What Turns Women On?

The sex drive is a complicated process in women. Masters and Johnson said that women begin their sexual response with desire, leading to arousal, orgasm and satisfaction of the initial desire. Scientists now see the female sexual response as a far more complicated process requiring a combination of physical changes (e.g., increased vaginal blood flow and lubrication, elevated breathing and heart rate, uterine contractions) and psychological factors (e.g., status of the relationship, stress, fantasy, imagination). Blood androgen levels (e.g., testosterone) are central to stimulating sexual desire at the physical and emotional levels. University of Texas researchers found that sexual arousal was complex in women and included psychological cues linked to emotional bonding, erotic stimulation, visual images and romance. The most significant cues in order of importance were: support from the partner, watching erotic movies, feeling love and commitment with a partner, reading about sex, watching people involved in sexual activity and “dirty talking”. Surprisingly, conventional wisdom about female erotic cues was off the mark. Cues that men think turn women on - such as pleasant-smelling colognes, romantic dinners, watching sunsets, seeing a well-toned body, laughing with a romantic partner and acting confident - were less important than emotional bonding cues. The study showed large perceptual differences between the sexes regarding what turns women on. (Journal Sexual Medicine, 3: 838-852, 2006)