A new study has explored male preferences regarding female genitalia – including what they find most attractive.
According to the Daily Mail, 200 heterosexual men – ranging from the ages of 19 to 77 – took part in a study conducted by E. Sandra Byers, professor emerita at the University of New Brunswick (UNB), and UNB clinical psychologist Miranda Fudge.
The participants were asked to rank 24 characteristics that were divided into three categories: Appearance/Physical Characteristics, Smell/Taste, and Function.
The ‘Appearance’ category included factors such as clitoris size, shape, and pubic hair, and the ‘Smell/Taste’ category was limited to aroma and taste. The ‘Function’ category listed attributes related to the sensation of vaginas, such as warmth and sensitivity.
The authors published their research findings in the International Journal of Sexual Health on November 8.
The majority of participants prioritized the sensory experience of sex, and qualities such as smell, taste, and sensitivity, over symmetry or labial size.
This indicates that their attitudes towards vaginas are mostly shaped by how they feel and function, not how they look.
In addition to this, researchers asked the men to rank how strongly they agreed with the statements: “Women’s genitals are beautiful” and “Women should feel proud of their genitals”.
While the study discovered that overall, the participants had positive attitudes, individual opinions varied significantly as roughly one-fifth of participants expressed negative views – suggesting that a substantial minority of men do not find female genitalia attractive.
