Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The pursuit of sexual pleasure

  • Published:
Sexuality & Culture Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

While people engage in sexual activities for a variety of reasons, one primary motivation is pleasure. Rather than disentangle the various complications of human sexuality, this paper will focus on sexual pleasure. We begin with definitions of sex and sexuality, and a consideration of the nature of sexual pleasure. To this end, we will discuss a wide variety of activities that result in sexual pleasure. These include solitary behaviors (i.e., fantasy and masturbation) as well as partnered activities (i.e., kissing, touching, oral sex, intercourse, anal sex, and techniques of same-sex couples). A section on “spicy sex” considers activities that some people might consider risqué while others might consider quite bland. Employment of sex toys, erotica, Internet sexuality, sadomasochism, and sexual tourism are used as exemplars of sexual activities which a subset of the population views as highly arousing, pleasurable, and desirable. These demonstrate how the adage “different strokes for different folks” applies (quite literally) to sexual behavior. We end with a discussion of how “acceptable” forms of sexual pleasure can change depending on the culture and the environment in which the individual finds herself/himself and how a continuing dialogue about sexual pleasure could change current sexual scripts.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abramson, P.R., & Pinkerton, S.D. (1995).With pleasure: Thoughts on the nature of human sexuality. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alison, L., Santtila, P., Sandnabba, N.K., & Nordling, N. (2001). Sadomasochistically oriented behavior: Diversity in practice and meaning.Archives of Sexual Behavior, 30(1), 1–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed., text revision). Washington: Author.

  • Barrett, A. (2004). Oral sex and teenagers: A sexual health educator’sperspective.Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 13(3/4), 197–200.

    Google Scholar 

  • Barrett, M., King, A., Lévy, J., Maticka-Tyndale, E., McKay, A., & Fraser, J. (2004). Canada. In R.T. Francoeur & R.J. Noonan (Eds.),The Continuum complete international encyclopedia of sexuality (pp. 126–181). New York: Continuum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blumstein, P., & Schwartz, P. (1983).American couples. New York: Morrow.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyce, W., Doherty, M., Fortin, C., & MacKinnon, D. (2003).Canadian youth, sexual health and HIV/AIDS study. Toronto, ON: Council of Ministers of Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Browning, J.R., Hatfield, E., Kessler, D., & Levine, T. (2000). Sexual motives, gender and sexual behavior.Archives of Sexual Behavior, 29(2), 135–153.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bryant, C. (1982).Sexual deviancy and social proscription: The social context of carnal behavior. New York: Human Sciences Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Byers, S., Purdon, C., & Clark, D.A. (1998). Sexual intrusive thoughts of college students.Journal of Sex Research, 35(4), 359–369.

    Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, D., & Osland, J.A. (2000). Sexual fantasy and erotica / pornography: Internal and external imagery. In L.T. Szuchman & F. Muscarella (Eds.),Psychological perspectives on human sexuality (pp. 283–305). Toronto, ON: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cabezas, A.L. (2004). Between love and money: Sex, tourism, and citizenship in Cuba and the Dominican Republic.Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 29(4), 987–1015.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caster, W. (1993).The lesbian sex book. Boston, MA: Alyson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chaiken, I., Golin, S., & Kennar, L. (Producers) (2006).The L word [Television series]. Showtime.

  • Coleman, E. (2002). Masturbation as a means of achieving sexual health.Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 14(2/3), 5–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Colby, C. (Producer). (2006).The sex files [Television series]. Discovery Channel.

  • Comfort, A. (1972).The joy of sex: A gourmet guide to love making. New York: Simon & Shuster.The complete kama sutra: The first unabridged translation of the classic Indian text (A. Daniélou, Trans.). (1994). Rochester, VT: Rock Street Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, A., McLoughlin, I.P., & Campbell, K.M. (2000). Sexuality in cyberspace: Update for the 21st Century.CyberPsychology & Behavior, 3(4), 521–536.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, A., Putnam, D.E., Planchon, L.A., & Boies, S.C. (1999). Online sexual compulsivity: Getting tangled in the net.Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 6(2), 79–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper, A., Sherer, C., Boies, S.C., & Gordon, B. (1999). Sexuality on the Internet: From sexual exploration to pathological expression.Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 30(2), 154–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daneback, K., Cooper, A., & Månsson, S.-A. (2005). An Internet study of cybersex participants.Archives of Sexual Behavior, 34(3), 321–328.The dark side of sexuality (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2006 from http://www.sju. ca/courses/course.php?course=408&id=29&ad=10&dir=sexuality

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis, C.M., Blank, J., Lin, H.-Y., & Bonillas, C. (1996). Characteristics of vibrator use among women.Journal of Sex Research, 33(4), 313–320.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeLamater, J.D., & Hyde, J.S. (1998). Essentialism vs. social constructionism in the study of human sexuality.Journal of Sex Research, 35(1), 10–18.

    Google Scholar 

  • DeLamater, J.D., & Hyde, J. S. (2003). Sexuality. In J.J. Ponzetti, Jr. (Ed.).International encyclopedia of marriage and family, Volume 3. (2nd ed.) (pp. 1456–1462). New York: Macmillan/Thomson Gale.

    Google Scholar 

  • Doskoch, P. (1995, September / October). The safest sex.Psychology Today, 28, 46–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis, B.J., & Symons, D. (1990). Sex differences in sexual fantasy: An evolutionary psychology approach.Journal of Sex Research, 27(4), 527–555.

    Google Scholar 

  • Feigelman, W. (1974). Peeping: The pattern of voyeurism among construction workers.Urban Life and Culture, 3(1), 35–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foucault, M. (1978).The history of sexuality: Vol. 1.An introduction R. Hurley, Trans.). New York: Pantheon. (Original work published 1976)

    Google Scholar 

  • Gagnon, J.H., & Simon, W. (1987). The sexual scripting of oral genital contacts.Archives of Sexual Behavior, 16(1), 1–25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, K. (2005).The kiss in history. Manchester: Manchester University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hawkes, G. (1996).A sociology of sex and sexuality. Philadelphia, PA: Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Herold, E., Garcia, R., & DeMoya, T. (2001). Female tourists and beach boys: Romance or sex tourism?Annals of Tourism Research, 28(4), 978–997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsu, B., Kling, A., Kessler, C., Knapke, K., Diefenbach, P., & Elias, J.E. (1994). Gender differences in sexual fantasy and behavior in a college population: A ten-year replication.Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 20(2), 103–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Huribert, D.F., & Apt, C. (1993). Female sexuality: A comparative study between women in homosexual and heterosexual relationships.Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 19(4), 315–327.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyde, J.S., DeLamater, J.D., & Byers, E.S. (2006).Understanding human sexuality (3rd ed., Canadian). Toronto, ON: McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keating, B.A., & Over, R. (1990). Sexual fantasies of heterosexual and homosexual men.Archives of Sexual Behavior, 19(5), 461–475.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • King, M.P., Chupack, C., Melfi, J., Bicks, J., Raab, J., et al. (Producers). (2006).Sex and the city [Television series]. New York: HBO.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinsey, A.C., Pomeroy, W.B., & Martin, C.E. (1949).Sexual behavior in the human male. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinsey, A.C., Pomeroy, W.B., Martin, C.E., & Gebhard, P.H. (1953).Sexual behavior in the human female. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders.

    Google Scholar 

  • Knafo, D. & Jaffe, Y. (1984). Sexual fantasizing in males and females.Journal of Research in Personality, 18(4), 451–462.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kutchinsky, B. (1976). Deviance and criminality: The case of voyeur in a peepers’ paradise.Diseases of the Nervous System, 37(3), 145–151.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laumann, E.O., Gagnon, J.H., Michael, R.T., & Michaels, S. (1994).The social organization of sexuality: Sexual practices in the United States. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leitenberg, H., & Henning, K. (1995). Sexual fantasy.Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 469–496.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Little, C.A., & Byers, E.S. (2000). Differences between positive and negative sexual cognitions.Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 9(3), 167–179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mah, K., & Binik, Y.M. (2005). Are orgasms in the mind or the body? Psychosocial versus physiological correlates of orgasmic pleasure and satisfaction.Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 31(3), 187–200.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maines, R.P. (1999).The technology of orgasm: “Hysteria,” the vibrator, and women’s sexual satisfaction. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masters, W.H., & Johnson, V.E. (1966).Human sexual response. Boston, MA: Little, Brown.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masters, W.H., & Johnson, V.E. (1979).Homosexuality in perspective. Boston, MA: Little, Brown.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maticka-Tyndale, E., & Herold, E.S. (1997). The scripting of sexual behaviour: Canadian university students on spring break in Florida.Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 6(4), 317–328.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maticka-Tyndale, E., Herold, E.S., & Mewhinney, D. (1998). Casual sex on spring break: Intentions and behaviors of Canadian students.Journal of Sex Research, 35(3), 254–264.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McCauley, C., & Swann, C.P. (1978). Male-female differences in sexual fantasy.Journal of Research in Personality, 12(1), 76–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McKay, A. (2004). Oral sex among teenagers: Research, discourse, and education.Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 13(3/4), 201–203.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mewhinney, D.M., Herold, E.S., & Maticka-Tyndale, E. (1995). Sexual scripts and risk-taking of Canadian university students on spring break in Daytona Beach, Florida.Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 4(4), 273–288.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mosher, C., & Levitt, E.E. (1987). An exploratory-descriptive study of a sadomasochistically oriented sample.Journal of Sex Research, 23(3), 322–337.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mosher, W.D., Chandra, A., & Jones, J. (2005). Sexual behavior and selected health measures: Men and women 15–44 years of age, United States, 2002.Advance data from vital and health statistics, no. 362. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Connell Davidson, J., &, Sánchez Taylor, J. (1999). Fantasy islands: Exploring the demand for sex tourism. In K. Kempadoo (Ed.)Sun, sex, and gold: Tourism and sex work in the Caribbean (pp. 37–54). Oxford: Rowman Littlefield.

    Google Scholar 

  • Parrinder, G. (1996).Sexual morality in the world religions. Oxford: Oneworld.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pinkerton, S.D., Bogart, L.M., Cecil, H., & Abramson, P.R. (2002). Factors associated with masturbation in a collegiate sample.Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 14(2/3), 103–121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinkerton, S.D., Cecil, H., Bogart, L.M., & Abramson, P.R. (2003). The pleasures of sex: An empirical investigation.Cognition and Emotion, 17(2), 341–353.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Renaud, C.A., & Byers, E.S. (1999). Exploring the frequency, diversity, and content of university students’ positive and negative sexual cognitions.Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality, 8(1), 17–30.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robinson, J.D., & Parks, C.W. (2003). Lesbian and bisexual women’s sexual fantasies, psychological adjustment, and close relationship functioning.Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 15(4), 185–203.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sánchez Taylor, J. (2001). Dollars are a girl’s best friend? Female tourists’ sexual behaviour in the Carribean.Sociology, 35(3), 749–764.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sandnabba, N.K., Santtila, P., & Nordling, N. (1999). Sexual behavior and social adaptation among sadomasochistically-oriented males.Journal of Sex Research, 36(3), 273–282.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shweder, R.A., Much, N.C., Mahapatra, M., & Park, L. (1997). The “big three” of morality (autonomy, community, divinity) and the “big three” explanations of suffering. In Brandt, A.M.,Morality and Health (pp. 119–169). Florence, KY: Taylor & Francis / Routledge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Venning, R., & Cavanah, C. (2003).Sex toys 101: A playfully uninhibited guide. New York: Fireside.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warren, W.K., & King, A.J. (1994).Development and evaluation of an AIDS/ STD/Sexuality program for Grade 9 students. Kingston, ON: Social Program Evaluation Group, Queens University.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weeks, J. (1981).Sex, politics, and society. New York: Longman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weeks, J. (1986).Key Ideas: Sexuality (P. Hamilton, Series Ed.). London: Tavistock.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wellings, K., Field, J., Johnson, A.M., & Wadsworth, J. (1994).Sexual behavior in Britain: The national survey of sexual attitudes and lifestyles. London: Penguin.

    Google Scholar 

  • Westheimer, R.K. (1995).Sex for dummies. Chicago: IDG Books Worldwide.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wikimedia Foundation (2006). Tribadism. Retrieved February 26, 2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribadism

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Psychology and Sexuality, Marriage and Family Studies, St. Jerome’s University, 290 Westmount Road North, N2L 3G3, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

    B. J. Rye & Glenn J. Meaney

Authors
  1. B. J. Rye
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Glenn J. Meaney
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to B. J. Rye.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rye, B.J., Meaney, G.J. The pursuit of sexual pleasure. Sexuality & Culture 11, 28–51 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02853934

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02853934

Keywords

Search

Navigation