Human Female Sexuality - Modern Studies of Female Sexuality

Modern Studies of Female Sexuality

In the modern age, psychologists and physiologists engaged in the task of exploring female sexuality. Sigmund Freud propounded the theory of two kinds of female orgasms, "the vaginal kind, and the clitoral orgasm." However, research, such as that done by Masters and Johnson (1966) and Dr. Helen O'Connell (2005), reject this distinction.

Ernst Gräfenberg was famous for his studies of female genitalia and human female sexual physiology; he published, among other studies, the seminal The Role of Urethra in Female Orgasm (1950), which describes female ejaculation, as well as an erogenous zone where the urethra is closest to the vaginal wall. In 1981, sexologists John D. Perry and Beverly Whipple named that area the Gräfenberg Spot, or G-Spot, in his honor. While the medical community generally has not embraced the complete concept of the G-Spot, Dr. Sanger, Dr. Kinsey, and Drs. Masters and Johnson credit his extensive physiological work.

Some researchers challenge the notion that women only want sex for the physical closeness or cuddling, by identifying the characteristics of highly sexual women. These women characterized as "highly sexual" held more favorable attitudes toward casual sex, fantasized about sex often and enjoyed sex outside of a committed relationship. These findings support the view that the importance of sex or cuddling is not solely based on gender.