Attraction between the sexes

[Mr Rayon]

Generally speaking, are women more sexually attracted to men than men are to women?

 

I've heard that men have a higher libido than women? Is this true?

 

What the the most recent scientific evidence suggesting?

Edited February 23, 2011 by Voltman

[rktpro]

I have read that women are more sexually attracted to men than men are to women. It was a magazine. Sorry, can't cite a source! But I am sure about this answer.

[lemur]

I have the sense that libido is pretty directly correlated with reproductive function. By that I mean that men have a stronger libido on a daily basis because their bodies are designed to fertilize receptive females at any available moment. Women's bodies, on the other hand, are designed to maximize potential fertilization during a certain window of their cycle, so I think their libido reflects this to some extent (though I'm sure it varies individually as it does with men). Still, I wouldn't be surprised if female libido intensifies significantly during peak fertility causing men to appear more attractive than usual. I think in general, people (male and female) tend to experience sexual availability as off-putting when they're not "in the mood" so I believe that effect would be stronger for women since men are "in the mood" more consistently when women are not.

 

Good thread question. I don't understand why it's so hard to figure out sexuality considering that everyone experiences it. Why are the taboos against studying it so strong?

[SMF]

Lemur, why do you think there are taboos against studying sexual attraction? I put "sexual attraction" into Google Scholar and got 190,000 hits on research. I didn't refine my search, but on about page 5 was this- http://stevereads.co...drive_final.pdf that has some information, science not opinion, related to the question here. SM

Edited March 20, 2011 by SMF

[Marat]

Female sex hormones, which increase dramatically during pregnancy when sex is strongly contraindicated for both medical and species survival reasons, is a strong anti-sexual desire hormone. That is why most women completely lose their sexual desire during the whole post-partum year, since their female hormone levels remain too high. Such sexual desire as females have come from their relatively limited supply of male hormones, which are the only hormones increasing sexual urge -- insofar as the effect of these hormones is not outweighed by the anti-sexual influence of estrogen. In contrast, even small amounts of estrogen in the male blood supply can completely destroy male sexual desire.

 

This is one reason why thin, angular, bony women with husky voices (the Lauren Becall type) have always been regarded as more sexy by males, even though all their features are less obviously female. It is because these characteristics are produced by higher male hormone levels, which make these women more interested in sex than their more curvacious counterparts.

[SMF]

Marat, it is not that simple. Women do have less testosterone than men, but they have more testosterone receptors which could cancel the difference. Also, men tend to respond more to hormonal influences, while women respond more to particular social and cultural factors. Here is one reference- http://people.fmarion.edu/tbarbeau/Erotic%20Plasticity2000.pdf

SM

[lemur]

Lemur, why do you think there are taboos against studying sexual attraction? I put "sexual attraction" into Google Scholar and got 190,000 hits on research. I didn't refine my search, but on about page 5 was this- http://stevereads.co...drive_final.pdf that has some information, science not opinion, related to the question here. SM

Not sexual attraction. Obviously everyone wants to know how to be more attractive. The taboo is against openly revealing and studying sexual behavior, desires, thoughts, fantasies, etc. There is a strong will to privacy where sexuality is concerned. There seems to be fear that if the deepest facts of sexuality are revealed, the person will be attacked/destroyed or something like that. So, yes, I think various taboos have been reduced (for some people more than others) but I still think taboo plays a very strong role in people's choices about what to reveal about their sexuality and what to keep secret/private.

[SMF]

Lemur, you said-

 

Why are the taboos against studying it so strong?

 

I responded that there is a whole lot of research. Also attraction works both ways, and you used the term yourself. Why don't you do a search using your preferred terms? SM