Orgasm consistency in lesbian and heterosexual women during partnersex. The impact of clitoral stimulation

  • Auteur:
    Bonne van Rees, Mark Spiering, Ellen Laan

This study examined whether lesbian and heterosexual women differ in the likelihood of experiencing an orgasm during partnered sexual activity, and whether that would possibly be related to differences in stimulation of the glans clitoris. Orgasm consistency was defined as the likelihood with which orgasm occurs during sexual activity. In an online questionnaire, participants were asked to indicate how often their partner engaged in various sexual acts (with glans clitoral or penetrative vaginal stimulation) and how often orgasms occured during these acts. Also, the role of vaginal and clitoral selfstimulation during partnersex was examined.

Sexual acts in which the partner stimulated the glans clitoris, were more likely to result in orgasm than penetrative stimulation of the vagina (by fingers, object, or penis), irrespective of sexual orientation. Lesbian women had a greater orgasm consistency during sexual activity with a partner than heterosexual women. They were also more likely to be clitorally, and less likely to be vaginally stimulated by their partner. As expected, there were no differences in orgasm consistency between lesbian and heterosexual women with selfstimulation during partner sex. Additionally, lesbian women were more sexually autonomous than heterosexual women, and sexual autonomy was positively related to orgasm consistency. Also, average lesbian lovemaking lasted longer than average heterosexual lovemaking.

This study demonstrated that lesbian women orgasm more consistently during partnersex than heterosexual women. Type of stimulation and frequency of these activities during partnersex appears to be largely responsible for these differences in orgasm consistency.

 

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