Article summary with In pursuit of pleasure: A biopsychosocial perspective on sexual pleasure and gender by Laan a.o. - 2021

What is sexual pleasure?

Sexual pleasure is defined as the physical and/or psychological satisfaction and enjoyment derived from shared or solitary erotic experiences, including thoughts, emotions, dreams, fantasies and feelings. Sexual health is usually monitored by looking at contraceptive use, abortions, teenage pregnancies, sexual transmitted infections and sexual violence, but recently sexual pleasure is also starting to be seen as important for sexual health.

What is the domino theory of sexual peril?

The domino theory of sexual peril sees sex as an uncontrollable biological force that needs to be repressed (or only allowed within monogamous heterosexual marriages) or it will inevitably lead to societal chaos and anarchy. Western religions used to consider sex to be a dangerous and negative force and medicine and psychiatry used to contribute to these ideas. This has led to a popular culture that believes that erotic variety is dangerous and unhealthy.

Why should the focus be on a positive approach to sex education (instead of abstinence-only or no sex education)?

A positive approach to sexual health and sex education has more benefits than risks. Sexual wellbeing is a large construct that includes not only sexual justice and sexual health, but also sexual pleasure. Sexual wellbeing contributes to overall wellbeing and there is scientific evidence which shows that abstinence-only or no sex education at all score worse when it comes to contraceptive use, unwanted pregnancies and having a pleasurable first sexual experience.

What are the health benefits of sexual pleasure?

Research results indicate that sexual pleasure improves sexual, mental and physical health. It is positively related to autonomy, empathy and self-esteem. It also promotes wellbeing through improved relationship quality and general life satisfaction. Interestingly, the relationship between sexual pleasure and health benefits seems stronger for women than for men. This may be because for men, sexual activity is almost invariably associated with sexual pleasure.

How do scientific results confirm the existence of a pleasure gap between men and women?

Heterosexual sexual activity benefits men´s sexual pleasure more than that of women and it shows in many research results. When talking about their last sexual encounter, women report less sexual arousal and less sexual pleasure. Men are much more likely to orgasm than women and women more often experience pain during sex.

Why do women continue to have sex even when it's painful?

The best predictor of persisting in painful penile-vaginal penetration is the male´s negative response to women's expressions of pain. So most women take the pain for granted, possibly because they feel arousal despite the pain, because they feel loved, or because they consider the pain to be normal. Some women may find sexual pleasure less important than their partner´s right to penile-vaginal intercourse.

Do men and women have the same biological capacity for sexual pleasure?

Both men and women show physiological responses that are indicative of an innate capacity for sexual response. They don't seem to differ in genital or central responsivity to sexual stimulation. For both genders, processing of sexual stimuli by the brain generates blood flow to the genitals and the mechanism of arousal appears to be similar. They are equally capable of experiencing sexual pleasure, provided that they are stimulated in a way that fits their genital design (as sex is often defined as penetration, but that does not give women the most sexual pleasure).

How does the tendency to overestimate differences in sexual pleasure express itself in scientific research?

When discussing scientific results there is a tendency to focus on the differences in sexual pleasure, when actually there are far more similarities. This focus is firstly related to methodological issues of those studies. Experimental research shows that self-reported sexual behavior has validity issues, because women´s expression of sexual behavior is more susceptible to moral disapproval. Secondly, gender differences in sexual behavior can partially be explained by social-contextual factors, like stigma and safety. Women are judged more negatively and this causes them to have less casual sex.

Are gender differences in sexual pleasure related to differences in opportunities rather than capacities for sexual pleasure?

It's possible that when women expect more opportunities for sexual pleasure (based on previous experience) or when they prioritize their own sexual pleasure, they are more likely to desire sexual activity. These opportunities can be increased by breaking down gendered sexual scripts, efforts to try and have women stop de-prioritizing their own sexual pleasure and providing accurate information about genital anatomy and which sexual activities are more likely to bring sexual pleasure to women.

How does the coital imperative limit women's opportunity for sexual pleasure?

The coital imperative is the common view that penile-vaginal intercourse is the most important of all sexual activities and that women should be able to orgasm that way. However, this is a pervasive myth that represents a poor opportunity for sexual pleasure for women due to their genital anatomy and their need to be sexually aroused before intercourse.

What gendered scripts and practices limit women's opportunities for sexual pleasure?

Five examples for gendered scripts and practices are given:

• There is a high percentage of genitally mutilated women in the world. They have a greater likelihood for reduced psychological and sexual wellbeing.
• There is a disregard of the clitoris as women´s pleasure organ, which reduces their likelihood of experiencing sexual pleasure.
• Sexism, rape myths and stigma are primary obstacles to sexual equality, as women are judged more harshly.
• Mass media reflects a thin-ideal body which leads to body image concerns for women. This is associated with them experiencing more difficulties with sexual arousal and orgasm than women without body concerns.
• The dilemma of desire: women are encouraged through media and cultural representations to be sexy, but they are punished if they are since by doing so they defy cultural expectations for women´s sexuality.

How does classic evolutionary theory support the discourse of male sexual drive?

Evolutionary theory assumes that gender differences are of biological origin and are the result of natural selection. This assumption is made at the expense of the many similarities between men and women with regard to sexuality. Gender differences in sexual expression and attitudes are taken as proof that men are innately sexual and women less (the discourse of male sexual drive).

What is life history theory´s view on sexual pleasure?

Life history theory suggests that adaptive sexual strategies develop during the lifespan and that global ecological changes have a larger influence on human sexual behavior than evolved adaptations. The way people express their sexuality depends on the environment and is socially constructed. This is exemplified in societies with plenty of resources where people tend to have less children compared to societies with scarce resources where people tend to have more children.

What should an integrative theoretical framework about gender differences in sexual pleasure look like?

Biological and psychological factors determine the possibilities and restrictions of sexual potential, but circumstances shape specific expectations about whether engaging in sexual activity is rewarded and desired. The idea that men and women are fundamentally different with regard to sex is a cultural one that shapes sexual development and sexual experiences which in turn reinforce observed gender differences. The focus should shift from gender differences to gender similarities, which there are many more of.