Some men liken sex to pizza: Even when it's bad, it's still pretty good. Those dudes are what I like to call "wrong." Chances are, more than a few women they've slept with wish they'd gone to Sbarro instead of bumping uglies with those mongers of mediocrity. Acquaint yourself with these sex positions for women, and you'll be the one she calls when she wants something gourmet delivered.
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11 Best Sex Positions for Women
Even the most basic sex positions can lead to orgasm—if performed thoughtfully enough. Check out the list below to get started. And don't worry, not everything revolves around penetration. Because just doing that hasn't exactly worked out well in the past.
Coital Alignment Technique (CAT)
Shutterstock / Kaspars Grinvalds
The clitoris. Many women's orgasms depend on stimulation of its pea-sized head. (Fun fact: The clit contains some 8,000 nerve endings, roughly twice as many as the glans, or head of the penis, contains.
Here's the thing: The clitoris is situated a short distance from the vaginal opening. In fact, research has determined that the greater this distance is, the less likely a woman is to have an orgasm through intercourse alone—and just a fraction of an inch can make a difference.
But don't think of the way the penis and vagina fit together as a design flaw. It's more of a design challenge. The good news? There's an orgasmic workaround, and it's called the coital alignment technique, or CAT.
CAT is essentially a tweak of the missionary position, and that's how you're going to start out. Once you're happily inside her, shift your body toward her head. By doing so, your pubic bone will be in contact with her clitoris. In this position, you'll use more of a grinding motion, and in doing so, you'll give her the sort of clitoral stimulation most women need to come.
In the advanced version, she puts her legs together underneath yours, so you're essentially planking on top of her. Inch up a little more, and using a drilling downward motion, rub the top side of your penile shaft on her clitoris.
Oral Sex
Shutterstock / Oleg Elkov
If you're looking for more opportunities to get acquainted with the clitoris, here's your chance.
As certified sex therapist Carol Queen reminds readers in The Sex & Pleasure Book: Good Vibrations Guide to Great Sex for Everyone, "Most [women] do not orgasm from vaginal insertion alone; if you have heard the opposite, or believe that intercourse is the only 'natural' way to come, take our word for it: This is a myth."
Performing direct clitoral stimulation is a pretty reliable way to help a woman achieve orgasm, and there's no better way to secure that than by going down on her. While sex hacks like the CAT can heighten clitoral contact during penetrative sex, oral sex all guarantees you'll hit the spot.
Doggy Style
Prostock-studio/Shutterstock
Although many women orgasm most readily via clitoral stimulation, a good number can come through the stimulation of an area on the front wall of the vagina, about two to three inches from the opening.
You may know it as the "G-spot," although in recent years some scientists have asserted that this spongy area is part of the clitoral complex. But don't get bogged down in the nomenclature. Just find a position that puts your penis in direct contact with it. To that end, doggy style should be one of your go-tos.
Of all sex positions, this one allows for deep penetration and stimulation of the area. The best part is that even if your partner is one of the many women who require clitoral stimulation to come, she'll find it a snap to reach between her legs and use her fingers or a toy while enjoying the deeper penetration and bestial feel.
If you're a proficient enough multitasker, you can even reach between her legs and give her a hand yourself. Start by getting behind her, and if she's not doing so already, encourage her to raise and lower her upper body to search for an angle that works for her.
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The Bridge
Shutterstock / fizkes
If you're looking for another sex position that encourages deep penetration, a better-than-good chance of stimulating the special spot on the front wall of her vagina, and mutual access to her clitoris, look no further than The Bridge. It looks like a two-person yoga pose. Done right, this very intimate position can be downright transcendent.
Start off in missionary style towards the edge of the bed. Ask her to bend her knees so that her feet are resting flat. Then, holding her hips, shift back onto your wide-spread knees, supporting her weight as you bring her up and toward you.
Keep slightly bent at the hip, and sit your ass on your ankles. She'll be able to rest her bottom on the tops of your thighs to make this less of a feat of strength for you.
This position allows for some additional intimacy and affection during sex. The Bridge makes it possible to kiss your partner, maintain eye contact, and engage in even more physical touch.
Lazy Doggy Style (Rear Entry)
Shutterstock / volkovslava
We often save this position towards the end of sex because of how much control it gives the guy (hello, deep strokes, hard and fast), but a few simple tweaks can help transform it into a great sex position for women.
Have her lay down flat on the bed, with her pelvis slightly elevated. This tilt allows you to access the G-spot easier once inside of her. Lay down on top of her and begin thrusting from behind.
Don't be afraid to get creative with the tempo either. Some women like strong, speedy strokes while others prefer slow, circular movements. Check in with your partner and ask for some feedback!
Cowgirl
Shutterstock / gpointstudio
When she takes the reins, she'll be able to control the speed, depth, and angle of penetration and assume a supremely pleasing position. Cowgirl is the sexual equivalent of tossing her the car keys: "You know how to get us there? Be my guest!"
To begin, lie on your back so she can straddle you, facing in your direction. From this position, she can grind or move back and forth, up and down, in circles, or a mashup of all those motions.
As with doggy style, guiding her fingers or a toy to her clitoris will be a relatively easy proposition. Leaning backward or forward will alter the angle at which you enter her, and by planking on top of you, she can stage an inverted version of an advanced CAT position to better stimulate her clitoris.
Other variations include putting her feet flat on the bed or the floor so she can work you vertically in a deep and dirty squat.
As with every variation of face-to-face woman-on-top, your hands are free to stimulate her breasts and nipples. You can also lean forward to get your face in all that goodness, which may very well heighten her enjoyment of being in the driver's seat.
Reverse Cowgirl
Shutterstock / feeling lucky
Sure, it looks a little theatrical at times, but this position allows women to control everything from the speed of sex to how deeply she is penetrated. It gives her control of the angle you guys eventually settle on, even more so than in traditional Cowgirl—and that makes a huge difference.
Remember, women are masters of getting themselves off. The more control you relinquish to her during sex, the more likely she is to put things into place.
Start out by laying flat down on the bed. From there, she can position herself on top of you, much like in the traditional cowgirl position, only here, she'll be facing your feet instead of your face.
Spooning
Shutterstock / fizkes
Not only does this sex position feel great for her, but it also doesn't require too much effort, which makes it a good pick for an end-of-day or early-morning rendezvous.
Her legs will also be pressed together in this pose, creating more tightness during penetration—something that feels good for you and makes the G-spot easier to hit. Another perk is that it limits the depth of your thrusts, making it easier to last longer in bed.
Orgasm aside, many women enjoy the amount of intimacy this position permits. Spooning makes it easy to cuddle, kiss, and hold hands. Being pressed up against one another allows you to explore other parts of the body as well.
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Non-Penetrative Missionary (Outercourse)
Shutterstock / DavideAngelini
Another point for all the unconventional moves out there. As we established earlier, penetrative sex is not the end-all-be-all of female pleasure. In fact, it rarely follows through on all it promises to deliver. These moves also provide important alternatives for men who may come too quickly during more standard sex acts.
It's not hard to get into position, either. You follow the same process that you would to get into missionary—only instead of penetrating her, you'll simply rub the tip of your penis against her instead.
You still get the warmth, wetness, and friction that penetrative sex delivers. Meanwhile, she'll enjoy uninterrupted and direct clitoral stimulation, which we all know is a green light for orgasm.
The Champagne Room
This one is a seated, rear-entry sex position. Set yourself up on a chair or at the edge of the bed while your partner backs up onto your lap.
Not only does this put her in the driver's seat, meaning she can control the speed and angle at which you enter her, but it leaves her hands free and the front of her body open for business, as well.
Whether she decides to use her hands, a toy, or put your hands to work, there's plenty of opportunity for dual stimulation of both the G-spot and the clitoris. And if you're a fan of anal, you're in luck: The Champagne Room can easily accommodate this stunt as well.
The Table
Shutterstock / Aloha Hawaii
This position is similar to missionary, but with a twist. Find a surface for your partner to lie on with her hips slightly raised. Whether it's a countertop, a bed, or a piece of living room furniture, it doesn't really matter—you just need it to be sturdy and about the same height as your pelvis.
From there, you can spread your partner's legs and place them on top of your shoulders as you enter her. This allows for the deeper penetration needed to hit the G-spot and leaves plenty of room for clitoral play. For extra comfort, try placing a pillow underneath your partner. It might also help you secure an even better angle.
Why Do Sex Positions for Women Matter?
Why bother tailoring a list of sex positions towards women, in particular? Just take a look at the statistics. Researchers have pinpointed heterosexual women as the demographic who experience the least amount of orgasms during sex.
That's not to say they don't orgasm a lot—it just means they don't often achieve it with their partners. A separate study found that 39 percent of women experienced orgasm when masturbating, compared to just 6 percent during partnered sex.
Researchers have come to call this discrepancy the "orgasm gap." While more antique interpretations of the phenomenon pointed to the equipment involved, it's been well established that women are just as capable as men of achieving orgasm—especially when alone.
Indeed, the biggest blockade for the female orgasm seems to be the men tasked with delivering it. But the more they learn about female anatomy and arousal, the closer we get to bridging the gap. And the closer we get, the harder we come.
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