How Women Can Increase Their Odds of Orgasm During Sex

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Women don’t always orgasm during vaginal intercourse, especially if clitoral stimulation isn’t part of the equation. In fact, in a nationally representative study of more than 1,000 women from the United States, most (59 percent) said that they orgasm less than half of the time they engage in intercourse that doesn’t involve clitoral stimulation. However, when clitoral stimulation is added, the rate of orgasm increases significantly, with most women saying they orgasm most of the time.

There are obviously many ways to stimulate the clitoris during intercourse, such as by utilizing vibrators or using your own (or your partner’s) hands—but this can also be accomplished by changing up your sexual position. Research has found that certain specific sexual positions appear to up the odds of orgasm for women, in part, because they naturally offer more clitoral stimulation than other positions.

Evidence for this comes from a recent study of more than 11,000 heterosexual adults in the Czech Republic in which participants were asked about the frequency with which they orgasm in 13 different sexual positions, which were presented to participants in the form of black-and-white silhouettes.

One of the positions linked to more female orgasms was the woman above, face-to-face position, also known colloquially as the cowgirl. In addition to offering more clitoral stimulation, this position allows women more control; however, some may also simply enjoy the feeling of being on top.

The only other position linked to increased orgasm consistency in this study was the sitting, face-to-face position, in which both partners are sitting upright with the woman on top. Again, this is another position that may facilitate orgasm by providing more clitoral stimulation.

Interestingly, however, these positions were not the most commonly used. By a wide margin, the most frequently used position among participants was the missionary position (face-to-face, man on top). Although this position was used about 80 percent of the time, it was actually unrelated to orgasm consistency in women.

For women who find it difficult to reach orgasm consistently through penile-vaginal intercourse, finding ways to add clitoral stimulation is very important. All too often, however, the clitoris goes unacknowledged. There are many possible psychosocial reasons for this, including sexual scripts that prioritize male pleasure, women not feeling empowered to ask for what they want, and incorrect ideas about how women are "supposed" to orgasm. Altogether, these factors contribute to a sizable orgasm gap in which heterosexual women reach orgasm less consistently than heterosexual men.

Recognizing the importance of clitoral stimulation is key to addressing women's lower orgasmic frequency. There is much to be done at the societal level on this front, as Dr. Laurie Mintz has explored in her work, which includes improvements in sex education. However, at the individual level, it is important to acknowledge that different people may prefer different strategies or techniques.

Explore, experiment, and try different things. See what works best for you and what you enjoy most. However, the key takeaway here is that the sex position most frequently used isn’t one that offers women consistent experiences with orgasm, which tells us that one potentially easy way to help close the orgasm gap may be to try some new positions.