This research shows that mens' and women' sexual arousal rates may be more similar than people thought.
Sexual Arousal Rates in Men and Women
The psychology of sexual arousal rates was fascinating long before Alfred Kinsey researched it. Kinsey was the first to make men and women's sexual arousal rates public and acceptable (though how acceptable his research was is debatable!). New research about sexual arousal rates reveal that men and women get excited at the same rate, which seems hard to believe. Don't men think of sex hundreds of times a day, thus increasing their sexual arousal rates?
What McGill's Research Shows About Sexual Arousal Rates
McGill University researchers found that men and women have sexual arousal rates that are more or less equal. However it's important to remember that any time humans or animals are involved in laboratory studies, their responses aren’t quite the same as in “real life.” Researchers do their best to simulate real life situations when they're studying sexual arousal rates in men and women – and they can come really close – but it’s not quite the same. Would these research results about sexual arousal rates be the same if study participants were in their own homes, with their own lovers?
Maybe, maybe not. The psychology of sexual arousal rates in men and woumen may color the results of the research.
Place Affects Mens' and Womens' Sexual Arousal Rates
The subjects watched a movie with video goggles and other measurements of their sexual response rates. This is much different than having sex at home (or on the train, plane, desk, photocopier, etc). How applicable are the lab findings to "real" sexual arousal situations and sexual arousal rates? It's difficult to say.
Real Life Versus Movies Affects Arousal Rates
With a real-life lover, most men and women (especially women) are affected by their surroundings, who is nearby making noise, how fat they feel, whether they have gas, if birth control is available, how hairy their legs are, how intimate their relationship is, what a colleague said as they were leaving the office, if they're fighting with their sister, and so on… In light of this, do the study’s results about sexual arousal rates in women and men transfer to real-life sexual situations? It may be easier for women to become aroused by watching a movie in a quiet, unpressured research situation than at home with all sorts of real-life distractions.
Study Participants Affect Sexual Arousal Rates
The participants in this study were “healthy subjects”. What does this mean? Were they 21 year old sexually active university students who may experience maximal sexual arousal in minutes? Were they married, gay, straight, parents of small children, overworked lawyers or pastors? In other words, how representative were they of the middle-aged adult population? Whether they're involved in healthy or unstable relationships is another factor that affects sexual arousal rates in men and women.
Definitions of Mens' and Womens' Sexual Arousal Rates
What exactly is “maximal sexual arousal”? In the study, men reached maximal arousal in 664.6 seconds; women in 743 seconds. I’m not sure if this means the same thing in both genders, or if they can even be compared. For men, it probably means full erection. For women, does it mean ready for instant penetration? Maybe. But even when a woman feels aroused, she may not quite be ready for penetration. This may affect the definition of sexual arousal rates in women.
Applying Mens's and Womens' Sexual Arousal Rates to Real Life
Finally, what real-life differences do these sexual arousal results make in the bedroom - or in a healthy relationship? If I don’t get aroused at the same rate as my husband, it doesn’t matter what this or any study reveals about sexual arousal rates in women and men. That said, it is interesting for research purposes. As Dr. Binik states, the results will help treat sexual arousal disorders in women, which is excellent because we could all use a good orgasm now and then!
Feeling connected and intimate with your partner - and not nervous when you're naked - may be more important than sexual arousal rates.
You’re not abnormal or weird - nor is your partner - if your sexual arousal rates aren't the same as the research findings. So, don’t set the timer and expect to be going at full boar after 743 seconds…unless of course you’re watching a sexually arousing movie with special video goggles in a darkened research lab.
Related Reading on Sex and Love
For a full list of articles about sex and love, read Creating Healthy Sexual Intimacy in Love.
How to Make Love Last in Long-Term Relationships describes how to stay intimate, and improve your love life.
Healthy Ways to Say I Love You helps couples express their feelings in sincere, effective ways.
Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen - Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen is a full-time writer and blogger in Vancouver, BC, and the creator of the Quips and Tips blog series.
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