Do the ladies have it better? How long orgasms last for men compared to women

Women orgasm for 20 per cent longer then men, according to a new study.

They enjoy their moment of ecstasy for an average of 10.9 seconds.

Men, on the other hand, get only 8.7 seconds of bliss, it has been claimed.

For more than 40 per cent of women, the stats are even better.

They say they orgasm for 11 seconds or more.

Only 26 per cent of men can say the same in comparison.

The research was carried out by online sex-toy store Lovehoney to celebrate National Orgasm Day on July 31.

Another recent study found seven in ten British women experience multiple orgasms with some achieving as many as 20 in a hot night of passion.

Multiple orgasms are common among Britons with most climaxing twice with their partner.

But the cream of the crop, two per cent, report being able to climax 20 times in a single session while eight per cent claimed to have more than ten during sex.

Celebrity sexual health couple Dr David Delvin and Dr Christine Webber asked 1,250 women aged between 20 to 24 about their orgasms in an online survey.

Despite the majority regularly achieving between one and four orgasms, four out of five were unable to reach orgasm through penetration alone and require clitoral stimulation.

Harley Street doctor Christine Webber said: "We knew that very large numbers of women have problems and anxieties about the subject of orgasm.

"Many men and women, including, alas, some doctors, still believe the myth that for all woman, being penetrated by a penis which goes in and out should be enough to make them orgasm.

"This view is often encouraged by the way sex is depicted in popular culture, including pornography, romantic fiction, and film or TV in general.

"As a result, a lot of women think that there is something wrong with them if they do not orgasm during intercourse.

"Similarly, a lot of men think that in order to make a woman orgasm, all they have to do is penetrate her and thrust repeatedly.

"Our key take-home message from the survey for women is: don't think there's something wrong with you if you can't orgasm from vaginal penetration alone."

The 13-point questionnaire was circulated to women across Britain through the sexual health charities as groups including Mumsnet and the Family Planning Association.

A small amount of women, 12 per cent, reported experiencing pain during orgasm, known as dysorgasmia, with most feeling cramp-like pain in their abdomen, but others claimed to feel it in their head and bottom.

Ejaculation was also found to be common among women, with just under half of those questioned reporting to have experienced it at some point in their sexual lives.

 Dr Delvin added: "We also found that ejaculation of fluid at the moment of orgasm is quite common.

"Nearly 40 per cent of women said that they had done it at some stage in their lives."

Dr Webber added: "For most women the clitoris is the key to sexual pleasure. So if you have a sexual partner, do communicate what feels good for you.

"Also, if you feel pain when you orgasm, there is help available."

David Delvin said: "Doctors used to think that multiple orgasms were quite rare. But in our survey, 70 per cent of the women had had them.

"Most commonly, they had two in a session."