Despite recent advances in understanding orgasm variation, little is known about ways in which sexual orientation is associated with men’s and women’s orgasm occurrence. Now Discover Magazine reports that scientists at Indiana University have surveyed over 6,000 people on the internet to generate some hard data on how often people experienced orgasm with a familiar partner and it turns out that homosexual and heterosexual men have similar orgasm frequencies (~85%), while women on average have lower (~63%) rates of orgasm. However, if you separate heterosexual and homosexual women, there’s a big difference: heterosexual women reported having orgasms 61.6% of the time, while lesbians have orgasms 74.7% of the time.
The study, titled "Variation in Orgasm Occurrence by Sexual Orientation in a Sample of U.S. Singles" and published online this week in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, uses a large-scale nationally representative sample to examine how self-identified sexual orientation can affect how often lovers have orgasms (paywalled original paper). "These findings may contribute to promotion of more informed sexual health, by reminding us to pay attention to individual variation in research and clinical practice -- variation in sexual experiences, variation in sexual identities and variation in sexual outcomes," says lead author Justin R. Garcia,
The researchers speculate on the patterns observed, suggesting it could be the result of such known factors as length of a sexual encounter (earlier research points to lesbian women spending more time per sexual session); differences in gendered and sexual attitudes across sexual orientation; and even possible biological factors, such as prenatal exposure to the hormones testosterone and estrogen. "Some individuals will say what they want in a sexual encounter, or may be willing to say as much if their partner asked," says Garcia. "For others, communication may be nonverbal, with body language being key. This may also involve getting to know each other, both in and out of the bedroom, to understand what allows a particular sexual partner to experience a positive sexual outcome."
(Score: 4, Informative) by SlimmPickens on Monday August 25 2014, @09:52AM
I thought every kid knew this before high school.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @10:22AM
According to television, most men don't care what women want.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by FatPhil on Monday August 25 2014, @11:52AM
And they also know that we males don't give a monkeys, as long as we get our end away.
I presume the Kinsey et al. researchers weren't actually in people's bedrooms ticking the "came" box on a clipboard. And therefore the females were self-reporting. This makes the data a matter of opinion rather than of fact.
Name one lesbian who would say "actually, I'm just as sexually unfulfilled in my lesbian relationship as I hear all those poor straight women are, with their horrible uncaring male partners" were she not getting there as often as she would like? There are possible incentives both for unfullfilled lesbians to over-report orgasms and for unfullfilled straight females to under-report orgasms.
Humans are notoriously unreliable at judging things about themselves even in the absense of stereotypes that they think they should conform to.
Caveat humptor.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 4, Interesting) by Daiv on Monday August 25 2014, @02:31PM
Name one lesbian who would say "actually, I'm just as sexually unfulfilled in my lesbian relationship as I hear all those poor straight women are, with their horrible uncaring male partners" were she not getting there as often as she would like? There are possible incentives both for unfullfilled lesbians to over-report orgasms and for unfullfilled straight females to under-report orgasms.
Funny you say that. Last week, the local radio station personalities had women call who strolled both sides of the fence and the end result about a couple dozen calls was that it was completely subjective. Several callers called in and said exactly your challenge "I'm just as sexually unfulfilled in my lesbian relationship as" they were in their straight relationships.
Sexual encounters are horribly subjective to *everything.* Mood, diet, temperature, everything! Even if you ignored orientation of the participants, these numbers really are quite meaningless.
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Tuesday August 26 2014, @10:17AM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by frojack on Monday August 25 2014, @05:38PM
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by Hairyfeet on Monday August 25 2014, @05:42PM
And the flipside is of course too many guys don't know their way around the pussy and/or simply do not are about getting their partner off, only themselves off. I was damned lucky in that I had an older woman teach me the ropes when i was in my teens so I have never had a problem in that dept, in fact i consider it a failure on my part if she has less than 4 orgasms before i have my first.
ACs are never seen so don't bother. Always ready to show SJWs for the racists they are.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @09:58AM
More lesbians ... more orgasms.
(Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @10:22AM
The internet isn't enough to build meaningful data. I volunteer to watch the lesbian sex in person... no fat chicks.
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @10:25AM
Sorry, but by that latter condition you would possibly introduce selection bias, therefore this condition has to be rejected.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @11:04AM
This is the kind of intelligent comments I come to Soylent News for.
(Score: 2) by Tork on Monday August 25 2014, @12:25PM
🏳️🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️🌈
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 26 2014, @03:25AM
You sir, are an ass.
(Score: 1) by GoonDu on Monday August 25 2014, @10:30AM
>Despite recent advances in understanding orgasm variation
I wish to pursue the aforementioned studies. Of course, all for research purposes. And science. Especially science.
(Score: 1) by Valkor on Monday August 25 2014, @10:55AM
We do what we must, because we can.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by jimshatt on Monday August 25 2014, @11:00AM
I'm just curious.
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @11:16AM
Being too drunk?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @12:13PM
Having sex for the nth time during the day?
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @12:40PM
Fat gut/dick too small to penetrate?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @03:00PM
Sudden cluster headache?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @03:48PM
Jealous husband catches them in the act
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @03:51PM
Hand cramp
(Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @08:47PM
Leg cramp. Followed by, partner massages and cuddling but it's late at night and we want to do something tomorrow.
No orgasm for you!
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 26 2014, @05:02AM
Over 90 degrees F, and after a while... MUST STOP OR DIE.
(Score: 2) by zafiro17 on Monday August 25 2014, @11:15AM
Who researches this stuff? And who pays for it? The first commenter got it right: girls know what girls want. And since it's more difficult to figure out, it's probably useful to have a partner who can make it happen. Guys on the other hand can pretty much blow their load if you just look at us the right way, if my memory of being 18 is still accurate. Seems at that age the issue isn't how to cum, it's how to not cum (too soon).
This is somehow ridiculous. As my buddy used to say, "Remember: ladies first, but sometimes not at all."
Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis - Jack Handey
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday August 25 2014, @11:37AM
Researchers at the Kinsey Institute, and elsewhere. The authors' names and affiliations are in the abstract, if you just FTFL.
> And who pays for it?
Likewise, if you had FTFL, you'd see it's funded by match.com.
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @03:40PM
We should pass this along to conservative websites as 'match.com promoting research that homosexuality provides better orgasms!'
Should be hilarious to see the shitstorm that ensues :)
(Score: 2) by FatPhil on Monday August 25 2014, @05:13PM
Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people; the smallest discuss themselves
(Score: 2) by zafiro17 on Monday August 25 2014, @04:26PM
Ah yes, Fat Phil. Maybe I should've been more explicit for the daft, like you: I didn't mean literally, "Help, I don't know who funds this stuff. Please tell me. " I meant, "why for the love of all that's right in the world would stuff like this get researched, and funding sources pay for it?"
You are a pedant and an arrogant putz, just like you were on Pipedot.
Dad always thought laughter was the best medicine, which I guess is why several of us died of tuberculosis - Jack Handey
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @12:36PM
> if you just look at us the right way
~avoids eye contact~
(Score: 2) by tynin on Monday August 25 2014, @01:28PM
And of todays anecdotal TMI... for better or worse, not all of us males are able to cum quickly. Some days it is a good thing, but most days my wife and I wish it didn't have to be a marathon.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @05:06PM
That usually indicates that you masturbate too much, or I suppose (though no, I don't) you could be having too damn much sex!
(Score: 5, Funny) by wonkey_monkey on Monday August 25 2014, @12:22PM
How do they ever get anything else done?
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 2) by Blackmoore on Monday August 25 2014, @01:34PM
No wonder I'm the only one working in the office.
(Score: 2) by wonkey_monkey on Tuesday August 26 2014, @07:32AM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88goZsMye2s [youtube.com]
systemd is Roko's Basilisk
(Score: 4, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Monday August 25 2014, @12:43PM
Anyone care to study the differences between self-reported sexual behavior (over the internet, no less) and actual sexual behavior?
🌻🌻 [google.com]
(Score: 2) by opinionated_science on Monday August 25 2014, @05:56PM
i believe that is what the census is for - at the very least it is a lower bound...
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @06:51PM
The most important thing left out, love. It's much better when you're really in love with your partner. Try monogamy sometime. Idiots and assholes only do one night stands.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday August 25 2014, @10:04PM
Love is a combination of hormones and narcissism.