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Manual Stimulation of Female Genitalia
Some sort of non-penile stimulation of the female genitalia is almost universal among the lower mammals where, however, the lack of prehensile hands places the burden of the activity on the nose and the mouth of the male. The manual manipulation of the female genitalia by the human male during petting contacts is recorded in the histories of a little more than a third (36 per cent) of those females in the sample who had never had premarital coitus (Table 73f), but the figure is, of course, higher for those who had had coitus. Even among those who had had only limited coital experience, some 87 per cent had allowed the males to manipulate their genitalia, and among those who had had more extensive coital experience, some 95 per cent had accepted such contacts.
Additional references to the male's stimulation of female genitalia may be found, for instance, in: Hamilton 1929:173, 175, 177, 217. Van de Velde 1930:165. Dickinson and Beam 1931:62; 1934:135. Wright 1937:89. Stone and Stone 1937:221; 1952:182. Himes 1940:325. Butterfield 1940:97. Hutton 1942:93. Clark 1949:54; 1952:29. Brown and Kempton 1950:220. Ehrmann 1952 (among 38 per cent of 263 college girls who did petting).

Interestingly enough, the figures are practically no different for the several generations which are represented in the sample. The only markedly lower figures occur among those females who were born before 1900 and who did not have pre-marital coitus.

Hand manipulation of the female genitalia by the male occurs at least incidentally in all social levels, but its elaboration is more characteristic of the better educated groups (Table 93). At upper social levels there may be considerable manual petting between partners, particularly on the part of the male who has been persuaded by the general talk among his companions, and by the codification of those opinions in the marriage manuals, that the female needs extended sensory stimulation if she is to be brought to simultaneous orgasm in coitus. With the anatomic information supplied by current marriage manuals, most upper level males have become aware of the existence of the clitoris in the female, and studied techniques of stimulation of the vulva in general and of the clitoris in particular are becoming more frequent accompaniments of upper level coitus (in 95%). In such groups it is now generally believed (again, in consequence of marriage manual instruction), that the female should be aroused to a considerable height before there is an actual union of genitalia. The biologic and psychologic desirability of this is something that needs further study; but the fact remains that upper level males of younger generations often operate on this theory.

Manual manipulation of the female breast occurs regularly in 96 per cent of the histories of the married males of the upper level, and manual manipulation of the female genitalia is regularly found in about 90 per cent of the histories (Table 93). Upper level petting involves the manual stimulation of all parts of the female body.

The manual manipulation of the female breast occurs in only 79 per cent of the married male histories at lower levels, and the manipulation of the female genitalia occurs in only 75 per cent of the cases (Table 93). The lower level female agrees to manipulate the male genitalia in only 57 per cent of the cases. Even when there is such stimulation, it is usually restricted in its extent and in its duration. The record is, therefore, one of more extended pre-coital play at the upper levels, and of a minimum of play at the lower levels.

Many persons at the lower level consider that intromission is the essential activity and the only justifiable activity in a “normal” sexual relation. The upper level believes that this petting is necessary for successful coital adjustment; but preliminary calculations indicate that the frequency of orgasm is higher among lower level females than it is among upper level females, even though the lower level coitus involves a minimum of specific physical stimulation (Table 93).

The most common error which the male makes concerning female sexuality is the assumption that stimulation of the interior of the vagina is necessary to bring maximum satisfaction to the female. This is obviously based upon the fact that vaginal insertion of the penis during coitus may result in orgasm for the female. It is a considerable question, however, how significant the stimulation of the interior of the vagina may be. It is certain that most of the physical stimulation which the female receives from actual coitus comes from contact of the external areas of the vulva, of the areas immediately inside the outer edges of the labia, and of the clitoris, with the pubic area of the male during genital union.

There is a great deal of anatomic and clinical evidence that most of the interior of the vagina is without nerves. A considerable amount of surgery may be performed inside the vagina without need for anesthetics. Nerves have been demonstrated inside the vagina only in an area in the anterior wall, proximate to the base of the clitoris. There is need for much further research in this field, especially because there is a widespread but certainly unfounded opinion among psychiatrists, which is repeated among other clinicians involved in marriage counseling, that there is such a thing as a vaginal orgasm which is something different from an orgasm achieved through clitoral stimulation.

Beyond the occasional consciousness of stimulation of this limited vaginal area which is known to have nerves, the female may be conscious of the intrusion of an object into the vagina, particularly if vaginal muscles are tightened; but the satisfaction so obtained is probably related more to muscle tonus than it is to erotic nerve stimulation. This interpretation is confirmed by the fact that there are exceedingly few females who masturbate by inserting objects into the vagina, and most of them who do so are novices, exhibitionistic prostitutes, or women who have had such procedures recommended to them by male clinicians. Most of the female masturbatory techniques are labial or, more often, clitoral. A high proportion of the female homosexual relations similarly depend upon stimulating the vulva or the clitoris. The male who attempts to simulate coital intromission in his petting techniques is probably not so effective as the male who depends primarily on external stimulation of the genital labia, or of the clitoris.
 
Manual Stimulation of Male Genitalia
There are fewer females who manipulate the male genitalia than there are males who manipulate the female genitalia.  Even after she has accepted other petting techniques, the averse female may delay for some time before she will touch the genitalia of the male. Since these same differences between males and females are to be found among most other species of mammals, one must conclude that they have some ancient phylogenetic origin. Many females manipulate the male genitalia only at the request of the male and, and the failure of the female to initiate such action is often noted by males who have had homosexual experience and are accustomed to the mutual genital manipulations which occur there. Most females seem to derive no particular satisfaction from their manipulations of the male. Some, however, do seem to find psychologic and probably sensory satisfaction in making such contacts. The evident responses of the male when he is stimulated may so arouse some females that they may experience orgasm as a result, even though their own genitalia have not been touched.
The female's manipulation of the male genitalia is also noted, for example, in: Adler 1911:98. Long 1922:111. Hamilton 1929:177. Van de Velde 1930:166. Hartwich et al. 1931:118. Hutton 1942:92. Chesser 1947:135. Clark 1949:54; 1952:29. Ehrmann 1952:1.

In our sample of unmarried females who had not had coitus, only 24 per cent had ever touched the male genitalia (Table 73f). The figure was as low as 12 per cent among the females who were born before 1900, but 31 per cent for those who were born between 1900 and 1909. Some 40 per cent of the younger generation of the graduate group had had such experience. Many older males, particularly of the lower educational levels, used to consider a female morally indecent if she touched the male genitalia. Few of the younger generation of the better educated males entertain any such attitudes today.

Where the pre-marital relations had proceeded to coitus, there were nearly three times as many females (in contrast to the above) who had manually stimulated the male genitalia. Among those in the younger generations who had had even limited experience in coitus, some 72 per cent had adopted such techniques (Table 73f). Among those who had had more experience in coitus, some 86 per cent had so stimulated the male. There are some differences between the educational levels, but practically none between the generations. Certainly older persons who had pre-marital coitus when they were youths have no reason for being surprised at the petting techniques which are being employed by the younger generation today.

The most notable differences between pre-marital and the marital procedures lay in the fact that the female was more inclined to manipulate the male genitalia with her hand after marriage, and mouth-genital contacts with the male and female genitalia had become a bit more common after marriage.

The techniques of pre-coital petting had changed in the course of the forty years covered by the sample. Fewer (80 per cent) of the females of the generation born before 1900 had manipulated the male genitalia manually, and more (95 per cent) of the younger generation had done so. In the sample of females born before 1900, some 29 per cent had made oral contacts with the male genitalia, while 57 per cent of the females born between 1920 and 1929 had made such contacts. The oral techniques had become much more frequent in the generation that was born immediately after the turn of the century.

Genital Apposition
In the surprising number of instances, male genitalia had been placed directly against female genitalia during the petting relationship, without any attempt to penetrate the vagina. In some instances this failure to effect actual coitus had depended upon the female’s refusal to allow the male to go any farther; but in a larger number of instances, it had depended upon a mutual decision by the female and the male that there should be no penetration. To many individuals, the apposition of genitalia had appeared to be more acceptable than actual coitus, even though the stimulation provided by such apposition had not fallen far short of that which coitus would have provided. Some 17 per cent of the females who had never had coitus had allowed such genital apposition; but 56 per cent of those who had, on occasion, had actual coitus had made such genital contacts without penetration (Table 73f).

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