how we had to have my daughter. She posts the most insane s**t how “IVF kills babies”. She is a 40 year old nurse. Just amazes me how far she got in life being so intentionally stupid.

    Lilo213 , Nataliya Vaitkevich Report

    #14

    Smiling woman with curly red hair looking up, illustrating fascinating facts about human bodies. I think a lot of people don't know what a vulva is.

    FlameSky25340 , Iraklis Gerogiannis Report

    #15

    A man relaxing on a couch, highlighting the comfort of human bodies. S*men takes 64–74 days to fully develop.

    Just found out the entire process from creation to maturity takes about 2.5 months. It happens in two phases - 50–60 days of development in the testicles, then 10–14 days in the epididymis where they learn to swim.

    Also wild: if they’re never released, your body just breaks them down and reabsorbs them.

    Dontellmywifenutn , Getty Images Report

    Len Hill
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's S E M E N. BPs censorship is out of control

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    Never miss a story that brings joy to the world. Follow on Google News

    #16

    A young man with his arms crossed, showing a confident pose of human bodies. A lot of people still assume if you're a tall or big dude then that reflects on all of men's anatomy.

    Mr_Coastliner Report

    SlightlyTarnished
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yeah, well, as a gay man with many years experience, I can say first hand cöck size is completely autonomous from body height/size. Biggest piece of meat I ever had the pleasure of experiencing was on a very short man.

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    #17

    A man wrapped in a blanket, blowing his nose. Learn about NSFW facts about human bodies and health. Antibiotics don't work for the cold VIRUS.

    dissociated_disco , cottonbro studio Report

    David Paterson
    Community Member
    1 hour ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Antibiotics DO work for the secondary bacterial infections that usually follow a cold virus. Infections like bronchitis.

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    #18

    Medical instruments on a tray with a doctor and patient in the background, discussing human bodies and facts. Recently got a vasectomy. I was stunned by the number of adult men who assumed you no longer ejaculate after a vasectomy. They thought “shooting blanks” meant no ejaculate comes out anymore.

    PepperidgeFleet , Pavel Danilyuk Report

    #19

    Close-up of hands holding and using a smartphone. Uncovering NSFW facts about human bodies. I've worked as an OnlyFans chatter for almost two years and have spoken with several thousand people. An alarming number of men think squirting equals orgasm for women, 'No squirt, she didn't c*m,' and 'If she squirted, she c*me.' Neither of those things is true.

    Wife_of_Shao_Kahn , Wolf Art Report

    sal
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How do I become an OF chatter?? I could use the money

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    #20

    Yes, the carpet matches the d**n drapes
    - a tired ginger.

    rouquineau Report

    #21

    You are not your body.

    You are a brain, piloting a calcium mech frame, wrapped in meat.

    Mark_fuckaborg Report

    Giraffe Sitter
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The body feeds and protects the brain. It’s kind of a package deal.

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    #22

    That a woman's v****a relaxing and becoming more elastic is them being aroused. So many men think that "Oh she's loose, she must be a h*e" or some stupid immature c**p like that. In reality, if it feels "looser" than usual, it means she's probably very aroused and you're doing a good job. Number of s****l partners etc does not pertain to looseness at all.

    DrBrainzz9 Report

    #23

    What the fallopian tubes do.

    I recently had mine removed after my second c-section, and was telling a friend about it and how if I ever changed my mind at least IVF was an option. Friend, who is currently doing IVF herself, argued with me and told me she didn’t understand how this would be possible. She also expressed concern of where my eggs would go without fallopian tubes. I should also add this woman is a teacher….

    MoutainsAndMerlot Report

    #24

    While an erection or lack thereof could signify a physical attraction, it should not be used as an indicator of it one way or the other. Your mental state is the biggest factor with what happens down there.

    TheBluePriest Report

    astheshadowsfall
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    As a now 40 year old, I wish I could bump this one up more.

    #25

    The breathing hole being next to the feeding hole is definitely the most NSFW element of the human body. If you were building a living organism from scratch that would be a major code violation.

    manditoryusername Report

    David Paterson
    Community Member
    35 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes. And no. If the breathing hole wasn't close to the feeding hole then a sinus infection or broken nose would be fatal.

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    #26

    An older man with glasses, demonstrating the diversity of human bodies. Mnemonic (or rather menmonic):

    Men: starting at about 50 years of age, your age is roughly the percentage probability of having an enlarged prostate. So at 70 years old, you have roughly 70% chance that this is the case.

    This is called benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and while benign, it is a main if not the main cause of leaking urine, trouble peeing, s****l dysfunction, ... See your doctor about these problems, because it may be easy to treat (not always, but simply knowing may help you and your close ones with understanding too).

    erikieperikie , Marcus Aurelius Report

    Nota Robot
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Another age-related one: while men are indeed able to conceive children until later in life, sperms quality markedly decreases after around 40. Similar to older mothers, there is also an increased risk for negative effects on the fetus (e.g. Down's syndrome)

    #27

    A crowded city street, depicting diverse human bodies. Delve into fascinating NSFW facts about human bodies. In Latin America there aren't many, but not washing the a*s after pooping is considered a symptom of mental illness.

    wittor , Cameron Casey Report

    #28

    Young man and woman standing against a wall, representing diverse human bodies and unknown facts. Testicle nerve cluster is where the ovaries would be on a female. During utero they start there and then 'drop'. If you ever need a testicle removed they go through the lower abdomen. If you get a vasectomy, you feel it in your lower abdomen, and they typically only give you a local.

    Testicle cancer x2. I'm a glorified eunich.

    defensekid , artawkrn Report

    #29

    Man with beard showering, capturing one of the many facts about human bodies. You have to wash ya a*s. Get in there all nice and deep like.

    t-o-m-u-s-a , Victor Furtuna Report

    #30

    A close-up of a person's midsection with a belly dancer costume, highlighting human bodies and facts. Depending on how regular your hygiene upkeep is, your belly button can have more bacteria than your toilet seat.

    And now I just pissed off a germaphobe somewhere.

    DeathToTheMosquito , Brett Sayles Report

    Top Notcher
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The thing with "X has more bacteria than a toilet seat" is that a toilet seat is a surface designed to prevent things from growing on it. Any part of the human body should have more bacteria than a toilet seat on average.

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    #31

    A close-up of a person's shoulder and hand. Delving into NSFW facts about human bodies. Capsaicin binds to TRPV1 receptors found on your skin, mouth, and nerves. Birds do not have TRPV1 receptors and can't taste it, which is why they can eat Uber spicy seeds. The highest expression levels of TRPV1 in the human body occur in the a**s.

    Braytone , Angela Roma Report

    Don Adams
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And it burns, burns, burns. The Ring of Fire, The Ring of Fire.

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    #32

    Microscopic view of cells, revealing intricate details of human bodies. The michtochondria is THE powerhouse of the cell.

    Treebull Report

    Fred
    Community Member
    36 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    How many mitochondrias are needed?

    #33

    Yours and your sibling’s 23andMe results will be different. I can’t be the only one who thought it would be the same.

    Turns out I am more Italian than my brother.

    Yung-Tre Report

    Fred
    Community Member
    34 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The "ethnicity" is just guesswork. Not a good reason to take a DNA test.

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    #34

    Most men have 0 clue and weirdly some women, about the smells and PH balance of women.

    Boric acid and other things are life savors and the scents really are your bodies way of talking to you. A good PH level = healthy.

    HockeyDockey1234 Report

    #35

    My wife used to run an Urgent Care. The amount of women who don't know how their reproductive organs work is shocking. The amount of men who don't know how to clean their p***s is shocking. The amount of people who don't know urine in your eye isn't a **legit** medical procedure is shocking.

    EDIT: I'm a man of the people so I'll elaborate on the urine thing. This wasn't a widespread issue but it's a funny anecdote so I through it in there for fun. "Urine therapy" is a thing. It's not a smart thing but it's a thing. Some people think that drinking urine or applying it topically can treat health conditions. There was one lady who came in with a nasty eye infection. She basically told my wife, "I don't know why it's not getting better. I've been putting urine in it. Why is it getting worse?" She said it so casually like everybody was going to be on board with p**s in their eye. For those that don't know, urine is not sterile. That's a myth. And even if it was, it gets pretty gross, pretty quickly. Don't do urine therapy.

    EDIT2: I almost forgot about all the people who don't know how diabetes works. Tons of people out there with uncontrolled diabetes. She once told a guy in his early 20's - who came with his mom - that he has diabetes. To his credit, he vowed right then and there that he was done with sugary drinks. Unfortunately, he vowed that it was only going to be Gatorade from now on. The best part was that he didn't say "diabetes". He said, "I got the sugars?!"

    CaptainAwesome06 Report

    Tom Brincefield
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    There are Facebook groups devoted to using urine as a medical treatment, both internally & externally. It gets bad.

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    #36

    Massaging your prostate helps reducing risks for prostate cancer.

    MadeInTheUniverse Report

    Fred
    Community Member
    36 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Good idea, but mine's hidden away inside me.

    #37

    Women have three holes down there.

    IAmAlittleteapot_AMA Report

    #38

    A woman with freckles looking at the camera, showcasing the diversity of human bodies and their NSFW facts. Hymens are broken for any number of reasons. She might bleed but probably won't on her first time.

    Also going too far in general.

    aknownman , Andrea Piacquadio Report

    Tom Brincefield
    Community Member
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Hymens don't need to be "broken." (Although rarely, a woman will need a hymenectomy.

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    #39

    A person with a pink beanie and a blanket covering their face, revealing only their eyes, representing human bodies. You don’t get colds from being cold.

    UnSlain , REFARGOTOHP Report

    Sooz
    Community Member
    2 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    No you don't, but there is some evidence to show that being cold can increase your susceptibility to a virus/being ill, so always best to stay warm anyway.

    #40

    Pile of tampons with light green strings on a white furry surface, depicting facts about human bodies. Where tampons go.

    Fryeer , Polina Zimmerman Report

    #41

    Close-up of a human body with freckles on the shoulder, illustrating facts about human bodies. The skin is the largest organ of the body. Not the liver, not the brain, not the intestines!

    Same_Lychee5934 , Valeria Smirnova Report

    #42

    Ovaries are not actually like flat off to the side like they are shown on textbooks. They’re actually bunched up and basically touching either side of your uterus.

    beaujonfrishe Report

    Nik Odongray
    Community Member
    Premium
    3 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I had a hysterectomy and had my surgeon take a picture for me. I was shocked to learn that my uterus looked like a bbq chicken leg and the ovaries like little nuggets. Not at all what I thought it looked like from textbook diagrams.

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    #43

    The frenulum needs more attention.

    Logical_Hospital2769 Report

    That’s all I yam
    Community Member
    Premium
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Frenulum: "a small fold of tissue that secures the motion of a mobile organ in the body." Locations include brain, digestive tract, oral tissue, penile tissue, and vulvar tissue: "In females, genital frenula include the frenulum clitoridis of the clitoris and the frenulum labiorum pudendi (fourchette) where the labia minora meet at the back." (Frenulum, Wikipedia)

    #44

    Our immune system doesn't know about eyes, so if it gets to know them - it attackes your eyes.

    Snulow Report

    That’s all I yam
    Community Member
    Premium
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Posted this before: "Interestingly, certain areas of the body have something called immune privilege. This means that the body’s normal inflammatory immune response is limited here. Scientists think the purpose of immune privilege is to protect these important areas from damage that may occur with swelling and higher temperatures from the immune response. The eye is one of a few areas of the body with immune privilege. The eye limits its inflammatory immune response so that vision isn’t harmed by swelling and other tissue changes. Other sites with immune privilege include the brain, testes, placenta and fetus." (The Eye and Immune Privilege, American Academy of Ophthalmology)

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    #45

    People think men have fewer ribs because of Adam.

    DanielDannyc12 Report

    astheshadowsfall
    Community Member
    4 hours ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Bronze age folklore should not be used for anything.

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    #46

    Disheveled white bedding and towel, symbolizing a common aspect of human bodies and daily life. It’s urine she is squirting.

    EmotionalMixture5968 , Nadin Sh Report

    Stephanie Did It
    Community Member
    4 hours ago (edited)

    This comment is hidden. Click here to view.

    It positively is not. Female ejaculate issues from the vagin.a, not the urethra.

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    #47

    Pee is stored in the balls.

    Lucifer_Morningsun Report

    Daya
    Community Member
    36 minutes ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    So they are growing until you pee? Funny thought.

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