Sexual stimulation

Sexual stimulation is any stimulus (including bodily contact) that leads to, enhances and maintains sexual arousal, and may lead to orgasm. Although sexual arousal may arise without physical stimulation, achieving orgasm usually requires it.

The term sexual stimulation implies stimulation of the genitals, but may also include stimulation of other areas of the body, stimulation of the senses (such as sight, smell, or hearing) and mental stimulation (e.g., reading or fantasizing).^[1] Sufficient stimulation of the penis or clitoris usually results in an orgasm.^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5] Stimulation can be by self (e.g., masturbation or 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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