How female orgasm ‘saves’ masculinity for men with sexual dysfunction: study

Behind every good and righteous man is a sexually satisfied woman.

In the US alone, about 30 million men live with erectile dysfunction, while about 2 in every 100 American men do not produce testosterone within a typical healthy range, a condition known as male hypogonadism. Fortunately, drugs like Viagra [sildenafil] and testosterone supplements for decades have helped men with ED and low testosterone achieve more satisfying sex lives.

However, a new study, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, investigated how the use of these libido-enhancing therapies affects society’s perception of their masculinity. Ultimately, psychology researchers at Western Pennsylvania University, Edinboro found that these drugs mattered little as long as their ladies achieved orgasm.

The findings also showed that men using Viagra [sildenafil] or testosterone injections recreationally—without any underlying medical cause—were seen as no more masculine than men using them to treat erectile dysfunction and low T, even when they also consistently brought their female partners to orgasm .

The study shed light on the so-called “self-reliance rule of masculinity,” a trend in sexual health research that suggests men are seen as more manly when they don’t need help achieving an erection and, more importantly, pleasing women. theirs. partner.

“The female partner’s orgasm served to ‘rescue’ social perceptions of masculinity lost at low testosterone,” the researchers wrote in their report.

The study involved two experiments, one which focused on the use of Viagra and the other on testosterone.

The first test recruited 522 participants – 54% men and 46% women with an average age of 32.2 years – to read one of eight randomly assigned sexual vignettes. The stories involved a man engaging in sexual activity three times with the same woman, who either climaxed each time or not at all. The scenarios differed if the male character was identified as someone with ED or taking Viagra.

After reading, participants rated the hypothetical man on his masculinity and sexual respectability.

The second test involved 711 participants and a similar set of 12 stories, this time describing a man with naturally low, normal or high testosterone, and whether he took the hormone supplement. Again, the women in the stories either achieved orgasm every time or never. Finally, participants rated their assigned story’s demonstration of masculinity and sexual respect.

In both cases, female orgasm was identified as the most influential factor, regardless of whether the man suffered from ED and low T and took drugs for it.

While men without ED or low T were generally seen as more masculine, the presence of the female orgasm helped close the gap for men with such conditions—and that the use of these performance-enhancing drugs, especially when they are not needed from a standpoint medically, there was no positive association with perceived masculinity.