It's not just women who fake orgasms, men do too - and probably more than you think, study finds

  • Canadian researchers say up to a quarter of men surveyed fake orgasms
  • On average, participants owned up to faking it at least a quarter of the time
  • Men who faked more often reported higher levels of sexual satisfaction 
  • Other than boosting their own experience,or avoiding intimacy with a poorly chosen partner, some men faked it to boost a partner's self esteem 

By Ryan O'Hare for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

Women can make the right groans at just the right time to convince their lover they're having an orgasm when they're not, but for men it's a little more difficult to hide when sex hasn't hit the spot.

But while the fake orgasm is a well-established female phenomenon, a proportion of men will also own up to faking it - and for many of the same reasons women do.

In fact, Canadian researchers focusing on the under-reported trend suggest up to a quarter of men may have faked it at some point.

New research suggests that female orgasms could play a key role in fertility. The study suggests that reaching climax could increase a woman's chance of conceiving by as much as 15 per cent (stock image)

A new study suggests up to a quarter of men may have faked orgasm at some point. The results of a survey of 230 young men revealed that, on average, participants owned up to faking orgasm at least 25 per cent of the time in their current relationship. Stock image

Researchers quizzed a sample of 230 men aged 18 to 29, recruited through online platform Mechanical Turk, who had identified as feigning orgasm in their current relationship on at least one occasion.

They found that on average, participants owned up to faking orgasm at least a quarter of the time in their current relationship.

Writing in the journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy, the authors explain: 'Men do feign orgasm, and motivations for doing so are associated with sexual and relational outcomes.'

According to the findings, the main reasons for the pretense was due to poor sexual experience or not making the best choice of partner, both of which resulted in lower levels of desire and sexual satisfaction.

Men who were sexually and romantically satisfied with their relationship (stock image) reported feigning climax in order to coincide with their partner's orgasm. While others reported feigning on grounds of making their partner feel better about themselves

Men who were sexually and romantically satisfied with their relationship (stock image) reported feigning climax in order to coincide with their partner's orgasm. While others reported feigning on grounds of making their partner feel better about themselves

MEN WHO FAKE IT 

Canadian researchers suggest up to a quarter of men may have faked orgasm at some point.

In a study, researchers quizzed a sample of 230 men aged 18 to 29, who identified as feigning orgasm in their current relationship on at least one occasion. 

The main reasons for the pretense was due to poor sexual experience or not making the best choice of partner, both of which resulted lower levels of desire and sexual satisfaction.

Some respondents reported feigning on grounds of making their partner feel better about themselves.

But overall, the study found that the more a man faked it, the higher his reported levels of satisfaction were.

For those who reported being sexually and romantically satisfied with their relationship, many reported feigning climax mainly in order to coincide with their partner's orgasm, in order to experience a 'mutual orgasm'.

But the fakers were most satisfied when they faked for reasons of being intoxicated, were having sex with someone undesirable, or just wanted to improve a sexual encounter or feel better about themselves.

According to Psypost.org, study participants reported feigning in 30 per cent of encounters. 

And while vaginal sex was the most common scenario to fake it, men also reported faking orgasm during oral sex, anal sex and manual stimulation.

Interestingly, other than boosting their own sexual experience – or avoiding intimacy with a poorly chosen partner – some men owned up to more supportive reasons.

Some respondents reported feigning on grounds of making their partner feel better about themselves.

But overall, the study found that the more a man faked it, the higher his reported levels of satisfaction were.

Study authors Lea Seguin from Université du Québec à Montréal and Robin Milhausen from the University of Guelph, said: 'When orgasm is simulated because the sex is not satisfying, or because the partner is not desired, men can be encouraged to explore ways to enhance pleasure in sex, or to communicate with their partners about activities which they find arousing and satisfying.'

Most watched News videos

Comments 208

Share what you think

  View all

The comments below have not been moderated.

  View all

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.