Sexual stimulation

Sexual stimulation, in everyday usage, is anything that leads to, enhances and maintains sexual arousal, and may lead to orgasm. The thing that causes a sexual response is referred to in sexology and physiology as a stimulus, hence the term stimulation.

Sexual stimulation is a broad term, usually understood to mean physical stimulation, of the genitals or other body parts. The term can, however, include stimuli affecting the mind (sexual fantasy)^[1], or senses other than touch sight, smell, or hearing). Sufficient physical stimulation of the genitals usually results in an orgasm.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] Stimulation can be by oneself ( masturbation or other forms of autoeroticism ) or by a sexual partner (sexual intercourse or other sexual activity), by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods.^[6]

Some people practice orgasm control, whereby a person or their partner controls the level of stimulation to prolong the experience leading up to orgasm.

^ Levin, Roy J.; van Berlo, Willy (2004-04-01). "Sexual arousal and orgasm in subjects who experience forced or non-consensual sexual stimulation – a review". Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine. 11 (2): 82–88. doi:10.1016/j.jcfm.2003.10.008. ISSN 1353-1131. PMID 15261004.
^ Weiten, Wayne; Dunn, Dana S.; Hammer, Elizabeth Yost (2011-01-01). Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment in the 21st Century. Cengage Learning. p. 386. ISBN 978-1-111-18663-0. OCLC 751245411.
^ "I Want a Better Orgasm!". WebMD. Archived from the original on 2009-01-13. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
^ Mah, Kenneth; Binik, Yitzchak M (January 7, 2001). "The nature of human orgasm: a critical review of major trends". Clinical Psychology Review. 21 (6): 823–856. doi:10.1016/S0272-7358(00)00069-6. ISSN 0272-7358. OCLC 121110003. PMID 11497209. Women rated clitoral stimulation as at least somewhat more important than vaginal stimulation in achieving orgasm; only about 20% indicated that they did not require additional clitoral stimulation during intercourse.
^ Kammerer-Doak, Dorothy; Rogers, Rebecca G. (June 2008). "Female Sexual Function and Dysfunction". Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. 35 (2): 169–183. doi:10.1016/j.ogc.2008.03.006. ISSN 0889-8545. OCLC 264325988. PMID 18486835. Most women report the inability to achieve orgasm with vaginal intercourse and require direct clitoral stimulation ... About 20% have coital climaxes...
^ Based on "masturbation" in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003

[1] Levin, Roy J.; van Berlo, Willy (2004-04-01). "Sexual arousal and orgasm in subjects who experience forced or non-consensual sexual stimulation – a review". Journal of Clinical Forensic Medicine. 11 (2): 82–88. doi:10.1016/j.jcfm.2003.10.008. ISSN 1353-1131. PMID 15261004.

[Weiten-2] Weiten, Wayne; Dunn, Dana S.; Hammer, Elizabeth Yost (2011-01-01). Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment in the 21st Century. Cengage Learning. p. 386. ISBN 978-1-111-18663-0. OCLC 751245411.

[Clitoris-3] "I Want a Better Orgasm!". WebMD. Archived from the original on 2009-01-13. Retrieved August 18, 2011.

[Kenneth_Mah-4] Mah, Kenneth; Binik, Yitzchak M (January 7, 2001). "The nature of human orgasm: a critical review of major trends". Clinical Psychology Review. 21 (6): 823–856. doi:10.1016/S0272-7358(00)00069-6. ISSN 0272-7358. OCLC 121110003. PMID 11497209. Women rated clitoral stimulation as at least somewhat more important than vaginal stimulation in achieving orgasm; only about 20% indicated that they did not require additional clitoral stimulation during intercourse.

[Kammerer-Doak-5] Kammerer-Doak, Dorothy; Rogers, Rebecca G. (June 2008). "Female Sexual Function and Dysfunction". Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinics of North America. 35 (2): 169–183. doi:10.1016/j.ogc.2008.03.006. ISSN 0889-8545. OCLC 264325988. PMID 18486835. Most women report the inability to achieve orgasm with vaginal intercourse and require direct clitoral stimulation ... About 20% have coital climaxes...

[6] Based on "masturbation" in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition, Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003

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