FREQUENCY AND TIMING OF COITAL ORGASM IN WOMEN DESIROUS OF BECOMING PREGNANT

Generally, no functional role, except pleasure, is assigned to a women 's coital orgasm. Recently, however, researchers have suggested that w omen can regulate the number of sperm accepted or rejected by manipula tion coital orgasm timing. Baker and Bellis (1995) demonstrated that w omen retain more sperm if coital orgasm occurs after, rather than befo re male ejaculation. The present study investigated (i) factors associ ated with coital orgasm frequency and (ii) whether women desirous of b ecoming pregnant report more coital orgasms after than before their pa rtners. Sixty-nine women rated their desire for pregnancy and answered questions about their sexual behaviors, coital orgasm frequency, and coital orgasm timing in relation to their partners. In regression anal ysis, coital orgasm frequency was predicted by foreplay duration, mast urbation frequency, and active sexual participation; desire for pregna ncy did not predict coital orgasm frequency. Desire for pregnancy was predicted by age (negatively), active sexual participation (positively ), and positively by orgasm after partner ejaculation. Consistent with the Baker and Bellis hypothesis, frequency of orgasm after partner's orgasm remained a significant predictor for desire for pregnancy after controlling for degree of marital happiness, sexual foreplay duration , and coital orgasm frequency.