So, How Often Do You Fake It?
A new study sheds light on why women fake orgasms.


According to MSN (opens in new tab), a recent Archives of Sexual Behavior study reports that 80 percent of women fake orgasms. Sure, that's a significant number, but seriously, raise your hands if anyone's surprised here.
In order to communicate extreme sexual pleasure, it seems women turn to making noise and plenty of it. Why? Chalk it up to living up to gender stereotypes: The idea is to make men feel like they're the bomb. (Uh, again, we'll file in the "no duh" category.)
"Importantly, 92 percent of participants felt very strongly that these vocalizations boosted their partner's self-esteem and 87 percent reported using them for this purpose," the paper stated. While there's nothing wrong with making your boy feel awesome — sort of like the time you told him the dinner he cooked was amazing even though it was burned — pretending he's making the right moves when it comes to your orgasm isn't necessarily doing anyone any favors.
Tell Marie Claire: Is it ever okay to fake an orgasm just to make a dude feel good?
Erin Flaherty is a beauty journalist and consultant who has contributed to numerous publications including the Wall Street Journal and Domino, among many others. She is a board member of the Women's Global Empowerment Fund and especially passionate about worldwide beauty anthropology and women's issues. She lives in Woodstock, NY with her husband and dog.
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