How Many Men Have Ever Faked an Orgasm?

Source: Photo by isimartinez on Unsplash.

It is common knowledge that women sometimes fake orgasms with their partners. In fact, it was long thought that this was something that only women did. Given the large amount of research suggesting that it is uncommon for men to not orgasm during sex, it was simply assumed that men wouldn't ever have much need to pretend.

The result is that, for decades, researchers didn't even bother asking men whether they had experience faking orgasm. Recently, however, a growing number of studies have appeared indicating that, while women are much more likely to have pretended orgasm than men, a sizable number of men actually do have experience with it.

In this article, we'll talk about what we know about how common fake orgasms are among men, why men fake orgasms in the first place, and the factors that lead men to stop faking it.

How Many Men Have Faked It?

A 2010 study published in the Journal of Sex Research was one of the first to give us a glimpse into men's experiences pretending orgasm. That study, which involved a survey of 180 college students, found that 25% of men reported having ever faked an orgasm before, compared to 50% of women.

This study also suggested that men were creative in how they went about it, using techniques that included hiding the lack of "evidence" (e.g., quickly removing and disposing of condoms), making extra noises, and otherwise engaging in behaviors that suggested to their partner that they had climaxed.

However, more recent research suggests that the rate of fake orgasms among men may actually be a bit higher. A 2024 study also published in the Journal of Sex Research put the number at 34% (compared to 64% of women). Importantly, this study was much larger and not limited to college students, which means that the numbers may be more representative than that of the 2010 study.

Interestingly, it appears that the rate of fake orgasms is even higher among men who identify as anything other than heterosexual. In a different study published in the same year, researchers found that 83% of sexual minority men said that they have faked an orgasm before and, further, 88% had faked sexual satisfaction.

Why Men Fake Orgasms

So why do so many men fake orgasms? Early research suggested that men predominantly did this because they wanted sex to end or realized they wouldn’t be able to climax (e.g., due to intoxication). In other words, it appears that men frequently fake it in order to make themselves feel better.

By contrast, this same research found that women were more likely to report faking it as a way to please their partner and protect their partner's feelings. Thus, women's fake orgasms often have more to do with enhancing their partner's pleasure or boosting their sexual self-confidence.

However, more recent research suggests that there's more to the story, finding that men, too, sometimes fake orgasms to support their partner’s emotional well-being. Thus, the gender difference in motivations may not be as large as previously believed, and people's reasons for faking it appear to be complex and highly nuanced.

Why Men Stop Faking Orgasm

An interesting aspect of fake orgasms that has not been explored until recently is why people decide to stop faking them. A 2024 cross-national study that included more than 11,500 participants from six different countries found that 19% of men and 34% of women reported that they used to fake orgasms, but have since stopped.

Many reasons for stopping were reported, including enhancing their sexual communication skills, their partner being better able to satisfy their desires, and becoming more comfortable with the absence of orgasm from sexual activity.

However, there were some interesting gender differences in reasons for not faking anymore. For example, men were significantly more likely than women to stop faking it because they had been caught. Men were also more likely to stop because they started feeling more sexually confident. By contrast, women were more likely to stop because they became more comfortable with not having an orgasm.

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Takeaways

What all of this research suggests is that faking orgasms is a common experience across genders. And while women are more likely to have done it (and do it more often), it's clear that many men occasionally fake it.

However, this research also suggests that we would do well to shift our attention to fostering better communication about sexual desires and needs because getting one's needs met can reduce the feeling of pressure to pretend orgasm. As always, when it comes to good sex, communication is key.