The Truth Behind Men's Sex Drive Compared to Women's

"To have a penis is to be chained to a madman." This ancient simile has been attributed to Socrates, Sophocles, and Plato, though no concrete evidence of its origins exists. Regardless of who said it, its truth is hard to argue. Over the years, numerous studies have attempted to define and examine the major differences between a man and woman’s sex drive. While some have proven their theory through biology and genetics, others have observed the emotional and mental link to one’s sexual appetite.

The term sex drive is defined as the urge to seek satisfaction of one’s sexual needs and let’s be honest, it doesn’t exactly take a genius to figure out who takes the cake for horniest human. Men, without a doubt, hold that title thanks to their stronger and more direct sex drive which has been proven time and time again. Unfortunately, like many other areas in life, a woman’s sex drive is way more complicated than a man’s. Not only do a higher percentage of women turn down sex, but the height of their sex drive depends on a variety of internal and external influences. Whether it be stress, hormones, age, or time of month, a woman’s sexual appetite holds little competition to that of a man.

The Sex Statistics

Possibly the biggest reason men have a stronger sex drive is the fact that men inherently think and look for sex more than women do. 60% of men think about sex at least once a day compared to 25% of women. Perhaps that is why men also take the lead when it comes to masturbation with a whopping 75% of men claiming they masturbate regularly compared to only 40% of women. Many have noted the uncertainty of that number due to the fact that it is not as socially acceptable for a woman to admit to masturbation as it is for a man. Now, who feels guiltier after the self-pleasuring deed is done? Surprisingly, 50% of men experience feelings of shame after they masturbate. No doubt this percentage is directly linked to the material used to climax, seeing as men makeup 70% of the adult content market.

The Hormone Factor

When it comes to our sex drive, it relies heavily on testosterone, which is the hormone responsible for arousal. Even though women are more sensitive to the hormone, men produce a significantly higher amount of testosterone. Now add that to the hormonal changes women face every month and you have not only a weaker drive but one that fluctuates daily. During ovulation, a woman’s body is said to reach its sexual-seeking peak, and yet not even two weeks later it then drops to its lowest point. What happens in between is a constant rise and fall proving that the phrase “I’m not in the mood” could scientifically be true for women during certain times of the month. Obviously, men do not have a menstrual cycle leaving them with a higher, more consistent drive. Oh, how glorious it is to be a man!

Sex Drive Maturity

Just like fine wine, a woman’s sex drive takes time to develop. Many believe that a man’s sexual desire develops as soon as puberty hits and will continue to flourish until the age of 50. Women, on the other hand, begin later in life, many not reaching their prime until mid-thirties. However, the fact is that these theories are taken from a book that was published in 1953 by a man Alfred Kinsey. A time where milk was 93 cents and the average age to marry was 22. How this information from over a half a century ago has managed to stay relevant is beyond my comprehension. The truth of the matter is that both men and women reach their sexual peak in their late teens and as we grow older our testosterone levels begin to decrease along with our hormonal desire for sex. Let it be known that there is such a thing as the emotional and mental sexual peak and that for women may not be reached until her late twenties or early thirties. This heightened drive has nothing to do with the human makeup, but rather experience and confidence in the bedroom. For a woman, it may take a while to learn her body and how to reach orgasm as well as gaining the confidence to ask for what she wants and needs. It is no secret that men are able to climax more easily and much quicker than women. The average time it takes a man from the point of entry to ejaculation is four minutes, for the ladies it is around 10 or 11 minutes, if she orgasms at all. Among men who are part of a couple, 75% say they always have an orgasm, as opposed to 26% of women.

Sex Through Society

Sex in society is also a great example of men and their larger libidos. Prostitution is still mostly a phenomenon of men seeking sex with women, rather than the other way around. Why it is no surprise that 80% of the prostitution population is made up of females. Same goes in the world of male strippers and male strip clubs, which are in far lower demand than female strippers and gentlemen’s clubs, proving once again that men actively seek sex more than women.

The Little Blue Pill

It is no wonder that having a lower libido is easier to cope with for a man than a woman. Why? Well, because it is much easier to treat a low desire that is due to a decreasing hormone. With men's sex drives seemingly more directly tied to biology when compared to women, medication is readily available to fix the problem. With women, the search for a drug to boost her drive has proved more elusive. Not only is there no immediate solution for women like there is Viagra for men, but since a woman’s desire is linked to many outside influences, there is no one little pink pill that can ease stress, level hormones, and produce testosterone. That would take about three or four prescriptions, all which come with major warnings. Unlike his little blue pill, which worst case scenario can cause a longer than desired erection, the pill Addyi (women’s version of Viagra) comes with major dangers. Like severely low blood pressure if taken with any alcohol use. That’s right, not even one glass of wine is safe with this script. Add that to the fact that Addyi must be taken over time for it to be effective and it is no surprise that the pill was only prescribed 227 times in its first few weeks compared to a half a million of Viagra.