Sex therapist, Emily Power Smith, shares the most common sex myths, problems and tips to combat them just in time for Valentine's day.

Sex is an important part of any relationship, but, like anything, it can come with it's fair share of problems.

Emily has a Masters Degree in Sexology and a Post Graduate Diploma in Art Psychotherapy, with years of experience as a facilitator, educator and trainer on the topic, and she sat down with RSVP to share some common sex issues and how to prevent them.

1. Not using the right lube

"If you use lubes that have sugar in them, which is most Durex lube, it can give you yeast infections, which can cause painful sex," tells Emily.

Emily warns that some don't have ingredients on the packet, "anything that tastes in any way sweet or flavoured, has sugar in it."

"If you're prone to yeast infections, it's going to give you yeast infections, people don't know that but it's really important."

The solution? "You're better off getting an organic one or using natural coconut oil or something that doesn't have sugar in it."

2. Skipping the warm up

"Another reason women have pain is they're not taking long enough to get themselves warmed up before penetration," warns Emily.

The solution? Self love and preparation is key so make sure to take time for foreplay.

3. Too much depth

Not all genitalia is going to fit together perfectly, and for some women, sex can become a painful experience if not careful.

"Another reason is they're feeling a deep thumping pain deep in there vagina, and that can be very painful, almost as if they're being punched. That's because the penis is hitting off the cervix, that's because vaginal canals vary in length much like penises do. Not all penises fit all vagina's perfectly," she told.

The solution? Emily recommends spooning from behind as it means the penis bangs against the buttocks to prevent deeper penetration while still giving the illusion of it. Alternatively, you can use an 'Ohnut' sex toy, costing roughly 60 euro on eBay to give a similar affect.

"It's so the man can feel like he's trusting as deeply as he wants, a lot of women suffer from this pain and don't know what it is," she added.

4. Putting his needs above your own

Emily told RSVP Live, that a common misconception is "if he loves me he should know how to touch me," when in reality, you have to communicate with him and tell him what you want.

The solution? Put your pleasure first, don't be afraid to ask for what you want and most importantly, "stop protecting your partners ego."

5. Presuming men know how vulvas work

According to Emily a large issue is presuming that men know how vulva's work, "why would they, they don't have them, they're complicated pieces of apparatus."

The solution? Don't be afraid to talk, get to know your body so you can demonstrate where you want him to touch and how.

6. Thinking the vagina is the female sex organ

The vagina isn't the female sex organ, it's actually the clitoris. Meaning the changes of achieving orgasm through penetration alone, are slim.

The solution? Make sure that the clitoris doesn't get left out of the equation when it comes to sex. Stimulate it before, during or after penetrative sex. And remember, not all sex has to be pentrative.

7. Good sex doesn't always equal orgasms - and that's okay!

"A lot of pressure is put on women now to orgasm, unfortunately a lot of their partners get their feeling of achievement from the female orgasm," tells Emily.

Not all women can achieve orgasm, especially easily, and it's perfectly fine to not be able to climax everytime.

The solution? Take the pressure off. Make sex less about the destination, and more about the journey.