What causes orgasms and is there more than one kind?
Cliovana’s Pleasure Index 2022
Cliovana carried out an Australian-first study of 2,000 men and women to uncover what the latest stats are when it comes to pleasure and the female anatomy. We have all the answers to burning questions you may have when it comes to – is the ‘pleasure gap’ real?
How do men and women differ when it comes to their ability to orgasm or climax? Do you know the difference? When it comes to issues in the bedroom, how often do people seek help? If not, what is stopping them?
And, is the concept of sexual ‘pleasure’ moving away from its historically taboo status and entering a realm where it’s freely explored and embraced?
We’ve unveiled all this and more in Cliovana’s first Pleasure Index 2022!
The pleasure gap is real!
- We often hear of gender gaps in the context of work and pay but what about pleasure? Cliovana’s research showed that Aussie men are almost four times more likely to orgasm than women.
- Nearly ¾ of male respondents indicated they orgasm more frequently than their partner, while just 23% of females said they reached an orgasm, more so than their partner.
- Half of Australian women surveyed have faked an orgasm (50%), with those aged 25 to 30 years old the most likely, compared to just 17% of men, overall.
- More than one in 10 women (13.5%) admitted to never orgasming when they have sex.
Common pleasure barriers uncovered
- The most common sexual intercourse issues listed by women were pain, lack of arousal, issues with lubrication, lack of desire, and difficulty in achieving orgasm at a higher rate than men across all categories.
- Less than 10% of females said they could orgasm through penetration alone with nearly half (44%) saying they required both penetration and clitoral stimulation.
- When it comes to talking freely about vaginal health and pleasure, less than 25% of Australian women feel comfortable talking freely about it.
- Less than half of both men and women in the Australian population know how to get what they want out of their anatomy, when it comes to an orgasm – just 40% of women and only 33% of men.
- Less than 50% of men and women in Australia know the difference between climax and orgasm.
- Of those that had had a baby, 92% indicated their sex life got worse or remained unchanged, and just 8% of people said their sex life improved.
Overcoming the pleasure ‘taboo’
- Nearly half the respondents were either too embarrassed to discuss sexual health with medical professionals or not sure where to start – 25% and 24% respectively.
- Overwhelmingly, across both genders respondents had never sought professional help for their sex life. Just 9.1% of men compared to 3.9% of women.
- Of those that had sought help both men and women were most inclined to use prescribed medication – 69% and 48% respectively.
- More than half of the respondents indicated they weren’t aware there were ways to enhance orgasms or would like to explore more and try to reach new heights in the bedroom – less than half felt there was no room for improvement.
Does age matter?
- 25–30-year-old males are most likely to seek help (23%) compared to just 3% of women in the same age bracket.
- Over half of young women (61%) aged 25-30 have faked orgasms (more than 3x more likely than their male counterparts).
- According to new research from Cliovana’s pleasure index, the older we get the less comfortable we are to talk about our sex lives.
- If women don’t have an orgasm early in life, they don’t tend to learn how.
