The Hite Report A Nationwide Study of Female Sexuality

by Hite, Shere

• ISBN13: 9781583225691
• ISBN10: 1583225692
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-11-04
• Publisher: Seven Stories Press

Summary

Featuring a new foreword by the author, this is the classic feminist analysis of sex that galvanized a cultural revolution. Originally published in 1976, The Hite Report revealed the most intimate sexual feelings of 3,000 women: what they like and don't like; how orgasm really feels, with and without intercourse; how it feels to not have an orgasm during sex; the importance of clitoral stimulation and masturbation; and the greatest pleasures and frustrations of their sexual lives. The most shocking revelation was that orgasm is simply and easily achieved with the right stimulation, and that sex is a cultural institution - not just a biological one. Hite explains in her introduction that while society has in theory made great strides with regard to female sexuality since the book's first edition, the dissatisfactions with their sex lives some women voice today are reminiscent of the issues raised in the 1970s..

Author Biography

Shere Hite is visiting professor of gender and culture at Nihon University in Japan and professor of the American Academy of Maimonides University in the U.S.

Table of Contents

Introduction to the 2004 edition	11	(6)
Preface	17	(2)
The Questions	19	(6)
Who answered	25	(20)
Questionnaire distribution	25	(1)
Geographic distribution of replies	26	(8)
``Marital status''	34	(1)
Age	35	(1)
Religious background	36	(1)
Education	37	(1)
Occupation	37	(2)
``Why did you answer this questionnaire?''	39	(6)
Analysis of replies	45	(1)
Project financing	46	(1)
Women who contributed	47	(4)
Masturbation
Introduction	51	(2)
Feelings about masturbation	53	(14)
``Do you enjoy masturbating?''	53	(8)
``What is the importance of masturbation?''	61	(6)
Types of masturbation	67	(38)
Types I-VI	68	(32)
Leg position	100	(5)
Orgasm
Is orgasm important?	105	(8)
What do the stages of orgasm feel like?	113	(32)
Arousal	113	(9)
Orgasm	122	(7)
Contractions	129	(5)
After orgasm	134	(4)
Multiple orgasms	138	(7)
Does orgasm feel different with or without intercourse?	145	(17)
Anatomy	145	(4)
The clitoral-vaginal controversy	149	(9)
``Vaginal ache''	158	(2)
Conclusion	160	(2)
Emotional orgasm	162	(3)
Women who never orgasm	165	(16)
Intercourse
Do most women orgasm from intercourse?	181	(35)
Findings of this study	184	(5)
The glorification of intercourse	189	(1)
Why have we thought women should orgasm from intercourse?	189	(9)
``If you don't have orgasms during intercourse, you're hung-up.''	198	(7)
``Do you ever fake orgasms?''	205	(8)
Conclusion	213	(3)
How do women orgasm during intercourse?	216	(35)
Masters and Johnson: A Rube Goldberg model?	216	(3)
Women who orgasm during intercourse: How they do it	219	(12)
Clitoral stimulation by hand during intercourse	231	(7)
Conclusion: Do it yourself	238	(1)
The connection between orgasm during intercourse and masturbation	239	(12)
Clitoral Stimulation
How have most men had sex with you?	251	(10)
Orgasm from clitoral stimulation by hand	261	(24)
Do most women orgasm regularly from clitoral stimulation by hand?	261	(3)
Feelings about clitoral stimulation	264	(12)
What kind of clitoral stimulation do women like?	276	(9)
Orgasm from cunnilingus	285	(21)
How many women orgasm regularly from cunnilingus?	285	(2)
Feelings about cunnilingus	287	(11)
What kind of cunnilingus do women like?	298	(3)
``Do you ever find it necessary to masturbate to achieve orgasm after `making love'?''	301	(5)
Conclusion	306	(5)
Lesbianism
Introduction	311	(5)
Survey responses	316	(19)
How do women relate physically?	320	(4)
Reasons women prefer to relate sexually to women	324	(6)
Lesbianism can be political	330	(5)
Sexual Slavery
What is sexual slavery?	335	(2)
Feelings about sex and intercourse	337	(7)
``Do you like vaginal penetration intercourse?''	338	(6)
Why don't women create their own orgasms?	344	(13)
Habit	344	(2)
Love	346	(2)
Economics	348	(9)
The Sexual Revolution
Introduction	357	(2)
The ambiguity of the ``sexual revolution''	359	(21)
``What do you think of the sexual revolution?''	359	(1)
Increased openness is good	359	(3)
There was no real revolution	362	(2)
Women lost their right to say ``no''	364	(5)
How strong is the male ``sex drive''?	369	(3)
The double standard	372	(3)
Be a ``good girl''!	375	(5)
Sex and emotions	380	(5)
Birth control	385	(3)
How important is sex?	388	(9)
Conclusion	397	(4)
Older Women
How does age affect female sexuality?	401	(16)
Toward a New Female Sexuality
Redefining sex	417	(1)
The future of intercourse	418	(17)
Sex as usual?	418	(5)
Do women always want intercourse?	423	(7)
Toward a new kind of intercourse	430	(3)
Do men need intercourse?	433	(2)
Touching is sex too	435	(16)
Feelings about physical closeness	435	(11)
What kinds of touching do women like?	446	(5)
Appendices
Questionnaires	451	(12)
Statistical Breakdown of Findings (by chapter)	463	(33)
Questionnaire for Women Readers	496	(12)
Notes	508	(3)
Acknowledgments	511	(1)
About the author	512