The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study of Female Sexuality by Shere Hite (1976)
“I for one am heartily sick of reading what men have to say about sexuality.” So answered one woman in Shere Hite’s groundbreaking survey into how women experience sex, for which she interviewed 3,000 women from different backgrounds. Hite’s work revealed that almost all women masturbate and can orgasm when they do, while less than a third said they could through penetrative sex alone. Hite was one of the first to demonstrate the existence of the orgasm gap and to prove that most heterosexual women were performing good sex for their partners, rather than experiencing it.
Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters – and How to Get It by Laurie Mintz (2017)
Published 41 years after Hite’s survey – because we didn’t learn the lesson the first time around – the American sex therapist Laurie Mintz brings her expertise in psychology and sexuality to explore the ongoing inequalities in heterosexual sex: 64% of women versus 91% of men said they had an orgasm during their last sexual encounter. A bold and brilliant book.
Aphrodisia: Women, Sex and Pleasure in the Classical World by Jean Menzies (2026)
If you want to know why we have ended up in such a state, look no further than Aphrodisia by Jean Menzies. The Scottish historian and author skilfully examines ancient sources to determine how women’s sexuality was culturally understood and legally regulated. She traces dominant sexual scripts from the ancient world and invites the reader to consider just how much has really changed when it comes to attitudes to pleasure. Spoiler: not enough.
Flick: The Story of Female Pleasure by Kate Lister is published by Bantam (£22). Order a copy from The Observer Shop for £19.80. (10% off RRP). Delivery charges may apply
Photography by Alamy
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