When you’re sexually satisfied, everything else just seems better.
Great sex can make you feel like you’re on cloud nine, thanks to a rush of endorphins and other stress-relieving hormones. Worries fade away and your spirit lifts.
The benefits also extend far beyond the bedroom. Studies show that fulfilling sexual experiences contribute to happier relationships, improved mental health, and higher quality of life. But if you’re a sexual minority woman, research often leaves you out of the picture.
Recognizing this gap, researchers at the Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society embarked on a systematic review, recently published in Psychology & Sexuality.
Their goal: explore how women’s sexual satisfaction varies based on their sexual identity. By also evaluating the tools used to measure sexual satisfaction, the review seeks to improve the reliability of future research methods.
Studying women’s sexual satisfaction
Aiming to advance research on sexual satisfaction, the team analyzed English-language studies from peer-reviewed journals.
To qualify, studies had to measure and compare women’s sexual satisfaction across at least two groups. These groups were defined by sexual orientation, (i.e. heterosexual, bisexual or lesbian women), or by partner gender (i.e. women in mixed/same-sex relationships or women who have sex with women). Studies measuring sexual arousal or desire were excluded.
In total, the review found 43 studies with 84,054 participants, published between 1986 and 2022. The majority (79%) focused on participants’ sexual orientation rather than their partner’s gender. Nearly two-thirds were conducted in the United States, with most participants being White, in relationships, and university-educated. Ages ranged from 15.7 to over 65.
Overall, the review identified four aspects of sexual satisfaction: general sexual satisfaction (37 studies), orgasm occurrence (15 studies), sexual frequency (9 studies), and sexual duration (3 studies). Among the studies, 15 different measures were used to assess sexual satisfaction and related factors.
Sexual satisfaction scores
When it comes to which sexual identity group ranks highest in general sexual satisfaction, the jury is still out! Results were mixed and in some cases contradictory.
In contrast, findings on orgasm occurrence, sexual duration, and frequency were more consistent.
Orgasms, sexual duration, and frequency
Lesbian women reported having the most orgasms, followed by bisexual women, with heterosexual women having the fewest. Similarly, women who have sex with women had higher orgasm rates than those who have sex with men.
Sexual minority women (lesbian and bisexual) also had longer sexual encounters than heterosexual women.
Yet despite having the least orgasms, heterosexual women tended to have sex more often than both lesbian and bisexual women.
Mixed results on general sexual satisfaction
Women in same-gender relationships typically reported higher levels of satisfaction.
However, more than half of the studies (53%) found no significant differences in sexual satisfaction across the groups.
Several shared characteristics may explain the lack of variation. Notably, most participants in such studies were aged 25 to 35 and in relationships. Both factors are linked to higher levels of sexual satisfaction.
They also used similar methods to measure sexual satisfaction, including the Female Sexual Function Index FSFI (3 studies), the Index of Sexual Satisfaction ISS (4 studies), and various custom multi-item measures (7 studies).
What’s the best measure of women’s sexual satisfaction?
The review contends the best tool for measuring sexual satisfaction among women of different sexual identities is the New Sexual Satisfaction Scale (NSSS).
Unlike many established scales, the NSSS does not pathologize sexual satisfaction by linking low scores to sexual dysfunction. Instead, it focuses on pleasure, emotional closeness, and communication with partners. It also uses neutral language related to gender and sexual orientation.
Conversely, scales such as the FSFI and ISS include factors that may result in equally high satisfaction across groups, albeit for different reasons. For example, the ISS measures both partners’ satisfaction. This could inflate scores for heterosexual women, whose male partners often report high satisfaction, and for lesbian women, whose partners report frequent orgasms.
Embracing gender
Sexual identity appears to shape women’s sexual satisfaction in powerful ways—but current research only scratches the surface.
The review revealed sexual minority women had the most orgasms and longer sex sessions, while heterosexual women had sex more frequently. Yet findings on general sexual satisfaction were less clear, likely in part due to measures that produced misleading scores.
Rather than focusing on sexual orientation, future research needs to gather more detailed data on gender identity. This includes conducting studies with non-binary, trans, and gender-fluid participants.
“Indeed, the gender of women’s sexual partners may be a better predictor of their sexual satisfaction than their sexual identity,” wrote the authors.
As research surges forward, it will help propel everyone toward erotic bliss and its wonderful benefits.
