Marie Claire UK
  • Fashion Fashion
      • Fashion
        • View all Fashion
        • Fashion Trends
        • Shopping
        • Watches and Jewellery
        • Fashion News
  • Beauty Beauty
      • Beauty
        • View all Beauty
        • Fragrance
        • Hair
        • Make Up
        • Skincare
        • Nails
        • Marie Claire Beauty Awards
  • Health Health
      • Health
        • View all Health
        • Fitness
        • Nutrition
        • Female Health
        • Wellbeing
  • Life Life
      • Life
        • View all Life
        • Opinions
        • Travel
        • Sustainability
        • Weddings
        • Money & Work
        • Competitions
  • Culture Culture
      • Culture
        • View all Culture
        • TV and Film
        • Celebrity News
        • Books
        • Royal News
  • Vouchers Vouchers
      • Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Mint Velvet
        • Karen Millen
        • H&M
        • nobody's child
        • ASOS
        • ARKET
        • MANGO
      • Designer Clothing
        • View all Vouchers
        • Reiss
        • THE OUTNET
        • SSENSE
        • Mytheresa
        • Liberty London
        • Selfridges
        • Farfetch
      • Accessories
        • View all Vouchers
        • AllSaints
        • Aspinal of London
        • Charles & Keith
        • River Island
        • FitFlop
        • Kate Spade
        • Vagabond
      • Jewellery
        • View all Vouchers
        • Pandora
        • Abbott Lyon
        • Goldsmiths
        • Beaverbrooks
        • Astrid & Miyu
        • Swarovski
        • Angara Jewellery
      • Beauty
        • View all Vouchers
        • Sephora
        • Cult Beauty
        • Space NK
        • Dyson
        • Clarins
        • Look Fantastic
        • Clinique
      • Activewear
        • View all Vouchers
        • Lululemon
        • Gymshark
        • Sweaty Betty
        • Nike
        • adidas
        • New Balance
        • Helly Hansen
  • NEWSLETTER Signup to our newsletter
  • logoCreated with Sketch.
    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!


    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    You are now subscribed

    Your newsletter sign-up was successful


    An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
    Trending
    • Latest Issue
    • Marie Claire Masters
    • Autumn Winter 2026
    • Nail Trends 2026
    • Best Investment Bags
    • Best Perfumes
    1. Life
    2. Relationships

    New research shows these four things are guaranteed to make sex more pleasurable for women

    Ladies, listen up.

    Ally Head's avatar
    By Ally Head
    Published 15 April 2021 In Features

    When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

    Couple Having Sex On Bed At Home
    (Image credit: Getty Images/EyeEm)
    • Facebook
    • X
    • Pinterest
    Share this article
    Join the conversation
    Follow us
    Add us as a preferred source on Google
    Subscribe to our newsletter

    Ladies, listen up.

    Chances are, if you and your partner have decided to spice things up in the bedroom, you've ordered a new sex toy, read up on a few positions you haven't tried before, or even Googled the 'how to' guide for bondage for beginners or pegging.

    But, public service announcement: a new study by the Indiana University School of Medicine and OMGYES has concluded that there are actually four specific techniques guaranteed to make women, in particular, enjoy sex more.

    The findings, which surveyed 4,270 women between the ages of 18 and 93 globally, reveal that there are four ways women up their pleasure during vaginal penetration.

    Close to nine in 10 (87%) of women who responded enjoy 'angling' during sex - that's 'rotating, raising or lowering the hips during penetration to adjust where inside the vagina the toy or penis rubs', but more on that in a bit.

    You may like
    • A foggy sunrise, an unmade bed and a vanity with a mirror and a mug 26 Micro Habits That Could Positively Impact Your Hormone Health, According to Top Experts
    • A woman body brushing, taking a supplement, and heading to a workout class in gym city I Asked Leading Women’s Health Experts About the Best Health Investment They’ve Ever Made. Their Answers Surprised Me
    • A close up of some flowers: roses, daises, dahlias I've Tried 7 Different Types of Birth Control. Here's What I Wish Someone Had Told Me Sooner

    The authors of the study share that they believe the ability to communicate these techniques is a 'critical scaffold' for women's overall wellbeing, and 'reframes [female] enjoyment of sex as a fundamental human right.'

    "For the first time, we have detailed scientific data to understand the different ways that women experience more pleasure with vaginal penetration,’ shares Dr Devon Hensel, one of the researchers on the study. "This information can help us build a vocabulary to describe female pleasure that currently doesn’t exist."

    So why are these findings so important? Simply put, because we've never explored this subject matter before, or even taken the time to work out exactly what makes a woman tick when it comes to sex. "When something doesn’t even have a name, it’s made literally unspeakable. Until now, there haven’t been words for the specific ways women improve their pleasure," doctor von Hippel, another researcher on the study, further explains.

    Marie Claire Newsletter

    Celebrity news, beauty, fashion advice, and fascinating features, delivered straight to your inbox!

    By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

    "By giving these prevalent techniques names and showing how they can be effective, we hope women will be empowered to explore what they like and advocate for what they want, in and outside of the bedroom."

    Keen to find out more about these four techniques? You're in the right place. The findings reveal that rocking, angling, pairing and shallowing all make sex more enjoyable for women.

    76.4% of women make penetration that bit more enjoyable by rocking during sexual intercourse. Why? Well, largely to increase clit stimulation, bypassing the standard thrusting and instead favouring a deeper penetration where the clit is stimulated by the penis, too.

    A further 87.5% of women shared that sex is more pleasurable for them when they angle their vagina differently during the intercourse. That is, moving your hips, pelvis, legs or knees during sex to increase your sexual satisfaction. Think about it - and note that the more you experiment, the more you'll know exactly what angle works best for you.

    69.7% of women reported that 'pairing' turns them on during sex - that is, getting involved themselves and making sure all the hard work isn't left to their significant other. They note that this can include 'solo pairing', where a woman touches herself during sex, or 'partner pairing', where your partner touches your clitoris during sex. Essentially, it's clitoral stimulation paired with penetration again - are you noticing a pattern here?

    Last but by no means least, 83.8% of women shared that sex is better for them when it includes 'shallowing' - which essentially means favouring shallow penetration, rather than deep vaginal penetration. The findings found that women actually reach orgasm more regularly when the penis - or sex toy, tongue, or other instrument - in question touches just inside their vagina.

    What do you reckon? Do those four techniques make sex more pleasurable for you, too?

    Ally Head
    Ally Head
    Social Links Navigation
    Senior Health and Sustainability Editor

    Ally is Marie Claire UK's Senior Health and Sustainability Editor, a well-regarded wellness expert, ten-time marathoner, and Boston Qualifying runner.

    Utilising her impressive skillset and exceptional quality of writing, she pens investigative, review and first-person pieces that consistently demonstrate flair and originality.

    Ally manages a team of freelancers, oversees all commissioning and strategy for her pillars, and spearheads the brand's annual Women in Sport covers, interviewing and shooting the likes of Mary Earps, Millie Bright, and Ilona Maher. Shortlisted for three BSMEs and winning one in 2022, Ally lives and breathes her verticals: her eye for a story and connections within the wellness sphere are unrivalled. Follow Ally on Instagram for more.

    Read more
    A foggy sunrise, an unmade bed and a vanity with a mirror and a mug
    Female health 26 Micro Habits That Could Positively Impact Your Hormone Health, According to Top Experts
    A woman body brushing, taking a supplement, and heading to a workout class in gym city
    Female health I Asked Leading Women’s Health Experts About the Best Health Investment They’ve Ever Made. Their Answers Surprised Me
     
     
    A close up of some flowers: roses, daises, dahlias
    Female health I've Tried 7 Different Types of Birth Control. Here's What I Wish Someone Had Told Me Sooner
    Dr Hazel Wallace
    Female health I’m a Female Health Expert With PMOS. These 8 ‘Boring’ Habits Help Me the Most
     
     
    Latest in Relationships
    Carrie Bradshaw and Mr Big standing outdoors in Sex and the City, a show that influenced what women expect from men in romantic relationships.
    Relationships “I Expected Men to Be Financial Providers, But Not Emotionally Safe”—What We Ask From Male Partners Has Changed, But Is It For Better or Worse?
    Abstract woman portrait in glitch style - stock photo
    Relationships His Girlfriend Died. Eight Years Later, An AI Version Of Her Replied
     
     
    Why We Hold Onto Things From Our Past: A Collection of Sentimental Keepsakes, Old Photographs and Letters
    Relationships Why Is It So Hard to Throw Away Things From Our Past?
    Louise O'Neill started dating at 39 -- here's what she learnt
    Relationships I Started Dating Again at 39. Here Are 21 Things I Learned About Men
     
     
    Latest in Features
    Carrie Bradshaw and Mr Big standing outdoors in Sex and the City, a show that influenced what women expect from men in romantic relationships.
    Relationships “I Expected Men to Be Financial Providers, But Not Emotionally Safe”—What We Ask From Male Partners Has Changed, But Is It For Better or Worse?
    What Lily Loves
    Shopping These Black Leggings Are My Secret to Easy Autumn Style Plus the Celine Loafers I’ll Never Regret Buying
     
     
    Abstract woman portrait in glitch style - stock photo
    Relationships His Girlfriend Died. Eight Years Later, An AI Version Of Her Replied
    Best Treatments for Eye Wrinkles, Dark Circles and Hooded Eyes
    Skincare From Dark Circles to Drooping Lids—An Expert Guide to What Really Works for Every Eye Concern
     
     
    logoCreated with Sketch.
    • Site Archive
    • Contact Future's experts
    • Contact us
    • Terms and conditions
    • Advertise with us
    • Privacy policy
    • Cookies policy
    • About us
    Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google

    Marie Claire UK is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

    © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.