Nearly two in three women have faked orgasms, and scientists have uncovered some of the surprising reasons why.
It is often shown as a happy theme. Faking an orgasm is often blamed for having a mediocre lover.
But in the new study, a survey of more than 500 people aged 18 to 80, scientists found that this was far from the case.
The findings showed that 64 percent of women had faked an orgasm before, compared to 34 percent of men.
As for the reasons why they do it, the most common seems to be due to the short duration of the relationship.
Experts noted that those in longer relationships were much less likely to fake it than those in shorter relationships, probably because they felt less comfortable being honest about genuine feelings.
This theory was supported by the fact that people who pretended were more likely to use sex toys frequently and to use them alone, rather than with their partner.
Non-counterfeiters said sex toys were used as a shared tool.
Perhaps the most famous orgasm faker is Sally Albright, played by Meg Ryan in the 1989 classic, When Harry Met Sally.
A third of women said they didn’t fake it because they felt “comfortable” without having an orgasm during sex, another sign of a loving and accepting relationship, experts said.
In it studyPublished in The Journal of Sex Research, the data was collected through an online survey conducted in 2022 in six European countries: Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, France and the United Kingdom.
Participants were asked questions about sexual orientation, marital status, whether they lived with their partners, and whether they had children.
The survey revealed that just under half (49 percent) of participants overall confessed to faking an orgasm.
The researchers also asked participants who admitted to faking an orgasm in the past why they decided to stop doing so.
Exploring ways to achieve orgasm on their own was the reason 18 percent of women gave up, compared to 19 percent of men.
More men (12 percent) than women (3 percent) were more likely to quit because they were caught faking it.
Interestingly, those who admitted to faking orgasms reported lower satisfaction in their sexual relationships, compared to people who had never faked orgasms or had stopped faking.
The survey revealed that just under half (49 percent) of participants confessed to faking an orgasm.
However, this relationship was said to be barely significant.
The study authors suggested that their findings highlight that orgasms are not necessarily necessary to enjoy sex.
“You don’t need to have an orgasm to enjoy sex and feel pleasure,” said study author Silvia Pavan, a doctoral student at the University of Copenhagen. PsyPost.
She added that there are likely countless reasons to fake orgasms, such as “because they just want the sex to end,” “because they want to arouse and please their partner,” or “to avoid upsetting their partner for not having an orgasm.” .
Previous research from Bowling Green State and Elmhurst universities in the United States found that women who have orgasms more frequently tend to be happier in their relationships.
2022 study It included 175 heterosexual women who acted out a scenario in which they answered questions about an imaginary boyfriend named Michael.
While the study found that the frequency of orgasms had a large influence on the woman’s level of satisfaction in the relationship, it said nothing about how decent a partner the man was.
In other words, a man who can make his partner climax is no more likely to be committed and loyal than someone who can’t.