Herbenick D, Fu T-C, Arter J, Sanders SA, Dodge B. 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. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/0092623X.2017.1346530?journalCode=usmt20
The study purpose was to assess, in a U.S. probability sample of women, experiences related to orgasm, sexual pleasure, and genital touching. In June 2015, 1,055 women ages 18 to 94 from the nationally representative GfK KnowledgePanel® completed a confidential, Internet-based survey. More than one-third of American women (37%) reported they needed clitoral stimulation in order to experience orgasm during intercourse and 18% said that vaginal penetration was sufficient for orgasm. Women reported diverse preferences for genital touch location, pressure, shape, and pattern. Clinical, therapeutic, and educational implications are discussed.
Although sexual techniques are widely discussed in consumer books about sexual pleasure and orgasm, little is known empirically about such techniques. The current study aims to address these gaps by assessing, in a U.S. nationally representative probability sample of adult women (the OMGYes Sexual Pleasure Project: Women and Touch), women’s experiences related to orgasm and sexual pleasure, with a focus on detailed aspects of genital touch and stimulation.
· First, regarding pressure, most women preferred light to medium pressure, but about 1 in 10 women preferred firm pressure.
· Second, regarding location, most respondents preferred direct clitoral touching, or in the immediate area around the clitoris.
· Third, on the topic of “shape” or style of touch, many preferred an up-and-down, circular, or side-to-side motion, but a wide variety of other types of touch preferences were reported (including pressing, flicking, and tapping, which are somewhat reminiscent of certain modes of stimulation common to contemporary vibrators). However, most women preferred a narrow range of shapes/styles of touch.
· And fourth, considerable variation was found in the patterns of touching women preferred, with 13 of the 15 patterns different patterns of stimulation during partnered genital touch endorse by the majority of respondents.
Consistent with other research suggesting that duration of sexual activities matters less to women than their partners may think, fewer than 1 in 5 American women indicated that “sex that lasts a long time” made orgasms feel better.
We also found that nearly three-quarters of women reported that adding clitoral stimulation during penetration was either necessary for orgasm or made their orgasms feel better. These results indicate that, for many women, clitoral stimulation during penetration is impactful on orgasm frequency, quality, or both, which has implications for assisting couples who seek advice on improving their sex life, given the importance of orgasm consistency in overall sexual satisfaction.
The study purpose was to assess, in a U.S. probability sample of women, experiences related to orgasm, sexual pleasure, and genital touching. In June 2015, 1,055 women ages 18 to 94 from the nationally representative GfK KnowledgePanel® completed a confidential, Internet-based survey. More than one-third of American women (37%) reported they needed clitoral stimulation in order to experience orgasm during intercourse and 18% said that vaginal penetration was sufficient for orgasm. Women reported diverse preferences for genital touch location, pressure, shape, and pattern. Clinical, therapeutic, and educational implications are discussed.
Although sexual techniques are widely discussed in consumer books about sexual pleasure and orgasm, little is known empirically about such techniques. The current study aims to address these gaps by assessing, in a U.S. nationally representative probability sample of adult women (the OMGYes Sexual Pleasure Project: Women and Touch), women’s experiences related to orgasm and sexual pleasure, with a focus on detailed aspects of genital touch and stimulation.
· First, regarding pressure, most women preferred light to medium pressure, but about 1 in 10 women preferred firm pressure.
· Second, regarding location, most respondents preferred direct clitoral touching, or in the immediate area around the clitoris.
· Third, on the topic of “shape” or style of touch, many preferred an up-and-down, circular, or side-to-side motion, but a wide variety of other types of touch preferences were reported (including pressing, flicking, and tapping, which are somewhat reminiscent of certain modes of stimulation common to contemporary vibrators). However, most women preferred a narrow range of shapes/styles of touch.
· And fourth, considerable variation was found in the patterns of touching women preferred, with 13 of the 15 patterns different patterns of stimulation during partnered genital touch endorse by the majority of respondents.
Consistent with other research suggesting that duration of sexual activities matters less to women than their partners may think, fewer than 1 in 5 American women indicated that “sex that lasts a long time” made orgasms feel better.
We also found that nearly three-quarters of women reported that adding clitoral stimulation during penetration was either necessary for orgasm or made their orgasms feel better. These results indicate that, for many women, clitoral stimulation during penetration is impactful on orgasm frequency, quality, or both, which has implications for assisting couples who seek advice on improving their sex life, given the importance of orgasm consistency in overall sexual satisfaction.
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