What an anti-climax! Women pursue orgasms less during one-night stands – while men expect to ejaculate every time, study finds
- New study reveals that women pursue orgasms less during brief encounters
- But men expect to ejaculate every time – regardless of how brief sex is
They’re often considered the peak of pleasure, but when it comes to orgasms, it seems women have much lower expectations than men.
A new study led by researchers from Rutgers University in New Jersey has revealed that women pursue the ‘big O’ less during one-night stands.
In contrast, men expect to ejaculate every time – regardless of how brief the sexual encounter is.
‘We know there are contextual, societal and personal factors that likely create barriers that prevent women from feeling able to actively pursue orgasm,’ said Grace Wetzel, lead author of the study.
‘We can use the information from this research to create sexual environments where women’s orgasm can feel more feasible.’
They’re often considered the peak of pleasure, but when it comes to orgasms, it seems women have much lower expectations than men (stock image)
In the study, the team set out to investigate the ‘orgasm gap’ – a well-established phenomenon in which men climax substantially more often than women during heterosexual sex.
What is the orgasm gap?
The orgasm gap is a well-established phenomenon in which men climax substantially more often than women during heterosexual sex.
Previous research has already established the existence of an orgasm gap between men and women.
In 2016, research revealed that only 65 per cent of heterosexual women ‘usually or always’ orgasm during sex, compared to 95 per cent of men.
Some researchers argue that it is just another form of gender inequality.
For example, a 2005 study led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Previous found that while 91 per cent of men say they always orgasm during sexual encounters, just 39 per cent of women say the same.
Researchers from Rutgers University have previously shown that women have come to expect less pleasure in bed than men.
But in the new study, the team set out to assess how the sexual situation affects the expectation of orgasm.
Three experiments were carried out, in which women read short vignettes and were then asked to imagine themselves in a hypothetical sexual scenario.
The situations varied in terms of both time and partner.
For example, in some situations, the sexual encounter was said to last 20 minutes, while in others it was a few hours.
Meanwhile, some of the partners were described as being focused on the woman’s pleasure, while others were more selfish.
After reading the hypothetical scenarios, the women were asked to report how strongly they would pursue orgasm and how likely they would be to have one.
The results revealed that women were less likely to pursue an orgasm during brief sexual encounters, as well as in those with selfish men.
‘Research on goal pursuit has found that the strength of our effort is determined by how much we value the result and how much we expect it to be achieved,’ Ms Wetzel explained.
‘So, if orgasm is important to women, and if they believe it is possible to have one, they will pursue it more strongly.
The results revealed that women were less likely to pursue an orgasm during brief sexual encounters, as well as those with selfish men (stock image)
‘As we now understand, women pay attention to environmental cues and cues from their partners when deciding whether orgasm is “worth pursuing” during a sexual encounter.
‘We should not ignore that.’
Based on the findings, the researchers suggest that male partners should try to create a sexual environment where women’s orgasm is more likely.
‘Men should communicate with their female partners that they want their partner’s pleasure to be a priority, without putting pressure on their partners to orgasm,’ Ms Wetzel concluded.
‘This shift in men’s behavior could ultimately influence women’s decisions about orgasm, resulting in increased chances of women having orgasms.’
WOMEN WHO MAKE MORE MONEY THAN PARTNER TWICE AS LIKELY TO FAKE ORGASMS
Psychologists have found women who make more money than their male partner are twice as likely to fake an orgasm in the bedroom.
Men who earn less than their partner may have a ‘fragile sense of masculinity’, due to the long-held stereotype that men are the primary breadwinners.
As a result, it’s thought women kindly try to alleviate the man’s financial insecurity and boost their ego by faking orgasms during sex.
However, protecting their partner’s sense of masculinity may come ‘perhaps at their own expense’, as it stifles sexual satisfaction and honest communication, the psychologists said.
‘Women are prioritising what they think their partners need over their own sexual needs and satisfaction,’ said study author Professor Jessica Jordan, a psychologist at the University of South Florida.
‘When society creates an impossible standard of masculinity to maintain, nobody wins.’
Read more: Women who make more money than partner TWICE as likely to fake orgasms
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