Most people assume that sexual desire comes first and sex after (masturbation or partner lovemaking). But research by a University of British Columbia researcher suggests that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, for many women, sexual desire is not the cause of lovemaking, but rather, its result. “Arousal often precedes desire,” she says. For these women—and it’s a large group—pills aimed at boosting desire before sex is the erotic equivalent of putting the cart before the horse.

If arousal precedes desire, then the question is not: How do we boost desire? The question becomes: What kind of lovemaking is arousing enough to allow women to experience desire?

In this article:

• What Causes Arousal?
• The Masters and Johnson Sexual Response Cycle
• Why Masters And Johnson Got Women Wrong
• Orgasmic During Intercourse—Only 25 Percent of Women
• Does Desire Lead To Sex? Or Does Good Sex Lead To Desire?
• Why Women Have Sex
• Whole-Body Sensuality: An Often-Overlooked Key To Desire
• Forget “Foreplay,” Embrace “Loveplay”

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