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Great Sexual Science of 2011 Read More
volupte
and finally a study found the longer the distance between a woman's clitoris and her urethral meatus (indicating high prenatal androgen exposure), the less likely she is to experience orgasms
This discovery isn't new. Marie Bonaparte wrote a research paper about this back in 1924 after measuring the distances between the clitoris and urethral opening of some 200+ women.
Correct!
You'll find Wallen and Lloyd's 2011 study is a more sophisticated re-analysis of Bonaparte's 1924 data combined with additional raw data from a 1940 study.
Curious
Any idea why this distance varies with prenatal hormone exposure levels?
What is changing location to make the distance increase?
Great Question!
As to why the shorter distance leads to more orgasms, one hypothesis is that shorter distances between the clitoris and the vagina facilitate direct clitoral–penile contact during intercourse. More clitoral–penile friction, more female orgasm.
As to why the distances vary with prenatal androgen exposure, first it should be noted that this effect has not yet been definitively established in humans. But studies of other mammals (including experimental studies of primates where prenatal androgens are manipulated) suggest that what might be involved is functionally related to the typical process of male penis formation. Essentially, in males the prenatal hormones that lead to the formation of the penis might, when exposed to females, lead to changes in distances.
The Wallen and Lloyd article does a good job explaining how this complicated wave of changes might play out in our own species. Noting "Women who are exposed to higher levels of prenatal androgens may not only have a more malelike rostral clitoral location, but also their clitoral eroticism may become more similar to that of the penis. Thus, increased prenatal androgen exposure may focus erotic sensitivity to the clitoral shaft and glans reducing or eliminating erotic sensitivity in the bulbs and bodies of the clitoris. In this view, all women possess erotic sensitivity in the clitoral shaft and glans, but only women exposed to lower levels of prenatal androgens retain significant erotic sensitivity in the internal clitoral structures."
I highly recommend the article. Speculative, but fascinating!
Emotional intimacy and Sex in Pair Bonds
A lot of the notes in the article refer to our being influenced by others in our sexuality---mate preference, straying, etc. Just goes to show, again, that we are social animals. Also, as adults, we might think about what environments we put ourselves in and who we surround ourselves with.
However, I think the part in the last line about emotional intimacy is most important. The combination of openness and receptivity lead to trust and bonding. This begets more satisfaction and less infidelity.
Interesting
I thought this entire article was very interesting, especially when it explains that our physical features reveal sexual personalites. It was also interesting when it explains how the environment results in what kind of sexual behavior you would prefer. In the very first one permissivity and mate preferences, i thought that one explained alot in how we have two sexualites and left with a good question. But really which one dominates depends on other aspects of our sexual personalitites?
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