Orgasm gap Flashcards
What are the partnering trends for bisexuals?
- Most people that identify as bisexual partner with somebody of a different sex
- Bi women are more likely than bi men to partner with the different sex
What is the gender trap?
scripts that many men and women subscribe to and model their lives after which lead people to be more likely to engage in sexual practices where women are less likely to experience pleasure
Men feel more masculine when they believe that their woman partner has orgasmed, yet the orgasm gap still exists. Why?
- Women fake orgasms to protect their partners feelings which can lead them to believe they did it when they did not
- Lack of sexual education about providing pleasure
- Men’s masculinity is tied to their ability to pleasure a woman, but they center themselves and not the woman’s pleasure
- More progressive, feminist-identifying men are more likely to perform oral sex on their female partner and be committed to them orgasming
- When sexuality is gendered it is less about pleasure and more about satisfying and reinforcing gender norms
- Pornography has led men to internalise misleading sexual techniques: larger penises, harder more robust sex
How is orgasm a gendered achievement for women?
- Women whose male partner orgasms during sex report higher levels of achievement than women whose male partner does not orgasm
- Women whose male partner does not orgasm report higher levels of feelings of failure
- Women whose male partner orgasms also report higher levels of femininity
Why have 59% of women in the US faked an orgasm?
- Not wanting to hurt their partners feelings, discomfort and embarrassment were the main reasons –> deeply tied to someone’s gendered sense of self
- Wanting to get sex over with
- Internalised sexism (internalised idea that sex is something women must do for men)
- Poor communication between partners
Name some causes of the orgasm gap?
- Women are often taught to put the needs of other before their own
- Poor communication between partners
- Few people are taught about women’s pleasure or the clitoris in sex education
- Less stigma attached to men exploring their body (masturbation) than women
- There is double standard in which people see women and men as entitled to pleasure in relationships but mostly men in hookups
- Sex is typically defined narrowly: penetration, when additional sex acts (oral, hand stim) are often needed for women
- Society’s focus is typically on men’s pleasure not women’s
How does sex and masculinity shift over the life course?
- adolescence/early adulthood: talking about sex and women’s bodies; Learning about sex through porn and peer conversations
- Midlife: more experience means higher focus on mutual enjoyment/emotional intimacy
- Old age: concerned with maintaining sex life
How do men emphasize their masculinity after first becoming sexually active?
- Emphasizing sexual activity and partners’ physical attractiveness
- Focus on being a good sexual partner to affirm masculinity, not equality
- Doing so reduced sexual pleasure for men since they focused on their sexual performance (goal-oriented)
- negatively affected women as men didn’t communicate about what worked for their sexual partners as individuals instead relied on ideas about what women as homogenous groups supposedly want
What sexual concerns do men have as they age?
- Maintaining sex life amid bodily changes and separation from partners
- Erectile dysfunction
- Feelings of sexual inadequacy when they can’t mirror dominant sexual scripts
- Age-related bodily changes
Where can this orgasm gap be found?
across countries, studies and contexts
How does the narrative around men’s and women’s orgasms differ?
Men’s orgasms are viewed as natural and essential to their sexual experience, while women’s orgasms are often seen as secondary or less important, tied more to emotional intimacy than physical pleasure.
What is the impact of phallocentric sex on women’s orgasms?
Phallocentric sex (penile-vaginal intercourse) leaves little room for women’s orgasms, as it follows a set timeframe that focuses on male orgasm.
What is the effect of the sexual double standard on women’s sexuality?
- causes women to feel shame or guilt for engaging in practices like oral sex, even when pleasurable and more likely to bring them to orgasm.
- reflect broader moralistic and patriarchal views of women’s bodies as shameful or sinful.
What do women report about sexual satisfaction in relation to orgasms?
Women report greater sexual satisfaction when they orgasm during partnered sex, debunking the notion that orgasms are insignificant to their enjoyment.
