Jump to content

Orgasm gap

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The orgasm gap or pleasure gap is the disparity in sexual satisfaction—specifically the unequal frequency in achieving orgasm during sexual encounters—between heterosexual men and women. Across every demographic that has been studied, women report the lowest frequency of reaching orgasm during sexual encounters with men. Researchers believe that multiple causes contribute to the orgasm gap.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Orgasm gap researcher Laurie Mintz argues that the primary reason for this form of gender inequality is due to "our cultural ignorance of the clitoris" and that it is commonplace to "mislabel women's genitals by the one part (the vagina) that gives men, but not women, reliable orgasms."[11][5]

History of research

[edit]

The 1953 Kinsey Report, titled Sexual Behavior in the Human Female, made several observations including 'differences in frequencies of orgasm' between unmarried American females (200 orgasms on average before marriage, with 36% having never had an orgasm before marriage; 10% of all women in the study said they had never orgasmed at any period in their lives) and males (1500 orgasms on average before marriage; all males in the study reported having had an orgasm before marrying).[12][13] By 1990, authors were referring to Kinsey et al.'s observed gender disparity in sexual experiences as the "orgasm gap", citing the premarital orgasm rates per gender as an example.[14] Meanwhile, Masters & Johnson (1966) suggested that lesbian women had more orgasms than heterosexual women.[15]

A 1994 study by Laumann et al. of sexual practices in the United States found that 75% of men and 29% of women always had orgasms with their spouse, while 40% of men and 80% of women thought their spouse always orgasmed during sex.[16] These rates were different in non-marital straight relationships (cohabitational, long-term and short-term heterosexual relationships), with rates increasing to 81% for men and 43% for women orgasming during sex with their short-term partners, and 69% for men and 83% for women thinking their short-term partners always orgasmed.[16] U.S. feminist writers Marcelle Karp and Debbie Stoller (1999) loosely referred to the 75/29 statistic as evidence that the orgasm gap existed, and to argue that more efforts were needed to sexually emancipate women, because 'there are a whole lot of women who most certainly aren't having fun yet'.[17]

The so far largest systematic research review summarizes all available survey studies on the gender orgasm gap in heterosex: The included 20 surveys are based on the self-reports of N=49,940 women and N=48,329 men.[18] They show that typically 30% to 60% of women report reaching orgasm during heterosex in contrast to 70% to 100% of men. Depending on the context of heterosex (e.g., type and duration of relationship, location of sex, sexual activity), the size of the orgasm gap varies from 20% to 72% to the disadvantage of women. The ten population-representative surveys included yield a weighted mean orgasm gap of 30%.

Studies indicate an oversimplification in the understanding of the orgasm gap in past research. Firstly, focusing on the orgasm quantity neglects further relevant dimensions of the phenomenon such as orgasm duration and quality.[19] Secondly, the cornerstone of the gap itself, the so far applied binary gender differentiation pattern, is outdated as is known.[20]

Contributing factors

[edit]

Sexual behaviour and reaching orgasm

[edit]

Data of sexual behaviour research indicates very few women (less than 30%)[13][21][22][23][24][25][26][excessive citations] reach orgasm during mixed-sex sexual activity, whereas men (over 90%)[24][25][27][28][29][30][excessive citations] usually do. During partnered sexual encounters, rates of orgasm for men do not vary depending on one's sexual orientation; though, lesbians or women who have sex with women report significantly higher rates of orgasm (up to 83%)[31][1][32] than those who have sex with men. This variance among women is influenced by the prioritization of clitoral stimulation during women-only sexual encounters.[1][32] It has been determined that for women, clitoral stimulation is the most reliable method of reaching orgasm,[33][34][35][36] with nearly all women requiring some form of clitoral stimulation in order to achieve orgasm.[29][28][21][26][10] Conversely, PIV (penis-in-vagina) intercourse does not reliably result in orgasm for women.[29][37] Studies have found that women report pretending ("faking") to orgasm during PIV intercourse more than during any other sexual practice.[38][39][40]

Feminist researchers credit the "phallocentricity"[41] of mixed-sex partnering as being a main contributor to the orgasm gap; multiple studies of sexual behaviour and attitudes have concluded that mixed-sex partners prioritize PIV penetration and men's satisfaction.[29][42][43][1][44][25][45][46][47][excessive citations] In turn, this contributes to the faking orgasm behaviour being more prevalent in women than in men: as there appears to be 'a sexual script in which women should orgasm before men, and men are responsible for women's orgasms', a woman may feel pressured to fake an orgasm before her male partner orgasms in order to please her male partner and avoid hurting his feelings.[38]

Studies of heterosexual college hook-up culture found "both men and women reported that men are typically not concerned with women's pleasure in hookups, but both reported that men are very attentive to women's pleasure in relationships".[42] Results show that women were less likely to reach orgasm during casual sex rather than relationship sex; this difference was attributed to an overall increased presence of focused clitoral stimulation and men's willingness to perform cunnilingus during relationship sex.[48][42] However, one study found that cunnilingus was not significantly more likely to occur in relationships than in hookups.[49]

Research has also found that gender differences in sexual entitlement might be a factor. A 2021 study found that people generally believed men were more entitled to an orgasm than women during a hook-up.[50]

Scientific sexism

[edit]

In a 2006 study, the philosopher of science Elisabeth Lloyd reviewed the most prominent studies of female sexuality and argues that the female orgasm has been impacted by the questionable scientific integrity of each of these studies as they are consistently predicated on androcentric assumptions about the female body.[51] Feminist scholar Angela Towne (2019) posits that the "historically androcentric focus on the vaginal canal as the main female sex organ, has helped create a gender-based orgasm gap during partnered sex".[10]

Scholars have highlighted that within dictionaries,[52] anatomy texts,[53] sex education texts,[54] and gynaecology texts,[55] the vagina is most often cited as being the primary female erogenous zone, whereas the clitoris has been omitted or only briefly described.[25] In a 2005 meta-analysis of anatomy literature intended for medical professionals, O'Connell et al. determined that "the typical anatomical textbook description lacks detail, describes male anatomy fully and only gives the differences between male and female anatomy rather than a full description of female anatomy".[56] O'Connell et al. remark that "the anatomy of the clitoris has not been stable with time, as would be expected. To a major extent its study has been dominated by social factors. The clitoris is a structure about which few diagrams and minimal description are provided… Specific study of anatomical textbooks across the 20th century revealed that details from genital diagrams presented early in the century were subsequently omitted from later texts. These examples, particularly with the backdrop of the clitoris being discovered and rediscovered, indicate that the evolution of female anatomy across the 20th century occurred as a result of active deletion rather than simple omission in the interests of brevity".[56] Gabriele Falloppio described the clitoris in 1561, highlighting the fact that "modern anatomists have entirely neglected it", yet his findings were consistently dismissed by his colleagues; Andreas Vesalius stated it was a "new and useless part" that had no function in "healthy women".[56] Later anatomists, including Regnier de Graaf in the 17th century, also provided a full description of the clitoris, though their work was also either ignored or suppressed.[56] Not until 1998 was mainstream science willing to acknowledge the importance of the clitoris due to O'Connell et al.'s breakthrough work revealing the true extent of the clitoris' size and complexity through MRI technology.[57]

Socialization

[edit]

Assertiveness and communication

[edit]

In general, women have been associated with having a decreased degree of sexual assertiveness in comparison to men and this is often found to be at the detriment of women's own sexual satisfaction.[48][58][59][60] It has been proposed that for women, masturbation is an effective means to discover one's own preferences in order to be able to communicate the same to sexual partners.[61][62] Communication in which one is able to articulate their sexual needs or interests, along with having a partner receptive to the same, are both instrumental aspects of satisfying sexual relationships.[63][1][11][5][2] There is a tendency for open sexual communication to be low or lacking between couples who experience difficulty with reaching orgasm.[64][1] Women who have difficulty reaching orgasm, report that they may hide this from their partner by incorrectly communicating their sexual satisfaction, and that this is most commonly completed through the performance of a fake orgasm.[65][66][67][68][39][40] Furthermore, it has been noted that "women view their own orgasm as important for their partners (i.e., to communicate their enjoyment of a sexual experience) more so than for their own pleasure"[69] and that the existing pressure to produce an orgasm for male partners during sexual activity is a barrier for them to actually orgasm.[70][46][71][72]

Sex education

[edit]

The aspect of pleasure is generally overlooked within sex education that is presented to youth; instead, the vast majority of content is primarily concerned with reproductive health, centering on preventative measures for unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.[73] Physiological processes of pleasure (such as arousal, orgasm, or ejaculation) are typically only referenced in a reproductive context, rather than for the sole purpose of pleasure; the main reason being for this is that these components of pleasure are deemed necessary of male bodies in order to conceive.[73][74][75][76] Alternatively, areas of the body conducive to female pleasure- the clitoris, perineal or urethral sponges- are not linked to conception and therefore have been largely disregarded from sex education curricula and instead, only female internal organs are taught in the classroom setting.[9][73][77] Scholars claim that "the lack of a cohesive understanding of pleasure makes pursuing implementation of pleasure overwhelming and inaccessible for educators and may account for why academic research on pleasure has failed to make its way into the practical world of sex education classrooms".[78][73] Sexual self-exploration is also a commonly unaddressed topic within the classroom setting, yet "past research indicates that including masturbation in sexuality education can improve attitudes toward masturbation and debunk myths or false beliefs".[79] One study of university students' sexual knowledge found that more than 60% of students held the false belief that the clitoris is located within the vaginal canal.[25]

Media and pornography

[edit]

Heterosexual activity depicted in mainstream media and pornography is predominantly centred on male pleasure and often includes sexual myths which may influence the construction of one's understanding of what constitutes normal/typical sexual behaviour. The female orgasm as portrayed by media and pornography regularly promotes a false image in which women orgasm from penetration alone. Researchers conclude that this idea may contribute to unrealistic expectations for what methods of sexual activity are necessary for women to orgasm in real life encounters.[80][9][5][2]

The desire for female porn viewers to see what they want to see, including the female performers on screen having real orgasms instead of fake ones, was one of the main factors leading to the rise of feminist pornography in the 1980s and 1990s in North America and Europe.[81]: 13–15  According to feminist pornographer Tristan Taormino (2013), 'in feminist porn, female desire, pleasure, and orgasm are prioritized and celebrated. When the sex on screen represents the experience of the performers (no one is "faking" anything), and that experience is set up to be positive and supportive, sex is presented as joyful, fun, safe, mutual, and satisfying.'[81]: 297 

Solutions

[edit]

There is an increasing body of research and technology innovations seeking out to diminish the heterosexual orgasm gap. One study in 2021[82] aimed to create terminology around clitoral stimulation techniques already used by women in order to give sexual partners better awareness and vocabulary with which to communicate during intercourse.

The study, which was funded by the intimate health company behind sex education website OMGYes[83] which works with sex researchers and was published in PLOS ONE, used data from over 3,000 women in the US to learn what discoveries they had made to make sex more pleasurable. Interviews were then analysed and the names of the four most mentioned techniques were coined: angling, rocking, shallowing and pairing.

Angling, which involves the rotating or raising of the pelvis during penetration for adjustment was used by 87.5% of women. Around 76% used rocking, where the base of a penis or sex toy rubs against the clitoris consistently throughout penetration as opposed to thrusting in and out. Shallowing was used by 84% of women, where penetrative touch is experienced with tools, fingers, penises or lips just inside the entrance of the vagina and 69.7% used pairing, where a woman or her partner reaches down to stimulate the clitoris while penetration is occurring at the same time.

Dr. Devon Hensel, one of the study's co-authors, told the BBC[84] that “sex research as a field has been around for well over 100 years and it was really incomprehensible to us as researchers that there were not names for these things. And when something is unnamed, it almost becomes unspeakable."

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f Frederick, David A.; John, H. Kate St.; Garcia, Justin R.; Lloyd, Elisabeth A. (1 January 2018). "Differences in Orgasm Frequency Among Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Men and Women in a U.S. National Sample". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 47 (1): 273–288. doi:10.1007/s10508-017-0939-z. ISSN 1573-2800. PMID 28213723. S2CID 19758302.
  2. ^ a b c "The Orgasm Gap: Simple Truth & Sexual Solutions". Psychology Today. Retrieved 24 November 2019.
  3. ^ Rowland, Katherine (4 February 2020). The pleasure gap : American women and the unfinished sexual revolution. Basic Books. ISBN 9781580058360. OCLC 1101505802.
  4. ^ Chalabi, Mona (20 August 2015). "The Gender Orgasm Gap". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d "The 'orgasm gap': Why it exists and what women can do about it". NBC News. 6 April 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  6. ^ "The women closing the pleasure gap". BBC Reel. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  7. ^ Bledsoe, Shannon (9 February 2018). "How to close the female orgasm gap | Shannon Bledsoe". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  8. ^ Williams, Lisa (31 July 2019). "Why are women still having fewer orgasms than men?". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  9. ^ a b c "Orgasm Gap: Picking Up Where the Sex Revolution Left Off". Psychology Today. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
  10. ^ a b c Towne, Angela (2019). "Clitoral stimulation during penile-vaginal intercourse: A phenomenological study exploring sexual experiences in support of female orgasm". The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. 28 (1): 68–80. doi:10.3138/cjhs.2018-0022. ISSN 1188-4517. S2CID 151306177.
  11. ^ a b Mintz, Laurie B. (15 May 2018). Becoming cliterate : why orgasm equality matters -- and how to get it. HarperCollins. ISBN 978-0-06-266455-6. OCLC 1041864181.
  12. ^ Kinsey, Alfred C.; Pomeroy, Wardell B.; Martin, Clyde E.; Gebhard, Paul H. (22 May 1998). Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1998 reprint). Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press. pp. 519–520. ISBN 9780253019240. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  13. ^ a b Passmore, R. (22 January 1954). "SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR IN THE HUMAN FEMALE. By A. C. Kinsey, W. B. Pomeroy, C. E. Martin and P. M. Gebhard. Philadelphia and London: W. B. Saunders Company. 1953. Pp. xxx + 842. £2, 10s". Quarterly Journal of Experimental Physiology and Cognate Medical Sciences. 39 (1): 73–74. doi:10.1113/expphysiol.1954.sp001049. ISSN 0033-5541.
  14. ^ Eysenck, Michael W. (1990). Happiness: Facts and Myths. Erlbaum. p. 33. ISBN 9780863771347. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  15. ^ "Who's most likely to reach the "big O"?". CBS News. 21 August 2014. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
  16. ^ a b Laumann, Edward O. (15 December 2000). The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States. University of Chicago Press. p. 130. ISBN 9780226470207. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  17. ^ Karp, Marcelle; Stoller, Debbie (1999). The Bust Guide to the New Girl Order. New York: Penguin. pp. 83–84. ISBN 9781101503171. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  18. ^ Döring, Nicola; Mohseni, M. Rohangis (2022). "Der Gender Orgasm Gap. Ein kritischer Forschungsüberblick zu Geschlechterdifferenzen in der Orgasmus-Häufigkeit beim Heterosex" [The gender orgasm gap: A critical research review on gender differences in orgasm frequency during heterosex]. Zeitschrift für Sexualforschung (in German). 35 (2): 73–87. doi:10.1055/a-1832-4771. ISSN 0932-8114. S2CID 249489812.
  19. ^ Blair, Karen L.; Cappell, Jaclyn; Pukall, Caroline F. (24 July 2018). "Not All Orgasms Were Created Equal: Differences in Frequency and Satisfaction of Orgasm Experiences by Sexual Activity in Same-Sex Versus Mixed-Sex Relationships". The Journal of Sex Research. 55 (6): 719–733. doi:10.1080/00224499.2017.1303437. ISSN 0022-4499. PMID 28362180. S2CID 5411587.
  20. ^ Frederick, David A.; John, H. Kate St.; Garcia, Justin R.; Lloyd, Elisabeth A. (1 January 2018). "Differences in Orgasm Frequency Among Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Men and Women in a U.S. National Sample". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 47 (1): 273–288. doi:10.1007/s10508-017-0939-z. ISSN 1573-2800. PMID 28213723. S2CID 19758302.
  21. ^ a b Walters, Lynda Henley; Hite, Shere (1978). "The Hite Report. A Nationwide Study on Female Sexuality". The Family Coordinator. 27 (4): 481. doi:10.2307/583460. ISSN 0014-7214. JSTOR 583460.
  22. ^ Fahs, Breanne (28 February 2011). "A Review of "The Case of the Female Orgasm: Bias in the Science of Evolution"". Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. 37 (2): 161–163. doi:10.1080/0092623x.2011.548688. ISSN 0092-623X. S2CID 142666827.
  23. ^ Dawood, Khytam; Kirk, Katherine M.; Bailey, J. Michael; Andrews, Paul W.; Martin, Nicholas G. (1 February 2005). "Genetic and Environmental Influences on the Frequency of Orgasm in Women". Twin Research and Human Genetics. 8 (1): 27–33. doi:10.1375/twin.8.1.27. ISSN 1832-4274. PMID 15836807. S2CID 233356759.
  24. ^ a b Salisbury, Claire M. A.; Fisher, William A. (18 December 2013). ""Did You Come?" A Qualitative Exploration of Gender Differences in Beliefs, Experiences, and Concerns Regarding Female Orgasm Occurrence During Heterosexual Sexual Interactions". The Journal of Sex Research. 51 (6): 616–631. doi:10.1080/00224499.2013.838934. ISSN 0022-4499. PMID 24350619. S2CID 32960347.
  25. ^ a b c d e Wade, Lisa D.; Kremer, Emily C.; Brown, Jessica (5 December 2005). "The Incidental Orgasm: The Presence of Clitoral Knowledge and the Absence of Orgasm for Women". Women & Health. 42 (1): 117–138. doi:10.1300/J013v42n01_07. ISSN 0363-0242. PMID 16418125. S2CID 39966093.
  26. ^ a b Eschler, Lara (2004). "The physiology of the female orgasm as a proximate mechanism". Sexualities, Evolution & Gender. 6 (2–3): 171–194. doi:10.1080/14616660412331330875. ISSN 1479-2508.
  27. ^ Hite, S. (1982). "Misunderstandings about Male Sexuality". Sexologies. 17: S23–S24. doi:10.1016/s1158-1360(08)72567-2. ISSN 1158-1360.
  28. ^ a b Psychiatry : diagnosis & therapy. Flaherty, Joseph A., Davis, John M. (John Marcell), 1933-, Janicak, Philip G. (2nd ed.). Norwalk, Conn.: Appleton & Lange. 1993. ISBN 0-8385-1267-4. OCLC 26860842.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  29. ^ a b c d Richters, Juliet; de Visser, Richard; Rissel, Chris; Smith, Anthony (2006). "Sexual practices at last heterosexual encounter and occurrence of orgasm in a national survey". Journal of Sex Research. 43 (3): 217–226. doi:10.1080/00224490609552320. ISSN 0022-4499. PMID 17599244. S2CID 7469378.
  30. ^ Reece, Michael; Herbenick, Debby; Schick, Vanessa; Sanders, Stephanie A.; Dodge, Brian; Fortenberry, J. Dennis (2010). "Background and Considerations on the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB) from the Investigators". The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 7: 243–245. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.02038.x. ISSN 1743-6095. PMID 21029382.
  31. ^ Coleman, Emily M.; Hoon, Peter W.; Hoon, Emily F. (1983). "Arousability and sexual satisfaction in lesbian and heterosexual women". The Journal of Sex Research. 19 (1): 58–73. doi:10.1080/00224498309551169. ISSN 0022-4499.
  32. ^ a b Garcia, Justin R.; Lloyd, Elisabeth A.; Wallen, Kim; Fisher, Helen E. (1 November 2014). "Variation in Orgasm Occurrence by Sexual Orientation in a Sample of U.S. Singles". The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 11 (11): 2645–2652. doi:10.1111/jsm.12669. ISSN 1743-6095. PMC 6035747. PMID 25131299.
  33. ^ Schober, Justine M.; Meyer-Bahlburg, Heino F.L.; Ransley, Philip G. (2004). "Self-assessment of genital anatomy, sexual sensitivity and function in women: implications for genitoplasty". BJU International. 94 (4): 589–594. doi:10.1111/j.1464-410x.2004.05006.x. ISSN 1464-4096. PMID 15329118.
  34. ^ Singer, Josephine; Singer, Irving (1972). "Types of female orgasm". The Journal of Sex Research. 8 (4): 255–267. doi:10.1080/00224497209550761. ISSN 0022-4499.
  35. ^ Komisaruk, Barry R.; Whipple, Beverly; Crawford, Audrita; Grimes, Sherry; Liu, Wen-Ching; Kalnin, Andrew; Mosier, Kristine (2004). "Brain activation during vaginocervical self-stimulation and orgasm in women with complete spinal cord injury: fMRI evidence of mediation by the Vagus nerves". Brain Research. 1024 (1–2): 77–88. doi:10.1016/j.brainres.2004.07.029. ISSN 0006-8993. PMID 15451368. S2CID 9202518.
  36. ^ Bentler, P. M.; Peeler, William H. (1979). "Models of female orgasm". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 8 (5): 405–423. doi:10.1007/bf01541197. ISSN 0004-0002. PMID 496622. S2CID 42722867.
  37. ^ Goldey, Katherine L.; Posh, Amanda R.; Bell, Sarah N.; van Anders, Sari M. (2016). "Defining Pleasure: A Focus Group Study of Solitary and Partnered Sexual Pleasure in Queer and Heterosexual Women". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 45 (8): 2137–2154. doi:10.1007/s10508-016-0704-8. ISSN 0004-0002. PMID 27007471. S2CID 22125468.
  38. ^ a b Muehlenhard, Charlene L.; Shippee, Sheena K. (2 November 2010). "Men's and Women's Reports of Pretending Orgasm". Journal of Sex Research. 47 (6): 552–567. doi:10.1080/00224490903171794. ISSN 0022-4499. PMID 19707929. S2CID 29485759.
  39. ^ a b Jern, Patrick; Hakala, Outi; Kärnä, Antti; Gunst, Annika (1 April 2018). "A Longitudinal Assessment of Associations Between Women's Tendency to Pretend Orgasm, Orgasm Function, and Intercourse-Related Pain in Different Partner Relationship Constellations". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 47 (3): 671–679. doi:10.1007/s10508-017-1117-z. ISSN 1573-2800. PMID 29209890. S2CID 3672588.
  40. ^ a b Fahs, Breanne (18 June 2014). "Coming to power: women's fake orgasms and best orgasm experiences illuminate the failures of (hetero)sex and the pleasures of connection". Culture, Health & Sexuality. 16 (8): 974–988. doi:10.1080/13691058.2014.924557. ISSN 1369-1058. PMID 24939172. S2CID 9555766.
  41. ^ Willis, Malachi; Jozkowski, Kristen N.; Lo, Wen-Juo; Sanders, Stephanie A. (20 February 2018). "Are Women's Orgasms Hindered by Phallocentric Imperatives?". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 47 (6): 1565–1576. doi:10.1007/s10508-018-1149-z. ISSN 0004-0002. PMID 29464449. S2CID 3398241.
  42. ^ a b c Armstrong, Elizabeth A.; England, Paula; Fogarty, Alison C. K. (2012). "Accounting for Women's Orgasm and Sexual Enjoyment in College Hookups and Relationships". American Sociological Review. 77 (3): 435–462. doi:10.1177/0003122412445802. ISSN 0003-1224. S2CID 146476877.
  43. ^ Herbenick, Debby; Reece, Michael; Schick, Vanessa; Sanders, Stephanie A.; Dodge, Brian; Fortenberry, J. Dennis (2010). "An Event-Level Analysis of the Sexual Characteristics and Composition Among Adults Ages 18 to 59: Results from a National Probability Sample in the United States". The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 7: 346–361. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2010.02020.x. ISSN 1743-6095. PMID 21029390.
  44. ^ Pitts, Marian; Rahman, Qazi (2001). "Which behaviors constitute 'having sex' among university students in the UK?". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 30 (2): 169–176. doi:10.1023/a:1002777201416. ISSN 0004-0002. PMID 11329726. S2CID 45644182.
  45. ^ McPhillips, Kathryn; Braun, Virginia; Gavey, Nicola (1 March 2001). "Defining (Hetero)Sex: How imperative is the "coital imperative"?". Women's Studies International Forum. 24 (2): 229–240. doi:10.1016/S0277-5395(01)00160-1. ISSN 0277-5395.
  46. ^ a b Opperman, Emily; Braun, Virginia; Clarke, Victoria; Rogers, Cassandra (2014). ""It Feels So Good It Almost Hurts": Young Adults' Experiences of Orgasm and Sexual Pleasure" (PDF). The Journal of Sex Research. 51 (5): 503–515. doi:10.1080/00224499.2012.753982. ISSN 0022-4499. PMID 23631739. S2CID 32043319.
  47. ^ Braun, Virginia; Gavey, Nicola; McPhillips, Kathryn (1 May 2003). "The 'Fair Deal'? Unpacking Accounts of Reciprocity in Heterosex". Sexualities. 6 (2): 237–261. doi:10.1177/1363460703006002005. ISSN 1363-4607. S2CID 144614304.
  48. ^ a b Backstrom, Laura; Armstrong, Elizabeth A.; Puentes, Jennifer (2012). "Women's Negotiation of Cunnilingus in College Hookups and Relationships". Journal of Sex Research. 49 (1): 1–12. doi:10.1080/00224499.2011.585523. ISSN 0022-4499. PMID 22010825. S2CID 8604210.
  49. ^ Wood, Jessica; McKay, Alexander; Komarnicky, Komarnicky; Milhausen, Milhausen (2016). "Was it good for you too?: An analysis of gender differences in oral sex practices and pleasure ratings among heterosexual Canadian university students". The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality. 25: 25. doi:10.3138/cjhs.251-A2. S2CID 41165713.
  50. ^ Dolan, Eric W. (1 February 2022). "Men are viewed as being more entitled to an orgasm than women, according to new psychology research". PsyPost. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  51. ^ Lloyd, Elisabeth Anne (2005). The Case of The Female Orgasm: Bias in the science of evolution. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. ISBN 978-0-674-04030-4. OCLC 432675780 – via Internet Archive.
  52. ^ Braun, Virginia; Kitzinger, Celia (2001). "Telling it straight? Dictionary definitions of women's genitals". Journal of Sociolinguistics. 5 (2): 214–232. doi:10.1111/1467-9481.00148. ISSN 1360-6441.
  53. ^ Moore, Lisa Jean; Clarke, Adele E. (1995). "Clitoral Conventions and Transgressions: Graphic Representations in Anatomy Texts, c1900-1991". Feminist Studies. 21 (2): 255. doi:10.2307/3178262. hdl:2027/spo.0499697.0021.204. ISSN 0046-3663. JSTOR 3178262.
  54. ^ Ogletree, Shirley Matile; Ginsburg, Harvey J. (2000). "Kept under the hood: Neglect of the clitoris in common vernacular". Sex Roles. 43 (11/12): 917–926. doi:10.1023/a:1011093123517. ISSN 0360-0025. S2CID 140325571.
  55. ^ Scully, Diana; Bart, Pauline (1973). "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Orifice: Women in Gynecology Textbooks". American Journal of Sociology. 78 (4): 1045–1050. doi:10.1086/225420. ISSN 0002-9602. PMID 12862080. S2CID 31777719.
  56. ^ a b c d O'connell Helen E.; Sanjeevan Kalavampara V.; Hutson John M. (1 October 2005). "Anatomy of the clitoris". Journal of Urology. 174 (4 Part 1): 1189–1195. doi:10.1097/01.ju.0000173639.38898.cd. PMID 16145367. S2CID 26109805.
  57. ^ O'Connell, Helen E.; Hutson, John M.; Anderson, Colin R.; Plenter, Robert J. (1998). "Anatomical Relationship Between Urethra and Clitoris". Journal of Urology. 159 (6): 1892–1897. doi:10.1016/s0022-5347(01)63188-4. ISSN 0022-5347. PMID 9598482.
  58. ^ Sanchez, Diana T.; Phelan, Julie E.; Moss-Racusin, Corinne A.; Good, Jessica J. (2012). "The Gender Role Motivation Model of Women's Sexually Submissive Behavior and Satisfaction in Heterosexual Couples". Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. 38 (4): 528–539. doi:10.1177/0146167211430088. ISSN 0146-1672. PMID 22207631. S2CID 12737995.
  59. ^ Haavio-Mannila, Elina; Kontula, Osmo (1997). "What increases sexual satisfaction?". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 26 (4): 399–419. doi:10.1023/A:1024591318836. PMID 9251837. S2CID 4266412.
  60. ^ Herbenick, Debby; Fu, Tsung-Chieh (Jane); Arter, Jennifer; Sanders, Stephanie A.; Dodge, Brian (17 February 2018). "Women's Experiences With Genital Touching, Sexual Pleasure, and Orgasm: Results From a U.S. Probability Sample of Women Ages 18 to 94". Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. 44 (2): 201–212. doi:10.1080/0092623X.2017.1346530. ISSN 0092-623X. PMID 28678639. S2CID 205472756.
  61. ^ Hogarth, Harriet; Ingham, Roger (10 November 2009). "Masturbation Among Young Women and Associations with Sexual Health: An Exploratory Study". Journal of Sex Research. 46 (6): 558–567. doi:10.1080/00224490902878993. ISSN 0022-4499. PMID 19350442. S2CID 12584876.
  62. ^ Laqueur, Thomas (2004). "Solitary Sex: A Cultural History of Masturbation". The American Historical Review. doi:10.1086/ahr/109.2.478. ISSN 1937-5239.
  63. ^ MacNeil, Sheila; Byers, E. Sandra (2005). "Dyadic assessment of sexual self-disclosure and sexual satisfaction in heterosexual dating couples". Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. 22 (2): 169–181. doi:10.1177/0265407505050942. ISSN 0265-4075. S2CID 145299560.
  64. ^ Kelly, Mary P.; Strassberg, Donald S.; Turner, Charles (2004). "Communication and Associated Relationship Issues in Female Anorgasmia". Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. 30 (4): 263–276. doi:10.1080/00926230490422403. ISSN 0092-623X. PMID 15205064. S2CID 30209668.
  65. ^ Roberts, Celia; Kippax, Susan; Waldby, Catherine; Crawford, June (1995). "Faking it". Women's Studies International Forum. 18 (5–6): 523–532. doi:10.1016/0277-5395(95)80090-c. ISSN 0277-5395.
  66. ^ Kingsberg, Sheryl A.; Tkachenko, Natalia; Lucas, Johna; Burbrink, Amy; Kreppner, Wayne; Dickstein, Jodi B. (2013). "Characterization of Orgasmic Difficulties by Women: Focus Group Evaluation". The Journal of Sexual Medicine. 10 (9): 2242–2250. doi:10.1111/jsm.12224. ISSN 1743-6095. PMID 23802867.
  67. ^ Darling, Carol A.; Davdon, J. Kenneth (1986). "Enhancing relationships: Understanding the feminine mystique of pretending orgasm". Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. 12 (3): 182–196. doi:10.1080/00926238608415405. ISSN 0092-623X. PMID 3761371.
  68. ^ Cooper, Erin B.; Fenigstein, Allan; Fauber, Robert L. (18 December 2013). "The Faking Orgasm Scale for Women: Psychometric Properties". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 43 (3): 423–435. doi:10.1007/s10508-013-0212-z. ISSN 0004-0002. PMID 24346866. S2CID 23041015.
  69. ^ Goldey, Katherine L.; Posh, Amanda R.; Bell, Sarah N.; van Anders, Sari M. (23 March 2016). "Defining Pleasure: A Focus Group Study of Solitary and Partnered Sexual Pleasure in Queer and Heterosexual Women". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 45 (8): 2137–2154. doi:10.1007/s10508-016-0704-8. ISSN 0004-0002. PMID 27007471. S2CID 22125468.
  70. ^ Nicolson, Paula; Burr, Jennifer (2003). "What is 'normal' about women's (hetero)sexual desire and orgasm?: a report of an in-depth interview study". Social Science & Medicine. 57 (9): 1735–1745. doi:10.1016/s0277-9536(03)00012-1. ISSN 0277-9536. PMID 12948581.
  71. ^ O'Neill, Rachel (31 October 2014). "Performing sex: the making and unmaking of women's erotic lives Breanne Fahs" (PDF). Feminism & Psychology. 24 (4): 552–556. doi:10.1177/0959353514533864. ISSN 0959-3535. S2CID 147538635.
  72. ^ Braun, Virginia; Gavey, Nicola; McPhillips, Kathryn (2003). "The 'Fair Deal'? Unpacking Accounts of Reciprocity in Heterosex". Sexualities. 6 (2): 237–261. doi:10.1177/1363460703006002005. ISSN 1363-4607. S2CID 144614304.
  73. ^ a b c d Koepsel, Erica R. (2 July 2016). "The Power in Pleasure: Practical Implementation of Pleasure in Sex Education Classrooms". American Journal of Sexuality Education. 11 (3): 205–265. doi:10.1080/15546128.2016.1209451. ISSN 1554-6128. S2CID 152162850.
  74. ^ Pastor, S. K. (2009). Education for sexual intimacy and agency. In N. Worcester & M. H. Whatley (Eds.), Women's health: Readings on social, economic and political issues (pp. 440–446). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt.
  75. ^ Fine, Michelle (1988). "Sexuality, Schooling, and Adolescent Females: The Missing Discourse of Desire". Harvard Educational Review. 58 (1): 29–54. doi:10.17763/haer.58.1.u0468k1v2n2n8242. ISSN 0017-8055.
  76. ^ Harmful to minors: the perils of protecting children from sex. 1 October 2002.
  77. ^ Johnson, J. (2009). Exposed at last: The truth about your clitoris. In N.Worcester &M. H.Whatley (Eds.), Women's health: Readings on social, economic and political issues (pp. 454–456). Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt.
  78. ^ Allen, Louisa; Carmody, Moira (8 May 2012). "'Pleasure has no passport': re-visiting the potential of pleasure in sexuality education". Sex Education. 12 (4): 455–468. doi:10.1080/14681811.2012.677208. ISSN 1468-1811. S2CID 143595332.
  79. ^ Kaestle, Christine E.; Allen, Katherine R. (2011). "The Role of Masturbation in Healthy Sexual Development: Perceptions of Young Adults". Archives of Sexual Behavior. 40 (5): 983–994. doi:10.1007/s10508-010-9722-0. ISSN 0004-0002. PMID 21293916. S2CID 23353776.
  80. ^ Orenstein, Peggy (19 March 2016). "Opinion | When Did Porn Become Sex Ed?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  81. ^ a b Taormino, Tristan; Shimizu, Celine Parreñas; Penley, Constance; Miller-Young, Mireille (2013). The Feminist Porn Book: The Politics of Producing Pleasure. New York: Feminist Press at the City University of New York. ISBN 9781558618190. OCLC 828140733.
  82. ^ Hensel, Devon J.; Hippel, Christiana D. von; Lapage, Charles C.; Perkins, Robert H. (14 April 2021). "Women's techniques for making vaginal penetration more pleasurable: Results from a nationally representative study of adult women in the United States". PLOS ONE. 16 (4): e0249242. Bibcode:2021PLoSO..1649242H. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0249242. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 8046227. PMID 33852604.
  83. ^ "For Goodness Sake". For Goodness Sake. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
  84. ^ "BBC Radio 4 - Woman's Hour - Four ways women can bridge 'the orgasm gap'". BBC. Retrieved 6 June 2023.