Women more likely than men to fake orgasms: Study reveals top reasons why they do it

Orgasms may be wonderful for your sexual health, and it may be natural to want more of them, but as per a recent study, a majority of women do fake orgasms — but their reasons for doing so vary.

The findings, published in the Journal of Sex Research, highlight why women are more likely than men to fake orgasms.

What the study found

Per the study, around 13 percent of men and women were currently faking orgasms, 28 percent had previously done so, but since stopped, and 51 percent had avoided them altogether. Researchers analysed data submitted by 11,541 respondents from six European countries to determine who fakes orgasms and why they do so.

Women were more likely to pretend than men

Of the respondents currently faking orgasms, 8.59 percent were men, while 18.11 percent were women. For those who had in the past, the breakdown was 18.74 percent of men versus 34.41 percent of women. Of the 51 percent of people who claimed to have never faked an orgasm, 65.79 percent were men, and 36.41 percent were women.

“We found that being a woman, being homosexual, having more lifetime sexual partners and having children was associated with higher odds of faking orgasms,” the researchers said.

Who fakes orgasms more and why

The study found that a person’s relationship status and whether or not they had a sex toy also played a role in whether or not they faked an orgasm. People who were in an open relationship were more likely to have never faked orgasms compared to those in longer-lasting relationships, and those who frequently relied on toys were more likely to deceive a partner in bed. Researchers added that those who faked orgasm were less satisfied with their relationship status, sex life and life in general than those who had given up on orgasms.

“We found that faking orgasms was associated with lower sexual, relationship and life satisfaction. Combined with the results that about 40 percent of the sample has faked at some point in their lives, this suggests that orgasm faking merits research attention for its potential implications for people’s happiness and well-being,” study author Silvia Pavan said.

Why did they stop faking it?

When asked why they had stopped faking it, men and women reported increased and improved communication with their partners and developing a more satisfying sexual relationship. However, men who stopped faking were more likely to have fixed the issue or stopped having sex altogether, whereas women largely opted for a life without orgasm, no longer feeling the need to fake it.