Introduction: Specific sexual activities during partnered sex are likely to affect orgasmic parameters, such as latency, pleasure, and difficulty, but such relationships have not been examined in detail.

Aim: To ascertain whether specific kinds of sexual activities account for variation in orgasmic latency, pleasure, and difficulty during partnered sex.

Method: Participants were 2,068 women drawn from community-based samples in the United States and Hungary who completed an investigator-derived questionnaire regarding their sexual history and response, including items related to frequency of masturbation and partnered sex, sexual desire, sexual arousal, orgasmic response, orgasmic latency, distress, partner distress, and sexual satisfaction.

Main outcome measures: Self-reported orgasmic latency, pleasure, and difficulty during partnered sex were assessed.

Results: Orgasmic pleasure and orgasmic difficulty were related to the types of sexual activities incorporated into partnered sex. Nevertheless, relationship satisfaction played as large a role in both orgasmic parameters. Orgasmic latency, on the other hand, was less affected by the type of sexual activity during partnered sex, but it was also affected by relationship satisfaction and orgasmic difficulty.

Clinical implication: Addressing relationship satisfaction and expanding the behavioral repertoire of activities during partnered sex may increase sexual satisfaction and mitigate orgasmic difficulty.

Strength & limitations: The study, well powered and drawing from a multinational population, is 1 of the few to analyze specific types of sexual activity and stimulation during partnered sex. Major limitations were the younger age and self-selection of the sample.

Conclusion: Type and conventionality of sexual activities during partnered sex affect orgasmic pleasure and difficulty. Rowland DL, Kolba TN. Relationship of Specific Sexual Activities to Orgasmic Latency, Pleasure, and Difficulty during Partnered Sex. J Sex Med 2019;16:559-568.