What a great way to start the morning! Salon poses the question Why Do Women Have Sex? and interviews Cindy M. Meston and evolutionary psychologist David M. Buss, two researchers at the University of Texas at Austin and the authors of a recent 1000 women survey turned book.
Some interesting, if not familiar highlights are: orgasms don’t exactly serve an evolutionary function (they’re just nice and make women want to have sex more), women have sex because it “feels good” just like men, harm reduction without addressing root cause is not as effective, rape fantasies (about submission v. fear for one’s life) are fairly common, and hetero leaning women tend to be attracted to tall, square-jawed men.
What was a brand new concept for me was the scientific term for Hook Up Culture: Short-term mating! Some of the added benefits for women in short-term mating are:
Buss: It’s also my hunch that women are probably gaining other sorts of benefits — in a pinch she can probably call the guy if she needs him for something.
Like moving heavy things, building shelves, and truing a bike wheel! A mutually useful exchange. Somehow I think Laura Sessions Stepp wouldn’t agree.
