Reconsidering gender differences in sexual desire: An update

Abstract

A nearly universal stereotype holds that men are driven by their sexual impulses or drives while women rarely feel desire. This paper will consider the reported differences in sexual desire between men and women and the biological and social considerations fueling these differences. The effect of menstruation, gestation and lactation on female sexual desire will be briefly reviewed as well as the influence of estrogens and androgens on sexual drive. The suggestion will be made that, while differences in sexual drive and its behavioral expressions certainly exist, these gender differences may be narrowing as women gain political, social, economic and reproductive freedom. Finally, it will be argued that these differences may be precisely what makes sex interesting and meaningful and more than the simple release of biological tension.