Reflection on Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters-- and How to Get It by Laurie Mintz

 This was kind of a weird book for a man to read, but a female friend of mine was talking about how great it was and it is written by a UF professor so I thought I would give it a try. It's a book for women all about the social problem of heterosexual women not having enough orgasms due to their own ignorance about their bodies as well as their partners' apathy. The book is a really good and detailed guide for women on how to discover what they like and also has a final chapter that is meant for men to read as sort of a summation of the whole book. 

Ultimately, this book is all about communication. The ways that women orgasm are not a secret, but unfortunately women aren't nearly as comfortable as men in expressing their preferences. However, Mintz says that men are generally interested in learning, and that in surveys, most men want to learn how to please their partners but just don't know how. While about half of men are unsatisfied with the size of their penis, their penis is not what gives their (female) partners the most pleasure. In fact, in surveys women tend to say that communication and eagerness are far more important qualities than their partners' endowment.

Really interesting book that covered a lot of otherwise taboo subject and actually referenced Girls and Sex by Peggy Orenstein, another great book. I'll give it a strong recommend, and put some facts from the book below.

Miscellaneous Facts

• Only about 15% of women can have orgasms from thrusting alone
• 95% of women say the most reliable way for them to orgasm is from clitoral stimulation, with about half this group combining clitoral stimulation with penetration
• The vibrator was the fifth appliance to be electrified, acted the sewing machine, fan, teakettle, and toaster (and before the iron and the skillet)
• The inner two-thirds of the vagina have almost no touch-sensitive nerve endings and instead have more pressure-sensitive nerve endings. Surgery can even be performed in those parts of the vagina without anesthetic! 
• Generally, women who can orgasm from penetration alone are still orgasming from clitoral stimulation. This is because they tend to have their clitoris located within about one inch of their vagina, so that intercourse is close enough to stimulate their clitoris.
• The clitoris is actually very large, and has a sort of stem that goes under the mons pubis and two bulbs on either side of the vulva (kind of behind the outer labia) that many women find pleasurable to touch.
• Arousal in women is probably not related to sexual orientation. Studies have found that women who identify as lesbian get excited watching both lesbian and heterosexual sex and the same is true of women who identify as heterosexual.
• Most women require about twenty minutes of "fooling around" (author's words not mine lol) before they are ready for penetration, but in heterosexual couples, the average time is only five minutes.