SYG 2340 Topic #3

April 25, 2014

According to a 1996 research report, women
are much more likely to be nearly always or
always orgasmic when alone than with a
partner but 62% of women in a partnered
relationship still said that they were very
satisfied with the frequency / consistency of
orgasm. What conmination of factors from
various perspectives would account for these
findings?
Frank Kaupas

SYG 2340 Topic #3

In 1996, Clive Davis, Joani Black, Hung-Yu Lin and Consuelo Bonillas
conducted a survey and wrote a report entitled Characteristics of Vibrator Use in
Women. In their report they note that women are much more likely to be nearly
always or always orgasmic when alone than with a partner and the majority of
women reported being satisfied with the frequency / consistency of orgasm
(Davis, Blank, Lin & Bonillas 1996). So it seems that many women who are not
having orgasms during partnered sex, are very capable of achieving orgasm
without a partner and yet, many of these women are reporting that they are still
satisfied with how often theyre having orgasms. Why would that be? First, lets
take a look the actual numbers the study came up with.
The total sample was 202 women aged 18-75, 31% of whom reported
having no sexual partner. The lack of a sexual partner, could in itself, be very
satisfying to some and this could be reported as being satisfied with a partner.
Much like being satisfied with ones car because one rides a bicycle. Another 5%
said they had no primary sexual partner. This could mean that those women
were having sex with new people on a regular basis and one-night stands are
much less likely to produce orgasm in women (Eschler 2004).
35% of the women surveyed were born before 1956 and the work of Alfred
Kinsey and Masters & Johnson hadnt begun to shift mass consciousness
regarding female orgasm until the mid 1970s, along with the legalization of
abortion and contraceptives for unmarried women (Tye 2013), so some of the
women over the age of 40 could have been raised with very strict and/or negative
views toward sex and sexual pleasure. Their mothers could have taught them

SYG 2340 Topic #3

growing up, that sex was just for making babies or something to be endured or
tolerated to keep their husbands happy. They may have held on to those ideas or
have not been aware that they could have frequent orgasms during partnered
sex and with ignorance being bliss, they reported being satisfied with the
frequency of their orgasms.
If someone sees a lack of orgasm as normal, they may tend to be satisfied
with a lack of orgasm. In a study of southern Iranian women, 71.1% reported a
desire disorder, 66.4% reported an arousal disorder, 38% reported a lubrication
disorder, 34.8% reported an orgasmic disorder and 38.4% reported a pain
disorder still, only 47.1% of the women believed that they had a problem.
(Bagherzadeh, Zahmatkeshan, Gharibi, Akaberian, Mirzaei, Kamali, Poiladi,
Yazdanpanah, Jamand, Yazdankhahfard & Khoramroudi 2010). Also, as the
Davis, Blank, Lin and Bonillas study was actually about vibrator use and not
sexual satisfaction, it didnt question into the womens relationship status as far
as how many past lovers theyd had and if they had been just as satisfied in
those relationships. It would be interesting to see how many of the satisfied
group had had sexual relations with other people. Perhaps their current
relationship was the only sex they had ever known so they didnt know how
frequently they could have orgasms. Much like someone born without cones in
their retinas and whos reality is a world without color, some of the women who
didnt often reach orgasm with their partner may simply be unaware that this
could be considered a problem.

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Orgasm happens in the brain and focus is required for it to happen (Brody
& Weiss 2010). Therefore, if someone is paying a great deal of attention to their
partner and their partners pleasure, theyre not focusing as much on themselves
causing them to be less likely to achieve orgasm. When alone, its much easier
to focus ones concentration is on oneself, thereby achieving orgasm more
quickly and frequently.
It has been shown that the rating of orgasms during partnered sex is
superior to that of solo masturbatory orgasms in terms of pleasure and sensation
(King, Belsky, Mah & Binik 2011). So the results could be a question of quality
over quantity, in that some women would be more satisfied with one really
amazing orgasm during partnered sex than with ten mediocre orgasms alone.
This is what I believe is the main reason women are satisfied with not having an
orgasm every time they have sex with their partner - they simply enjoy sex with
their partner more.
Although not supported by any research or empirical evidence I could find,
other than my own experience and feelings, I believe the main purpose of
masturbation is to bring about the release and relaxation of orgasm and the main
purpose of partnered sex, beyond procreation, is emotional, spiritual, mental and
physical intimacy, orgasm is just the (very sweet) icing on the cake. Personally, I
truly enjoy seeing and feeling my partners have orgasms. My partners pleasure
makes me happy and enhances my own enjoyment, whether I reach orgasm or
not. I suspect many women (and men) feel the same way.

SYG 2340 Topic #3

References

Davis, Clive M., Blank, Joani, Lin, Hung-Yu & Bonillas, Consuelo (1996)
Characteristics of vibrator use among women, The Journal of Sex
Research, Vol. 33, No. 4 pp. 313-320
Eschler, Lara (2004) The physiology of the female orgasm as a proximate
mechanism, Sexualities, Evolution and Gender, Vol. 6, Issue 2/3, pp.171194
Bagherzadeh, Razieh, Zahmatkeshan, Nasrin, Gharibi, Tayebeh, Akaberian,
Sherafat, Mizaei, Kamran, Kamali, Farahnaz, Pioladi, Shahnaz,
Yazdanpanah, Siamak, Jamand, Tayyebeh, Yazdankhahfard,
Mohammadreza & Khoramroudi, Rozita (2010) Prevalence of female
sexual dysfunction and related factors for under treatment in Bushehrian
women of Iran, Sexuality and Disability, March 2010, Volume 28, Issue 1,
pp. 39-49
Brody, Stuart & Weiss, Peter (2010) Vaginal orgasm is associated with vaginal
(not clitoral) education, focusing mental attention on vaginal sensations,
intercourse duration and preference for a longer penis, Journal of Sexual
Medicine, Aug 2010, Vol. 7, Issue 8, pp.2774-2781
King, Robert, Belsky, Jay, Mah, Kenneth & Binik, Yitzchak (2011) Are there
different types of female orgasm?, Archives of Sexual Behavior, Oct 2011,
Vol. 40, Issue 5, pp.865-875

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Tye, Marcus (2013) Sexuality and our diversity: integrating culture with the
biopsychosocial, Adapted by Gail Flanagan v1.0.5