The Sexual Response - The Female Response

Similiarities and Differences

In spite of the basic similiarity of female and male sexual responses, there are a few differences. Some of these are biologically based and others are the result of general and individual psychosocial influences. Indeed, the latter are more important than is often realized, especially in women. Therefore, a purely medical, physiological descripton of the female sexual response is bound to be inadequate. Feminist researchers have now presented a new view of female sexuality that emphasizes its relational aspects. Still, as is typical in sexual matters, it is not always easy to distinguish between biological base and psychosocial conditioning in each individual case.

The sexual response follows the same basic pattern in males (blue) and females (red): A = Excitement, B = Plateau, C = Orgasm, D = Resolution. However, there are some possible variations in the female pattern, e.g. multiple orgasms.