Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy

ISSN: 0092-623X (Print) 1521-0715 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/usmt20

Women's Experiences with Genital Touching,

Sexual Pleasure, and Orgasm: Results from a U.S.
Probability Sample of Women Ages 18 to 94

Debby Herbenick, Tsung-Chieh (Jane) Fu, Jennifer Arter, Stephanie A.

Sanders & Brian Dodge

To cite this article: Debby Herbenick, Tsung-Chieh (Jane) Fu, Jennifer Arter, Stephanie A.
Sanders & Brian Dodge (2017): 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, DOI: 10.1080/0092623X.2017.1346530

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2017.1346530

Accepted author version posted online: 05

Jul 2017.

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Women’s Experiences with Genital Touching, Sexual Pleasure, and Orgasm: Results from a U.S.

Probability Sample of Women Ages 18 to 94

Debby Herbenicka, Tsung-Chieh (Jane) Fua, Jennifer Arterb, Stephanie A. Sandersc, Brian

Dodgea

a
Center for Sexual Health Promotion, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA

b
OMGYes.com, San Francisco, CA, USA

c
Kinsey Institute for Research on Sex, Gender, and Reproduction, Indiana University,

Bloomington, IN, USA

Corresponding author email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT

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.

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INTRODUCTION

For more than a century, scientists have attempted to understand and describe women’s

experiences with sexual pleasure and orgasm and, occasionally, classify “types” of orgasm (e.g.,

Hite, 1976; King, Belsky, Mah, & Binik, 2011; Kinsey, Pomeroy, Martin & Gebhard, 1953;

Ladas, Whipple & Perry, 1982; Meston, Levin, Sipski, Hull & Heiman, 2004; Mosher, 1980;

Singer & Singer, 1972). Across historical time and place, researchers and clinicians have

addressed varied (and often controversial) ideas about female orgasm including suggestions that

vaginal orgasms are more “mature” than clitoral orgasms or that clitoral stimulation may be

required for female orgasm, as well as describing types of stimulation likely to facilitate orgasm

(e.g., see reviews by Meston et al., 2004, and Pfaus, Quintana, Cionnaith, & Parada, 2016). In

recent decades, research has moved beyond categorization to document greater diversity in

women’s experiences of orgasm, including orgasm occurring from both genital and non-genital

stimulation (e.g., Herbenick & Fortenberry, 2011; Jannini, Rubio-Casillas, Whipple, Buisson,

Komisaruk, & Brody, 2012; Komisaruk, Beyer-Flores, & Whipple, 2006; Komisaruk &

Whipple, 2011). Additionally, there has been greater emphasis on understanding women’s

subjective experiences of sexual pleasure and orgasm (e.g., Dubray, Gerard, Beaulieu-Prevost, &

Courtois, 2017; Opperman, Braun, Clarke, & Rogers, 2014; Pfaus et al., 2016).

Such research has the potential to provide important information to those working in

women’s sexual health and medicine. While basic science is critical to understand neurological

networks in the genitals, subjective reports can help surgeons understand potential “maps” of

genital sensitivity and pleasure relevant to patient experience and sexual response (Schober,

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Alguacil, Cooper, Pfaff, & Meyer-Bahlburg, 2015; Schober, Meyer-Bahlburg, & Ransley, 2004).

Further, an understanding of the variability in how women experience genital touching can

inform the work of sexual health educators and clinicians who might then anticipate common

experiences or concerns among women, recognize and validate less common experiences among

clients, and encourage straightforward, detailed, and comfortable language for talking about

sexual pleasure and exploration (Coffelt & Hess, 2014; Cupach & Comstock, 1990; Hess &

Coffelt, 2012; Montesi, Fauber, Gordon, & Heimberg, 2010; Simkins & Rinck, 1982).

Thus far, research focused on women’s sexual pleasure has largely utilized convenience

samples (e.g., Dubray et al., 2017; Hite, 1976), college samples (e.g., Levin & Meston, 2006;

Waterman & Chiauzzi, 1982; Wood, McKay, Komarnicky, & Milhausen, 2016), or clinical

samples (e.g., Read, King, & Watson, 1997; Rosen, Taylor, Leiblum, & Bachmann, 1993;

Sipski, Alexander, & Rosen, 1999), and has often addressed broad aspects of sexual behavior,

satisfaction, or dysfunction. The few nationally representative probability samples focused on

sexual behavior in various parts of the world (e.g., Haavio-Mannila & Kontula, 1997; Herbenick,

Reece, Schick, Sanders, Dodge, and Fortenberry, 2010a; Laumann, Gagnon, Michael, &

Michaels, 1994; Mitchell et al., 2013; Smith, Rissel, Richters, Grulich, & de Visser, 2003) have

not addressed specific details of sexual touch. Therefore, little detail is known at the population

level about women’s sexual pleasure and orgasm beyond prevalence and general predictors of

pleasurable sex and/or orgasm during sexual activities - for example, the finding that greater

sexual variety is associated with a higher likelihood of orgasm during a given sexual encounter

(e.g., Fugl-Meyer, Oberg, Lundberg, Lewin, & Fugl-Meyer, 2006; Herbenick, Reece, Schick,

Sanders, Dodge, Fortenberry, 2010b). Also, as a result of the variability in methods and

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populations, findings are wide-ranging regarding how rarely or often women orgasm during

intercourse (whether during intercourse with or without additional stimulation focused on the

clitoris; see Lloyd, 2005 for a review; see also Harris, Cherkas, Kato, Heiman, & Spector, 2008).

Studies focused on more specific techniques related to women’s sexual pleasure and

orgasm have generally not examined ways of touching in detail. Rather, they have often focused

on stimulation of particular body sites such as the clitoris, “g-spot,” “a-spot,” or breasts/nipples

(e.g., Chua Chee, 1997; Levin & Meston, 2006; Whipple, 2015), where on or in the genitals

vibrators are placed (Herbenick et al., 2009), or penile-vaginal intercourse positions (e.g., the

Coital Alignment Technique; see Pierce, 2000). Although sexual techniques are widely discussed

in consumer books about sexual pleasure and orgasm (e.g., Heiman & LoPiccolo, 1988; Menard

& Kleinplatz, 2008; Mintz, 2017), 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.

METHODS

All study protocols and instruments were reviewed and approved by the institutional

review board (IRB) at the first author’s university. The study was conducted during June 2015

with GfK Research (Menlo Park, CA), who sampled adult (ages 18+) female U.S. residents from

its KnowledgePanel®, a probability-based web panel demonstrated to be representative of the

non-institutionalized U.S. population and frequently utilized by scientists to collect U.S.

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probability data on a range of topics (e.g., Rothman, Edwards, Heeran, and Hingson, 2008;

Chang and Krosnick, 2009; Harris, Schonlau, and Laurie, 2009; Herek, 2009; Eisenberg, Freed,

Davis, Singer, and Prosser, 2011; Yeager et al, 2011). Probability-based sampling techniques

(address-based sampling [ABS] using the U.S. Postal Service’s Delivery Sequence File and

random digit dialing [RDD] methods) have been used to recruit panel members. Households

without Internet access are provided with hardware and/or Internet access as needed, in order to

minimize the risk that only higher-resource or regular Internet-using households are included.

Data collection occurred over a two-week period. The survey was cross-sectional and

Internet-based. As is typical for KnowledgePanel® invitations, an email letting panel members

know that a new survey was available (but that did not describe the topic) was sent to 2,416

panel members. Two follow-up emails were sent to non-responders on days 3 and 9 of the field

period; of these, 1,200 (50%) clicked on the link to proceed to the study website where they were

shown the Study Information Sheet (SIS) and, if they agreed to participate, proceed to take the

survey. The survey was described as “a confidential research study about the sexual experiences

of women”, taking about 10 minutes to complete, and it was suggested that participants may

want to take the survey in a private space to feel more “comfortable answering questions about

this personal topic.” The SIS noted that the research team would not have the ability to identify

respondents (the research team received only a de-identified dataset). KnowledgePanel®

members receive points for completing surveys, which they can accumulate and exchange for

products. No additional incentives were offered. Of the 1,200 individuals who read the study

description and completed the screener, 1,055 (88% of those who clicked the link to read about

the study; 43.7% of those in the initial sample frame) completed the survey.

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Although the recruitment process is intended to represent the U.S. adult population, GfK

then prepared post-stratification statistical weights to correct for possible non-response or any

under- or over-coverage based on demographic variables from the Current Population Survey

(e.g., gender by age, race/ethnicity, education, census region, household income, Internet access).

Measures

The larger survey included more than 30 (often multi-part) questions related to

participants’ background, sexual behaviors, sexual attitudes, relationships, sexual satisfaction,

and experiences with genital touching. Measures relevant to the present analyses are described

below.

Background variables

GfK collects background information about its KnowledgePanel® members, updating

demographic items annually. Thus, GfK provided some participant demographic data (age,

gender, race/ethnicity, education, and region of country). We asked additional items related to

sexual orientation, relationship status, and gender of relationship partner.

Orgasm During Intercourse

Women were asked how recently they had engaged in receptive oral sex, vaginal

intercourse, or receiving genital touching (In the past month, In the past year, More than a year

ago, or Never).

Prior to seeing subsequent questions about genital stimulation, participants saw the

following: “Some of the next questions will ask about certain ways of touching your vulva (the

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outside parts of your genitals) and vagina (the birth canal). To make sure we’re using the same

words for the same parts, here is a diagram showing what we mean.” Underneath this text was a

full-color medical illustration of a vulva with the clitoris, clitoral hood, vaginal entrance and

other main parts labeled.

Women who reported lifetime vaginal intercourse were asked, “Which of the following

best describes your experience with orgasm and penile-vaginal intercourse?” Response options

included: (a) I need my clitoris to be stimulated in order to have an orgasm during intercourse,

(b) Although I don’t need my clitoris to be stimulated in order to have an orgasm during

intercourse, my orgasms feel better if my clitoris is stimulated during intercourse, (c) Vaginal

penetration alone is enough to help me have an orgasm (I don’t need my clitoris to be stimulated

in order to have an orgasm), (d) N/A - I don’t have orgasms during intercourse, or (e) Other,

please describe.

Those who indicated past month or year vaginal intercourse were asked two questions

related to their experiences of orgasm during penile-vaginal intercourse: “Thinking about the

past year: Overall, how often did you have an orgasm during ‘regular’ penile vaginal

intercourse - that is, without you or your partner doing anything extra to touch or stimulate your

clitoris during intercourse?” and “Thinking about the past year: Overall, how often did you have

an orgasm during penile-vaginal intercourse that involves clitoral stimulation - that is, you or

your partner touched or stimulated your clitoris while you were having intercourse?” Response

options were Never, Less than 25% of the time, 25-49% of the time, About 50% of the time, 51-

75% of the time, More than 75% of the time, Always, Does Not Apply (I haven’t had penile

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vaginal intercourse in the past year), or Does Not Apply (In the past year, my partner and I

always stimulated my clitoris during intercourse/In the past year, my partner and I never

stimulated my clitoris during intercourse; respectively.)

Orgasm Quality

Respondents were asked “Thinking about your entire life, would you say.” Response

options were: Some orgasms feel better than others, All orgasms feel pretty much the same, I

don’t know/I haven’t had enough to know. Those who indicated that some orgasms feel better

than others were asked how old they were when they first realized this. They were also asked,

“For you, what do you think helps some orgasms feel better than others?” with 11 response

options and the opportunity to select more than one.

Genital Touching

Items regarding specific styles of genital touching (e.g., pressure, shape of motion, etc.)

were informed by work done in 2014-15 by three individuals from the company OMGYes.com.

As part of their work, they conducted more than 1000 informal, 10- to 40-minute video-chat

interviews with women of varying ages from across the U.S. These women were asked about

their own sexual histories, preferences, discoveries, and insights; details about their preferences

and preferred techniques were shared with the first and fourth authors who, with input from two

of the individuals from the company, wrote the following items for the present study.

Women who reported lifetime genital touching were asked about their preferred pressure:

“When it comes to vulva/vagina touching, do you prefer…” (options: Being touched very lightly,

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Pressure that glides over your genital skin, Medium pressure that actually moves your genital

skin, Firm pressure that pushes deep into your genital skin, N/A - All pressures feel equally

good, Something else (please describe).”

Respondents were subsequently asked about their preferences related to shape or style of

genital stimulation: “When it comes to vulva/vagina touching, do you prefer fingers, hands,

mouth or tongue to touch you with a motion that’s…” with 12 response options (plus an “other”)

and the ability to choose all that applied. Options were: side to side, up and down, diagonal,

circular, tall ovals, wide ovals, pushing/pressing in one spot, pulsating/rapid pushing in one

spot, squeezing/pinching, pulling, flicking, tapping, or other. A composite variable was created

that summed their responses (possible range of 0 to 12 preferred styles of touch).

Another item asked, “When you or your partner use fingers/hands/mouths/tongues, where

primarily do you prefer your genitals to be touched?” with the ability to choose all that applied.

Options were: directly on clitoris, on the skin around clitoris (e.g., either side of your clitoris or

above or below it), avoid touching clitoris directly, occasionally brushing over clitoris but not

applying pressure to it, on vaginal lips (labia minora or labia majora), on the mons (the pubic

mound; the triangular part where pubic hair grows), Something else, please describe.

Finally, women were asked, “Thinking about your whole life, and as best as you can

remember, what are some of the most pleasurable ways a partner has touched your

vagina/vulva?” There were 15 response options (see Table 6) presented in a randomized order

and respondents could select all that applied. Those who reported indirect clitoral stimulation as

pleasurable were then asked, “When you touch your clitoris indirectly, do you touch your

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clitoris…?” with the ability to choose all that applied: Through the skin above the hood, through

the skin on the left side of your clitoris, through the skin on the right side of your clitoris,

through both lips pushed together like a sandwich. Those who reported delaying orgasm as

pleasurable were asked, “How has your partner delayed your orgasm?” with the ability to select

more than one from: Stopping all stimulation before starting again, going back to less intense

motions, slowing down, touching less sensitive areas, or other. Those who reported multiple

orgasms with a partner were asked, “what feels best for you right after the first orgasm?” - going

back to earlier motions (less sensitive areas/possibly slower) right after the first orgasm and then

rebuilding; keeping the exact same motion going to a second orgasm; touches that are different

from what felt best to achieve the first orgasm (check all that apply).

Statistical Analysis

Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Version 24.0. Weighted descriptive statistics are

presented. For the item about orgasm during penile-vaginal intercourse (without clitoral

stimulation), 1.2% (n = 8) of women indicated no penile-vaginal intercourse in the past year and

an additional 3.4% (n = 23) indicated that they or their partner had always stimulated their

clitoris during intercourse, and thus the item did not apply. Those indicating “does not apply”

(for either reason) were excluded from subsequent analysis of these items. Similarly, for the item

related to orgasm during penile-vaginal intercourse with clitoral stimulation, 1.4% (n = 9)

indicated no penile-vaginal intercourse in the past year and an additional 3.2% (n = 21) indicated

that the question was not applicable because they or their partner never stimulated their clitoris.

Again, those indicating “does not apply” (for either reason) were excluded from subsequent

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analysis of these items. Post-hoc group comparisons using 2  2 contingency tables were

performed using the GraphPad Software ©2017 online calculator

(https://graphpad.com/quickcalcs/contingency1.cfm).

RESULTS

Respondents

Respondent characteristics are in Table 1. Women ranged in age from 18 to 94, mostly

identified as heterosexual, and more than half were married, with weighted demographics

reflective of the U.S. population. About two-thirds reported partnered sexual activities within the

past year; 64.6% (n = 667) reported vaginal intercourse, 51.1% (n = 523) reported receiving oral

sex, and 67.2% (n = 693) reported having a partner touch their vulva/vagina.

Orgasm during intercourse

In this sample, 36.6% (n = 347) of intercourse-experienced women reported that they

needed clitoral stimulation in order to orgasm during intercourse; 36.0% (n = 341) reported that

although they did not require clitoral stimulation for orgasm during intercourse, adding it

enhanced orgasm; and 18.4% (n = 174) reported that vaginal penetration alone during intercourse

was sufficient for orgasm. The remaining 9.0% of women reported they did not have orgasms

during intercourse (7.5%, n = 71) or described other patterns or routines (e.g., clitoral stimulation

prior to intercourse, orgasm via cunnilingus followed by intercourse, etc.).

Findings on frequency of orgasms during past year penile-vaginal intercourse, with and

without added clitoral stimulation, are in Table 2. Although 29.0% of women (n = 184) reported

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experiencing orgasm at least 75% of the time during penile-vaginal intercourse without any

additional clitoral stimulation, significantly more women (43%; n = 272) reported experiencing

orgasm at least 75% of the time during penile-vaginal intercourse with additional clitoral

stimulation (p <.001).

Regarding orgasm quality, 77.5% (n = 795) indicated that some orgasms feel better than others,

10.8% (n = 111) reported that all orgasms feel pretty much the same, and 11.7% (n = 120)

selected “I don’t know, I haven’t had enough to know.” Of those who felt that some orgasms feel

better than others, the mean age at first realizing this was 24.6 (SD = 7.7, range = 10 to 68). More

than half of women felt that spending time to build arousal, having a partner who knows what

they like, and emotional intimacy contributed to better orgasms, while 39.0% (n = 310) felt that

clitoral stimulation during intercourse helped some orgasms feel better than others (Table 3).

Duration of sex as contributing to better orgasms was endorsed by fewer than 1 in 5 American

women (18.5%, n = 147).

Location, Pressure, Shapes and Styles of Genital Touch

Women showed considerable diversity in genital touch preferences (Table 4). For touch

location, although two-thirds preferred direct clitoral stimulation, it was common to report liking

stimulation just around the clitoris (e.g., to the sides or above or below the clitoris), brushing

over the clitoris without applying pressure to it, and labia stimulation. Fewer than 10% preferred

mons touching and about 5% preferred avoidance of the clitoris.

The two most commonly preferred shapes or styles of touch which were endorsed by

more than half of women were up and down (63.7%, n = 608) and circular movements (51.6%, n

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= 493). Almost a third indicated a preference for and side-to-side (30.6%, n = 292). The

distribution of the number of preferred styles women selected was positively skewed, with

41.0% (n = 391) endorsing just one style of touch, 15.1% (n = 144) preferring two styles, and

16.0% (n = 153) preferring three styles. Only 1.9% (n = 18) of respondents endorsed all 12

styles.

Most women preferred light- or medium-pressure touch on their vulva; only 10.7% (n =

102) preferred firm pressure and 15.9% (n = 152) said all pressures felt good (Table 5).

Finally, women reported on particular patterns of stimulation they preferred during

partnered genital touch (Table 6). Thirteen of the 15 items were endorsed by more than 60% of

women. The four most commonly selected items (endorsed by > 75% of respondents) were a

rhythmic motion, a motion that circles around the clitoris, switching between different motions,

and switching between more and less intense touch. Among the two-thirds of women (n = 612)

who reported liking indirect clitoral stimulation, 69.1% (n = 423) reported touching “through the

skin above the hood,” 28.8% (n = 176) “through both lips pushed together (like a sandwich),”

20.2% (n = 124) “through the skin on the right side of your clitoris,” and 19.2% (n = 118)

“through the skin on the left side of your clitoris.” Of the two-thirds (n = 604) who reported

delaying orgasm as a pleasurable technique, 64.4% (n = 389) reported their partner had stopped

all stimulation before starting again, 63.8% (n = 385) said their partner had touched less sensitive

areas, 51.6% (n = 312) reported their partner had gone back to less intense motions, and 29.9%

(n = 181) said their partner had slowed down. Of the 47% of women reporting multiple orgasms,

33.5% (n = 145) said that what felt best after their first orgasm was to continue with the same

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kind of stimulation, 53.3% (n = 231) indicated returning to earlier kinds of stimulation to

“rebuild,” and 32.8% (n = 142) said that what felt best was a completely different kind of

stimulation from what was used to reach the first orgasm.

DISCUSSION

The purpose of this study was to provide U.S. nationally representative probability data

on sexual pleasure among women, and specifically some variations of genital touch that are

pleasurable, preferable, and/or associated with orgasm. Overall, results demonstrated substantial

variability among American women’s preferences and while some kinds of genital touching or

stimulation were more often preferred than others, most women endorsed a narrow range of

touch techniques, underscoring the value of partner communication to sexual pleasure and

satisfaction.

Respondents varied widely on at least four dimensions: (1) location, (2) pressure, (3)

shape/style, and (4) patterns. Women might find it helpful to think about these different

dimensions of genital touch or stimulation when exploring their sexual response during solo or

partnered sexual play, and therapists and educators might find these dimensions helpful in

making specific suggestions to couples. Having these four dimensions of touch in mind may give

individuals or couples more direction or concrete ideas to experiment with that go beyond broad

encouragement to simply “go explore and see what you like.”

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

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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.

Results also shed light on orgasm during penile-vaginal intercourse. In our sample, we

found that although many women can experience orgasm from penetration alone (without

additional clitoral stimulation), over half do so infrequently. Specifically, more than half reported

orgasm 50% of the time or less without clitoral stimulation. It’s unclear if this finding is due to

orgasm simply happening infrequently for those women, partner variables, duration of

intercourse, or other reasons. In contrast, our results showed that when clitoral stimulation is

added to intercourse, more women reported experiencing orgasm more frequently, with more

than 40% reporting experiencing orgasm more than 75% of the time.

Of similar importance is women’s ratings of the quality of their orgasms, an aspect of

sexual experience that has been less frequently examined, with a few notable exceptions (e.g.,

Blair, Cappell, & Pukall, 2017; Hite, 1976; King et al., 2011). In our sample, 77.5% of women

agreed that some orgasms feel better than others and, of these, 39% agreed that adding clitoral

stimulation to penetration made their orgasms better. However, even larger proportions of

women attributed better orgasms to spending time building arousal, partner familiarity, and

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emotional intimacy. Consistent with other research suggesting that duration of sexual activities

matters less to women than their partners may think (e.g., Kempeneers et al, 2013), 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 (e.g., Hurlbert, Apt, & Meyers Rabehl, 1993).

The findings provide clinicians and educators with detailed information that could be

helpful in working with clients, including information that can be used to normalize a variety of

experiences (e.g., the common preference for clitoral stimulation during penetration), anticipate

common concerns or desires, and be prepared with specific advice or suggestions for ways of

exploring genital touch. For example, only 15.9% of women said that all pressures of touch feel

equally good; most women had preferences for only certain levels of pressure. Similarly, 41% of

women reported preferring only one particular shape of touch out of 12 types described, and

nearly three quarters preferred three or fewer shapes. Such findings suggest that it may be fruitful

to encourage couples to discuss each other’s touch preferences in detail (again, perhaps

encouraging them to talk about location, pressure, shape, or other aspects of stimulation), and/or

to explore touching together. (Indeed, it may be possible for clients to discover through

exploration that they like more ways of touching than they had thought.)

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These findings also suggest that encouraging clients to develop a more specific

vocabulary for discussing and labeling their preferences could empower them to better explore

and convey to partners what feels good to them. Indeed, use of more specific and comfortable

terms when talking about sex has implications for couples’ happiness and closeness (Hess &

Coffelt, 2012).

Strengths and Limitations

A strength of the present research is that we utilized U.S. nationally representative

probability sampling and are thus able to extrapolate findings to the larger population of adult

American women. Additionally, GfK KnowledgePanel® members are experienced survey

takers, requiring no additional training in how to complete Internet-based questionnaires. Survey

completion took place on the Internet, which can facilitate more valid responses on sensitive

topics (e.g., Kays, Gathercoal, & Buhrow, 2012). Also, in order to enhance the likelihood that

respondents understood the genital terms we were using, we showed respondents a full-color

diagram of the vulva, with key parts labeled.

A limitation is that the present study focused solely on women; we did not ask women’s

sexual partners about their perception of their partner’s pleasure, nor did we sample men to ask

about their own pleasure or sexual experiences. Such data could be collected in subsequent

studies and will be equally useful for clinicians engaged in helping couples to improve their

sexual relationship. Additionally, although this study utilized a U.S. probability sample and had a

high response of those who read about the study, it is still restricted to those who agreed to

participate, and thus the results may be subject to some self-selection bias. That said, certain

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findings, such as the proportion of respondents who reported partnered sex in the previous year,

were consistent with other U.S. probability surveys - including those focused on sexuality (e.g.,

Herbenick et al., 2010) and more general surveys (e.g., Twenge, Sherman, & Wells, 2017). As

with most U.S. probability surveys (whose sampling relies on telephone numbers or addresses),

our survey was not accessible to those experiencing institutionalization or homelessness, as well

as those unable to read the English language. Further, because we asked about women’s

preferences for very detailed ways of touching, it is possible that some respondents had not tried

many or all of these ways of touching, and therefore did not know that a particular kind of touch

could be enjoyable for them, which would result in underreporting some kinds of touch.

Findings may inform sexuality education as related to pleasure, clinical practice in terms

of individual differences in genital sensation, and future research, perhaps particularly with

regard to developing an understanding of the developmental trajectory of sexual pleasure among

women. Above all, this work illustrates that many different ways of giving pleasure and reaching

orgasm are common, and this knowledge may aid clinicians in helping clients foster greater

sexual pleasure and satisfaction in their lives, as well as expanding couple communication.

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to OMGYES.com for funding in support of the present study.

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Table 1 Respondent Characteristics

Weighted

% (n)

Age

18-24 10.1 (107)

25-29 10.4 (110)

30-39 16.4 (173)

40-49 15.9 (167)

50-59 19.3 (204)

60-69 18.5 (195)

70+ 9.3 (99)

Sexual orientation

Asexual 0.6 (7)

Bisexual 4.8 (51)

Gay or lesbian 1.6 (17)

Heterosexual/straight 91.4 (965)

Other 0.7 (7)

Relationship status

Single and not dating 22.1 (234)

Single and dating/hanging out

with someone 5.3 (56)

In a relationship/not living
together 7.0 (74)

In more than one relationship 0.5 (5)

Living together but not married 11.5 (122)

Married 52.8 (557)

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Current relationship partner

Man 95.0 (773)

Woman 4.1 (33)

Transman (female to male) 0.5 (4)

Transwoman (male to female) 0.2 (2)

Race/ethnicity

White, Non-Hispanic 65.1 (687)

Black, Non-Hispanic 12.3 (129)

Other, Non-Hispanic 6.7 (70)

Hispanic 14.7 (155)

2+ Races, Non-Hispanic 1.3 (14)

Region of country

Northeast 18.3 (193)

Midwest 21.2 (224)

South 37.5 (396)

West 23.0 (243)

Education

Less than high school 11.6 (122)

High school 28.7 (303)

Some college 30.1 (317)

Bachelor’s degree or higher 29.7 (313)

Gone through menopause yet?

Yes 44.7 (472)

No 53.1 (561)

Refused 2.1 (22)

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Table 2 Self-reported Frequency of Orgasm Among Women During Penile-vaginal

Intercourse, With and Without Clitoral Stimulation

% of women

Without
clitoral With clitoral
Frequency of orgasm stimulation stimulation

% (n) % (n)

Never 18.2 (115) 9.6 (60)

Less than 25% of the time 21.8 (138) 13.7 (86)

25-49% of the time 8.2 (52) 11.7 (74)

About 50% of the time 10.5 (66) 10.3 (65)

51-75% of the time 12.3 (78) 11.7 (74)

More than 75% of the time 15.5 (98) 20.7 (131)

Always 13.5 (86) 22.3 (141)

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Table 3 Respondent Perceptions about Orgasm Enhancement

Experience or Technique % (n)

Spending time to build-up arousal 77.2 (614)

Having a partner who knows what I like 58.6 (466)

Emotional intimacy 55.5 (441)

Not feeling rushed 43.9 (349)

Having my clitoris touched at the same time we're having

intercourse 39.0 (310)

Newness of the experience - it’s something different than usual 23.9 (190)

Sex that lasts a long time 18.5 (147)

When I masturbate during sex with a partner 13.3 (106)

Anal stimulation 10.6 (85)

A particular breathing pattern 7.0 (56)

Other 3.9 (31)

Note. Respondents could choose more than one response.

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Table 4 Percent of Women Who Enjoy Touch on Different Parts of the Vulva, Different

“Shapes” or Styles of Touch, and Single or Multiple Styles of Touch

Location of touch % (n)

Directly on clitoris 66.6 (636)

On the skin around clitoris (e.g., on either side of

your clitoris, or above or below it) 45.3 (433)

Occasionally brushing over clitoris, but not

applying pressure to it 25.2 (241)

On vaginal lips (labia minora or labia majora) 20.4 (195)

On the mons (the pubic mound; the triangular

part where pubic hair grows) 7.8 (74)

Avoid touching clitoris directly 5.2 (50)

Other 2.1 (20)

“Shape” or style of touch

Up and down 63.7 (608)

Circular 51.6 (493)

Side to side 30.6 (292)

Pulsating (rapid pushing in one spot) 21.2 (202)

Pushing/pressing in one spot 18.9 (180)

Flicking 16.0 (152)

Tall ovals 14.0 (133)

Tapping 11.6 (111)

Wide ovals 10.2 (97)

Diagonal 9.8 (94)

Squeezing/pinching 8.4 (80)

Pulling 5.4 (52)

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Other 3.0 (28)

Refused 2.4 (23)

Number of touch styles endorsed

None 4.7 (44)

One 41.0 (391)

Two 15.1 (144)

Three 16.0 (153)

Four 8.2 (79)

Five 4.6 (44)

Six 3.1 (29)

Seven 1.7 (16)

Eight 2.1 (20)

Nine 0.9 (90)

Ten 0.5 (4)

Eleven 0.4 (3)

All 12 styles of touch 1.9 (18)

Note. Respondents could choose more than one response.

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Table 5 Respondents' Preferences Regarding Pressure During Genital Touch

Amount of pressure % (n)

Medium pressure that moves your genital skin 33.7 (322)

Being touched very lightly 30.9 (295)

Light pressure that glides over your genital skin 25.3 (241)

All pressures feel equally good 15.9 (152)

Firm pressure that pushes deep into your genital

skin 10.7 (102)

Something else 1.4 (13)

Note. Women could choose more than one response.

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Table 6 Respondents' Preferences for Different Patterns of Stimulation During

Partnered Genital Touch

Pattern of touch %(n)

Touching your genitals in a repeated rhythmic motion 81.7 (754)

A motion that circles around your clitoris 78.1 (719)

Switching between a few different motions (for example switching from

circles to an up-and-down motion) 76.0 (700)

Often the same way of touching that’s most pleasurable might feel too
intense if it’s done constantly. So it feels best to switch between that
intense motion and other less intense motions. 75.8 (698)

Making the pleasure last longer by touching slower or less frequently

than what would bring you quickly to orgasm 73.6 (681)

Touching the area just outside the vaginal opening without actually
going in 73.5 (675)

Teasing by approaching sensitive areas but then passing by them 71.2 (655)

Moving wetness from the vaginal opening to other areas 67.8 (619)

Consistent - a motion that repeats in exactly the same way 66.8 (613)

Stimulating your clitoris indirectly by moving the surrounding skin

rather than directly touching the clitoris itself 66.5 (612)

Constantly changing either speed, pressure, direction or motion to

keep the stimulation ‘surprising’ 65.8 (604)

Delaying orgasm to achieve more pleasure or a stronger orgasm 65.5 (604)

Touching everywhere on your genitals other than the vagina or clitoris

to build anticipation. 64.6 (596)

Having multiple orgasms without taking a break to rest in between

them 47.2 (433)

Putting extra emphasis on one part of a motion - for instance, more

pressure every time you touch the left side 36.5 (332)

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Note. Response options were presented in a randomized order and respondents could

choose more than one response.

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