That's a different subject woodin, this is about penis size if you didn't notice.

Whipple argued that sexuality is healthier when focused on the pleasure of acts from cuddling to kissing to other sexual sensations rather than the goal of reaching orgasm.

This is just a silly statement, I've yet to be with a partner that wasn't interested in orgasm. You think men just want to cuddle and touch without orgasm? No, kind of stupid actually. Of course women want to orgasm - that's the part of sex that brings not only the greatest pleasure but also the most health benefits.

From my experience I think it's safe to say that size does matter up to a point - too large can be worse than too small. But basically if you know what you're doing in bed she should generally be achieving orgasms before there is even any penetration with the penis (especially if your penis is smallish and there is an issue with orgasm via penile penetration). If you are relying on the penis to give her orgasm you have bigger problems than a small penis!

....let me guess, you have the MOST problems with the "loose as a goose" one....hmmmm.....

Agreed. Female genitalia, like most every other body part, also scales with body size. I'd like to read it. Have we ever seen a study on female vagina size? How about the effects of using a large dildo vibrator? I'd say roughly 1 in 50 women have a vagina that's makes for a sexual experience comparable to throwing a hot dog down a hallway.

You have to automatically that "woodin" actually is not very. Anyone that defensive and insecure must have deep rooted (oops, let me rephrase) inadequacies

Big girl, small hole

Small girl, all hole

Size does matter. Every woman likes to reach into a man's pants and check out the size of his big, thick, leathery wallet.

Color matters too. The greener ($$$), the better.

Agreed. Female genitalia, like most every other body part, also scales with body size. I'd like to read it. Have we ever seen a study on female vagina size? How about the effects of using a large dildo vibrator? I'd say roughly 1 in 50 women have a vagina that's makes for a sexual experience comparable to throwing a hot dog down a hallway.

Actually these studies have been done and no, vagina size does not scale with body size just as penis size does not scale with body size. The studies find that vagina "size" actually falls into a pretty small window of variation and is effected by physical health, pelvic floor muscle tone, level of excitement and other variables. The vagina actually adapts to the size of the penis and can expand based on levels of arousal.

Take a look at the Men's Health website, they have many articles about these studies and this topic.

That's why I always bring 3 penises to bed with me. Mine, large latex, and vibrating latex!!!!

If it's to small flip her over and change holes!

The big question is that in all those years is to have figured out that size matters, but not the penis one.

There always seems a monitary attachment to it and that is where size does matters.

Time to take matters in the other hand, the cheap way out and satisfaction guaranteed haha

Yeah seriously. It's peen size this, peen size that. When are researchers ever going to acknowledge that like penises, vaginas come in all different shapes and sizes too. Of course women will always shift the blame on men "too small can't feel anything" ..Maybe it's "well your vagina is too big"

Here we go again with the university students. I know they're the easiest group to recruit for studies like this, but really - we're expected to extrapolate their LIMITED experience to the entire population of adults? It's ludicrous.

Really, Brody?!? I find it amusing that Mr. Brody, a man, claims that women who mainly achieve organism through vaginal stimulation are pyschologically healthier, have greater sexual satisfaction, etc... He probably has a long pencil-thin penis so it makes him better to think that. Also, length isn't the only factor - what about thickness? Thicker penises can give more stimulation to the vaginal walls (listen up, Brody, you like this) than length.

I was told by a physician that if you don't use it, you will lose it.

Isn't there a thumbs-down??

IMHO with all the real problems in the world today including massive unsustainable population growth coupled with how we are getting screwed by our leaders and especially our wannabe "big swinging dicks" I think it wholly unnecessary to "study" dick sizes, perhaps the money would be better spent studying dickheads like Todd Akin and his kind.

OH Please! Sure there are many problems in the world but sex is the most pleasurable part of living! IT IS IMPORTANT! Sorry, but it sounds like you're not getting any bud.

I know, Christians hate sex, and especially if it's for pleasure but the rest of us don't give a @!$%# what repressed religious people think. We want to know how to improve sex and have the best sex we can.

I for one think this is the best kind of research money can buy!

I know, Christians hate sex, and especially if it's for pleasure

lol...I'm Christian, and I LOVE sex...ESPECIALLY because it's pleasurable.

(just saying)

Yep. I thought that kind of thinking died woth Sigmund Freud.

Well I don't know what religion you practice but most Christians I know have major hangups stemming from the church dogma dictating that sex is for procreation ONLY. Not to mention prohibitions against premarital sex, insistence on monogamy, male-domination of women, and negative overall stereotypes of women.

Good for you if you found a way to ignore the dogma of your church and still manage to enjoy sex!

TheOverlord

OH Please! Sure there are many problems in the world but sex is the most pleasurable part of living! IT IS IMPORTANT! Sorry, but it sounds like you're not getting any bud.

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Overlord, have been getting plenty for 50 years and plan on getting it for a whole lot more - BUT I never needed a "study" to tell me my dick is far more than adequate for the "job at hand" - If people can not figure out if size does or does not matter by their own hand then to have someone study it for you tells me you need one hell of a lot more than a study of dickheads. :o

boomer, your dick might be adequate for "the job at hand" (i.e. masturbating frequently) but not sure what lies your woman has been telling you about your little guy!

Just kidding. Despite your cute comment the fact is there is no way to know anything for sure until it's been studied with scientific controls. You can't determine things based solely on anecdotal evidence, you don't know if your woman is just stroking your ego for 50 years and telling you what you want to hear!

Overlard as long as my tax money is not being used directly or indirectly on stupid studies simply to keep would be out of work "scientists" working instead on Romney's 47% (which if they are accepting fed grant money they already are). Welfare is welfare be it phony studies, grants, subsidies, etc. - Hell if anyone would look at the layers of process we use and eliminated the unnecessary crap our unemployment would be 80% - but back to the subject If you want to spend your money purchasing millimeter rulers to measure your dick be my guest just don't use my tax money.

####

Overlord-perhaps you had better do your research before you yap on about "Christians" and their sexual practices. The fact is that sex between a married couple is always better and more satisfying than promiscuous sex. That's the way God intended, and, when the HUSBAND and WIFE obey God's laws and remain monogamous, they also don't acquire STD's such as AIDS, herpes, etc.

Furthermore, NOWHERE in the Bible does God command sex only for reproduction!

Perhaps you had better spend a couple of years studying the Bible, then come back on here and offer some knowledgeable comments.

Lou -

That's the way God intended, and, when the HUSBAND and WIFE obey God's laws and remain monogamous, they also don't acquire STD's such as AIDS, herpes, etc.

That statement is not true. You can be in a monogamous relationship and still contract these diseases. You can get AIDS, as well as Hepatitis, through infected blood or needle sticks. Herpes is a virus that can be transmitted by contact. Syphilis was a bacterial infection.

Pair bonding is an evolutionary trait of species whose young takes years to mature. In other words, we would pair up even without God. Atheist get married and have monogamous relationships, just like the religious folks. Besides, the Bible talks about monogamy and polygamy as being acceptable practices. And to add, the ten commandment's were God's law and there is no mention as to how many wives you could have, it was just against desiring and coveting your neighbors wife or possessions.

I think you're right in general since many women have told me the same thing. However, there are some women that can't handle a big package, and some women prefer thik to long or prefer long to thick... etc. etc.

This was pointed out in the research as well. However, in general you're right this was pretty well understood but it is always important to have scientific research to confirm the things we believe based on anecdotal evidence. The truth is there is still a lot we need to understand about our own sexuality since it is and has been considered "dirty" since the Christians started dominating Western culture many centuries ago.

What, would you rather them spend money studying anal worts or something? I can't think of a better subject to study even if the answer seems obvious!

Agreed overlord. Even though there are studies done that most people know the outcome, it is always nice to see science back up what we thought we knew.

It was obvious to everyone that the world is flat... until a scientist tested that assumption!

The findings are interesting because I think conventional "wisdom" I've heard always stressed the thickness rather than the length of the penis as being important but this study shows the length is perhaps a more significant factor. Of course every woman is different so over-generalizing is probably not a great idea.

Overlord-you don't know what you are talking about. But taking a wild guess, you prefer promiscuous sex, and that seems to be your basis for hating Christians. Let me guess-you've been rejected by a few Christian women.

She would enjoy a large tubesteak I assure you.

Large penises make sex painful for some women.I don't think you could go wrong being average sized.

There's the problem of course of sadly being too large and your partner can only hug it and cry.

Yep. And only a dog likes a bone. What does the dog do with the bone? Bury it, of course!

I highly recommend having sex with a chubby girl. If you skip the condom, it feels like a buttered steak.

I understand your point but I think just maybe you've swallowed hook, line and sinker a common myth about sexuality. That myth being the notion that sexuality is somehow NOT a biologically influenced behavior.

I'll tell you why men don't generally like fat girls. It's because there are biological factors beyond our control that signal fertility and attraction to the male brain. It's not like we decide to prefer pretty and thin women... we are programmed to reproduce with women that are most likely to bear healthy children. There clearly are social influences that effect mate choices (including things like weight and size) but at a primitive level we are all subconsciously driven by biological signals.

It has been shown in many studies that the female "figure" has strong biological influences on the male sexual brain. Age and fertility of women also has a strong influence. Facial symmetry, voice pitch, and other characteristics also have a strong effect.

If it makes you feel better women's brains also have similar signals that influence them to have sex with men with certain characteristics as well. Height is a huge influence on the sexual brain of a woman, how many women date short men? Other characteristics ensure some types of men are much preferable sexually to other men.

The truth is we are animals and our mating preferences are strongly influenced by biology. If you don't think of yourself in terms of biology you are fooling yourself. The good news is we can control many of these factors. Lose weight if you're fat and you will attract many more men. It's not as though you are forced to be obese - it's a choice for 95% of people.

Like it or not sex is and always will be a biological function and our conscious brain has only so much influence on what or who we find attractive.

Tell me the truth... If you are on the street and see a totally hot man that gets you all excited; do fat, bald, poor, short men with great personalities make you all excited or are they tall, fit, well-dressed, successful, intelligent and handsome? Yeah, I thought so. Much of it is pure animal magnetism.

The Overlord: YOU have bought a fallacy hook, line, and sinker my friend so go get a mirror. I am not talking about FAT girls as in size 30 I am talking about girls with actual curves who do not wear a size 4....and you may be surprised to know that as recently as 100 years ago that was considered hot....so NO biology is NOT telling you to date a size 2 girl; your ego is.

I'll add this: I've dated guys of different sizes if I have found things about them attractive. You don't know me, and it would seem that you are more superficial than I am.

Big girl, small hole

Small girl, all hole

Back in the day, women who had a little weight on them and were lily white were considered the most attractive. Why? Because they came from a family with money. They didn't have to go outside and work in the fields. Women who were tan and skinny were thought less of because they were considered poor.

A few decades later, women from well to do families had time to lay around in the sun and get a tan in a skimpy bathing suit, while women who had to work inside were lily white.

Like the Overlord said, males are programmed through millions of years of evolution to seek mates that are healthy enough to bear children and raise them. Exactly what constitutes those merits is subjective. Humans are incredibly fickle.

If it was solid biology pulling the reigns on what was "hot" to men, then the trends that girls from wealthy families followed through time would make no difference to hotness.

HS321, you made a great point but then you contradicted it. Men try to have it both ways.

The Overlord: YOU have bought a fallacy hook, line, and sinker my friend so go get a mirror. I am not talking about FAT girls as in size 30 I am talking about girls with actual curves who do not wear a size 4....and you may be surprised to know that as recently as 100 years ago that was considered hot....so NO biology is NOT telling you to date a size 2 girl; your ego is.

I'm not disagreeing with you, although you seem to think I am. I didn't bring up dress sizes. I personally am attracted to women, meaning they have curves! Personally, I don't prefer skinny women. I'm talking about when "curves" is used euphemistically (and in our fast-food culture this is used often) to describe obesity. I'm just pointing out that we are animals with biological drives that are beyond our conscious control as well as being influenced by the social preferences in society. I'm not disputing that we have unrealistic social expectations on beauty, only that you can't deny biology.

Clearly biology has a part to play and I shouldn't have made assumptions about you personally. :) The fact is though that many guys whip out the biology argument to put down girls along the the normal weight spectrum.....I see it all the time. :)

Go_Obama!, I'm a liberal, atheist, and a scientist... not to mention a big Obama supporter... and I'm not going to disagree with you! :)

Seriously, I understand your position because most men I know really need to evolve on the issue of sexuality. The topic of biology of sex is better suited for sophisticated men with a modern attitude towards women and sexuality. Men that harbor negative stereotypes and unrealistic expectations and attitudes towards women aren't ready to talk about penis size!

@Go_Obama:

Guys with that attitude don't treat attractive women any better.They may try to get a date with them just to try to sleep with them or be seen with them,but when someone is so messed up that they can't even make one civil comment in an internet discussion,they're sure not going to be any more likely to be considerate of, and interested in getting to know, a woman who's a size 4 and great looking,than they would to anyone else.

They're just as likely to make hate comments about extremely attractive women because they're attracted to her but know that she never will be attracted to him because he's such a loser.

HI Everybody,

I hope I'm not too late to get in on this but the full figured versus thin conversation.

Overlord, you sound like you've given lots of thought to this and your posts are a nice read.
But as tossing out the cultural side of the issue, well...
Even with in my life time, the "ideal woman" went from "Marilyn" to super "model".

If you have travelled to Africa or India, you'll see that those parts of the world are just now
"Catching up" to the western "ideal". The funny thing about the "thin" is in thing, is that it has
been largely spread by the fashion and media world, which are influenced by the tasted of
gay men. Go figure.

In Japan men used to be into girls with smaller eyes and "breading hips". Now the "in body"
looks like a wide eyed stick figure. Must be trying to emulate those manga characters.

For those beating up on studies. Believe me, it is very hard to get funding for anything.
Just because you aren't interested doesn't mean that the findings of the study won't have a
profound effect of some one in your life, or indirectly you yourself.
We know that the earth is round, have travelled to Mars, and founds cures to many diseases.
There is a reason for that.

Agreed. The results of this study are already pretty much well known. And the only people fighting it are less-than-endowed guys or women boinking them. ;)

hey you stole my comment lol

Men have no trouble criticizing women's anatomy as if it's OK to demean them to objects ; but mention the "P" word and they all go nuts! When women do the same to men, all the insecurities come out of the woodwork.

Only if your as loose as a wizards sleeve.

Not sure about the 90-10% breakdown but you have a valid point. However, sexual attraction (in the beginning) is almost 100% biology so physical appearance and other characteristics are very important to get you to the point where the mental part starts to be important.

We all know that even couples that start out with a very sexually gratifying relationship often lose that connection. Sometimes it is a change in appearance (getting fat for example) or sometimes a change in the emotional connection in the relationship. This is why people divorce or breakup at such high rates.

Anyone that thinks they can let their physical appearance go and still maintain the same level of sexuality with a partner is taking a big risk doing so.

Sexy is not being hung like a horse. Some of us women had hysterectomies early in adulthood and a very long penis hits the "wall" and hurts.

It is my experience that a man who has the right moves during sex is what is preferable. Strait in and out is boring, there has to be moves, such as circular, or side to side or you get the point.

An experienced lover who reall cares about the woman's pleasure is what any woman I know wants. Size is only in some women's and most men's heads.

Average penis size is actually not 6 inches, most comprehensive studies shows it's actually about 5.25 inches. Some suggest on a planetary level it may even be closer to 5 inches... like with women's size there are unrealistic expectations about what is "average" and what is small or large. Men's Health has lot's of articles on this and other interesting topics.

Reading some of the comments that guys have made here reminds me of an old adage. "There's a difference between having a big dick, and being one."

For myself, I go by the man it's attached to. If he can't satisfy me with an average size, 2-3 more inches won't change that any.

Sophia, I'm sorry that you have never experienced a vaginal orgasm. It is NOT a myth. It's a reality.

I do agree though that being big is no assurance of being a good lover. One has nothing to do with the other.

Well you make good points but I think you're being a bit stringent in your criticism of the article. I don't see where in the article it claims to be the ultimate resource in improving sexuality for women in the world. It is a simple study on the importance of penis size for women. I agree an overemphasis on penis size distracts from wider and more important issues of women's sexuality and yet it is a factor you can't disclaim. I completely agree the Christian/religious paradigm and mythology of sexuality has been devastating for women and has to be addressed but that still doesn't change the fact that the physical dimensions of penis and vagina influence orgasm. It is not inherently bad to discuss this fact as long as it is in the context of an informed and educated understanding of the entire subject. But, you can't blame an article for the widespread negative stereotypes of woman's sexuality.

1) Whether or not the "vaginal orgasm" is myth or not the fact is some women can have highly pleasurable orgasm from sexual intercourse. I think the latest research shows the clitoris is in fact quite large and likely the g-spot (or "female prostate") is an extension of the clitoris as you suggest. That still doesn't mean that the dimensions of the penis has no effect on the ability to bring orgasm.

2) You are correct but you are blaming the researcher for misconceptions and myths about the sexual paradigm revolving around the penis. I would blame religion for these myths and not a scientific study on a subject that may have been used for the basis of destructive stereotypes. But again that doesn't change the facts about the physics involved in sexuality.

3) You can have a huge penis and be horrible in bed. Absolutely, and this is often the case. However, given the identical lover with the only variable being penis size - there will be a difference. You can't honestly say that a man with a penis on the small size of the spectrum, let's say 4.25 inches, is going to create the same sensations as a larger 7" penis.

I can't disagree with your points but I think you are being overly critical of this research. It is not the fault of the investigators that this penis size issue has been used destructively in a social context.

P.S. I don't think you're suggesting that women can't orgasm with penile penetration (I can tell you from experience this in fact does happen in some women) but rather that it is biologically the same (clitorally derived) phenomenon.

I've been able to have several different types of orgasms with my husband. Vaginal, clitoral, cervical (yes they do happen) and that awesome G-spot! For us communication is the key. After 16 years together, we respond very well to each other and our bodies know what to do.

Everyone is different. The disparaging view of some here shows the real problem. For the most part, all of it is pleasurable and trying to quantify one pleasure over another is useless in my mind. It just causes more stress and anxiety, which definitely affects those involved.

Sophia, every woman is different. There are at least 2 types of orgasms. Vaginal and clitoral. They are two completely different things. I am living proof. I don't know where your got your "clit only" info, it's very sad. You should explore and find what you are missing out on. Now I've never met Freud, but I found out about the vaginal orgasm without him.

Yep, this is the answer! Size matters, but not that much, especially if the man attached to it is a big dick as well as having one. No doubt that a real man (big or little penis) already has given his woman an orgasm even before he attempts penetration. A real man learns how to please her brain before he worries about the vagina.

i mostly worry about her bawina and not her brain.

I was wondering how long it would take for the prude-patrol to make a grand entrance. :)

So it's your contention that penis size is a sacred topic?

I am certain Ms. Greer never met me.

I am also certain she has no interest in anyone with a penis.

Cabbie,

I'm trying to figure out how the "entitled" 47% of the population fits into this joke. There's a bi-lingual pun there too.

Honest, not being a gal, I have no idea, but I did read Dr. Reuben when I was young back in the '60's (right after my generation invented pre-marital sex). He said there was "no such thing" as a "vaginal" orgasm.

Gal? The term for evolved men is woman. Dr. Reuben was full of crap, some women in fact have vaginal orgasms and I know this from personal experience.

I'll fact check that with my sister the ob-gyn if need be, but I also remember a line from counseling school, which was "no man can compete with a vibrator."

Your Ob-Gyn will confirm women do in fact have vaginal orgasms, well at least some do. While vibrators are great for women several have told me that it's a different kind of orgasm than during intercourse. The vibrations create a different sensation than intercourse. Some may prefer one to the other but every woman I know is different. In fact, I've known at least two woman that don't like vibrators at all.

I'll park my taxi cab on that one, and my fares I've discussed it with say lesbians have better "language skills" than men (they're "clever linguists").

The correct term here is "cunning linguist" :)

That's funny, but no. For some it may be true but most women I know aren't into anal intercourse, I'm not either for that matter and I'm a man!

you caught me!

Guilty as charged... LOL

Women are all about making men feel grateful for whatever they give up.

Many woman might argue that porn has given men unrealistic expectations of woman.

That a (formerly) reputable national news organization would discuss such lewd topics is a deplorable sign of our times. How our most minimal standards of decency have been lost. And also: we are supposed to believe that there is a war on women? How silly. Women are now attacking men on this basis (say what you want, the very broaching of this topic IS an attack on men). And there is a war on women? How silly, when women behave like this. And could you ever imagine a reputable news source saying: new study shows that men prefer "big breasted, skinny women who will strip off exotic lingerie and satisfy their man's every sexual fantasy." News flash: I am sure that all men would like this (from their wives or mates, in an ideal sexual world). But this is so tawrdy and indecent, it would never find its way onto NBC--as it never should. This whole discussion is simply a sign of how indecent this age has become. For shame, NBC, for shame.

I understand where you are coming from CJRP. I have thought the same thing at times. However I've come to welcome these types of stories. When I read all of these stories of pain and anger and terrible things all around the world, it helps to calm me down and read something lighter. I know it seems like needless drivel but its nice to lower my blood pressure once in a while. Im sure you can appreciate the lower brow things in life in only momentarily. Its too hard being too serious all the time. Smile. Its good for you

!

Actually it can be controlled, you can make it bigger.

What you can't do is make it smaller.