Shape of a woman's pout may mean better sex

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Women may be saying more with their mouths than you realize.

Here's a fun fact to share at parties this weekend: The shape of a woman's lips may predict the likelihood of her having an orgasm. (Seriously.)

Stuart Brody, a psychology professor at the University of the West of Scotland, is famous among researchers of sexual behavior for some of his studies, like ones linking a woman’s finger sensitivity to partnered sex behavior, and most especially a 2008 doozy that linked a woman’s gait -- “fluid, graceful,” “free of blocked or distorted pelvic rotation” -- with a greater chance of having so-called vaginal orgasms. In other words, he said, you can tell a lot about a woman by the way she walks. 

Now, in a paper published last week by the Journal of Sexual Medicine, and called “Vaginal Orgasm Is More Prevalent Among Women with a Prominent Tubercle of the Upper Lip,” Brody has come out with another marker for female orgasm; the little spot just at the midline of the upper lip. Called the tubercle, it poofs out a little more in some people than in others. (Brody stresses he’s not referring to puffy Angelina Jolie lips, just to that one tiny spot.)

According to the results of an online survey featuring 258 mainly Scottish women with a mean age of 27 years, having a prominent tubercle means a woman has a greater chance of ever having had a vaginal orgasm.

If you think that sounds kooky, you may be onto something. There are a couple of controversies to consider. First, not all scientists believe that there is any real difference between a “clitoral” orgasm and a “vaginal” orgasm (mainly because the little man in the boat is really just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, that extends into the vaginal wall). In Brody’s research, tubercle size did not predict orgasm by clitoral stimulation.

Second, there could be confounding factors. When I asked if it was possible the women with the prominent tubercles may have been more attractive and so had more opportunities for sex and attracted better lovers, Brody replied that “I am not aware of research linking women’s attractiveness to their likelihood of vaginal orgasm. That could be a future study.”  There is, however, “research that some male attributes are associated with likelihood of vaginal orgasm.”

Third, the women themselves, rather than an independent party, judged their own tubercle characteristics based on eyeballing their own lips.

Still, Brody may really be on to something, not only with this study, but with his gait research and what seems to be an ongoing hunt for markers that signify sexual response.

As he speculates in the paper, “anatomic study has indicated that by week 17, the human fetus may have already developed the tubercle of the lip.” While he could find no research relating the tubercle to sexual response, “we did locate evidence of an embryonic neural process that organizes midline cranial features, which could plausibly relate morphology to behavior in other contexts.”

In other words, it is probably not the lip feature itself that makes the difference (if any difference really exists), it may be that the same developmental forces that shape a fetus’ tubercle, also affects neural circuits. “It is possible,” Brody writes, “that a flatter or absent tubercle might have something in common with the at times subtle lip abnormalities associated with subtle neuropsychologic abnormalities” and these subtle differences may, in turn, affect vaginal orgasm.

It is true that prenatal events dramatically shape our future sexual lives. Perhaps the shape of our lips are one telltale sign.

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Discuss this post

Jump to discussion page: 1 2
buzz29Deleted

Hey now, kids: Keep the comments PG. I've had to delete a couple already. Don't make me turn this car right around because so help me I WILL.

  • 6 votes
Reply#2 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 4:32 PM EDT

Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha. I just can't stop laughing, ha, ha.....

  • 3 votes
#2.1 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:14 PM EDT

....I'm thinkin' maybe responses on this subject should be limited to the experts: females only. Sorry, guys.

  • 1 vote
#2.2 - Sun Jun 26, 2011 12:57 PM EDT

This explains so much <pout>

  • 1 vote
#2.3 - Wed Jun 29, 2011 5:31 PM EDT
Reply

I have two types of orgasms. Very distinctively different. Clitoral orgasm is more of a one shot thing. But the vaginal orgasm can be multiple and continuous for minutes, coming in waves. I wouldn't trade my innie for an outie!! Eat your hearts out, guys.

  • 1 vote
Reply#3 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 5:37 PM EDT

OK, I will weigh in, I have found that a woman's most important sexual equipment lies between their ears!

If you can stimulate a woman's mind, you can pleasure her body, unlike men, who are ready to go at the glimpse of a bit of female leg exposed by a sudden breeze...

  • 10 votes
Reply#4 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 5:44 PM EDT

Ken, this is the typical male answer for someone who hasn't gotten laid in a long time.

Nice try though.

  • 7 votes
#4.1 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:41 PM EDT

Ken sounds like a smart man. A lot of men haven't figured out that women are more like slow cookers while men are like microwaves. With women, the more time and effort you put into the preparation of the meal, the better the results. With men, push the button and enjoy.

  • 13 votes
#4.2 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 11:45 PM EDT

Nice try Patrick, I've been married 35 years, and get laid 2-3 times a week...

  • 5 votes
#4.3 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 8:00 AM EDT

"I'm a serious scientist! Really! LOOK AT ME!"

  • 1 vote
#4.4 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 2:57 PM EDT

Bravo Ken, If only the majority of men thought like you? The world would be a better place. As far as a woman's pout? Most men cannot stand a pouty woman. that's a good indication she's one spoiled rotten human being!

  • 4 votes
#4.5 - Sun Jun 26, 2011 9:35 AM EDT

A male researcher investigating vaginal orgasms. Sounds to me like a guy who might be too lazy or selfish to give a damsel's clitoris the, ahem, tongue-lashing it so richly deserves! Ladies, if he won't attend to your love button and help you enjoy the pleasures to which you are entitled, well, God gave you that delightful little organ and lots of fingers and fully expects you to put them all to good use!!! ;-)

  • 2 votes
#4.6 - Tue Jun 28, 2011 2:40 AM EDT

My wife says some of my best foreplay is folded laundry and put away dishes

  • 2 votes
#4.7 - Wed Jul 13, 2011 5:27 PM EDT
Reply

Ridiculous. High frequency of vaginal orgasm requires a correspondence between two items - the depth of cleft on the inside of the kneecap and the tensile strength of the hairs three rows above the left ear. BTW, all big eared women have orgasms during conversation about recipes and lawn care.

Wheeeeeee! I'm a scientist! Please notify all all appropriate grant granting institutions.

  • 11 votes
Reply#5 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 6:03 PM EDT

WStevens: Naw, old wives tale there. It's really the size of the nails on the little toes of the lady. If the nails on the little toes are smaller in proportion to the whole area of the little toes than appears on the other 8 toes, then we've got ourselves a "hottie". It's true! Look it up! Your post is a hoot!

  • 2 votes
#5.1 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 10:30 PM EDT

That is the only way to perpetuate scienific research. Donors giving to a cause, that is dedicated to perpetuate it's need for financing. They have to come up with something new all the time to keep the money coming in. They have no regard for truth or real scientific research.

  • 1 vote
#5.2 - Sun Jun 26, 2011 1:18 AM EDT
Reply

You have got to be kidding...

  • 3 votes
Reply#6 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 6:13 PM EDT

 In other words, people are spending time doing research on why men can't give some women orgasms.  It must be your lips, or your walk, it's certainly not their fault.  Do these people actually get paid for this crap?

  • 13 votes
Reply#7 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 6:53 PM EDT

Gill, since when did it become the man's responsibility? Is it the woman's responsibility to make sure the man gets off?? I don't think so. Mankind has been around for a long time - when did knowing this become important?

  • 2 votes
#7.1 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:18 PM EDT

I guess it depends on why you're having sex. If it's to give pleasure to someone else, then it's your "responsibility to make sure the man/woman gets off." If it's to just please yourself, then it doesn't matter.

  • 5 votes
#7.2 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 9:17 PM EDT

Since it's the particular women that can't do it, not particular men, yes it probably does have something to do with the woman.

  • 1 vote
#7.3 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 3:31 AM EDT

when will men grow up, and start listening to us females just a little bit!!!

  • 2 votes
#7.4 - Sun Jun 26, 2011 7:56 AM EDT

Never, and that's why things will remain a mess! Answer to nankat, and a question that will never be answered, because everyone knows men are the superior gender (wink, wink) Laughing!

  • 1 vote
#7.5 - Sun Jun 26, 2011 9:40 AM EDT

Hey now, not like we want them to next study orgasim rates correlated to penis color or whatnot. Going the other direction will not help matters. Don't give them any ideas.

    #7.6 - Mon Jun 27, 2011 5:45 PM EDT
    Reply

    Third, the women themselves, rather than an independent party, judged their own tubercle characteristics based on eyeballing their own lips.

    Studies that rely on self-reporting are either: 1) Worthless or 2) a very preliminary pilot study. Either way, not worthy of reporting until a real study with objective measurements is done. Move along folks.

    • 5 votes
    Reply#8 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:09 PM EDT
    Reply

    Correlation does not imply causation.

    • 6 votes
    Reply#9 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:41 PM EDT

    Is anyone else deeply disturbed that in an interesting article on womens sexuality the msnbc writer referred to a clitoris as a little man in a boat? Why would it be a man first of all--that's just stupid!!! It is rather demeaning term for such a wonderful ( trust me on this ) organ. Perhaps his pig- in- a- blanket is just jealous!

    see what i did with that: sexist pig meets small penis

    • 11 votes
    Reply#10 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 7:59 PM EDT

    You would be banned from this website if you made such remarks about a woman's anatomy. The media can get away with anything, but you better not try! I'm beginning to believe freesom of speech only applies to the press!

      #10.1 - Sun Jun 26, 2011 9:43 AM EDT
      Reply

      More Stupidity brought to by whoever can their dumb 15 minutes of fame!Go kiss a horse with your pouty Lips.Just Stupid!

      • 4 votes
      Reply#11 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 8:19 PM EDT

      Your Scots tax dollars at work... great job if you can get it.

      • 2 votes
      Reply#12 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 8:20 PM EDT

      I knew it wouldn't take long before some dope starting bitching about tax dollars.

        #12.1 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:35 PM EDT
        Reply

        If you know what the hell your doing, you can bring a lipless woman to orgasm...

        • 10 votes
        Reply#13 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 8:46 PM EDT

        Ok, I have to say that this story is total BS. I happen to have a very small, almost non existant tubercle and experience vaginal orgasm very frequently...so maybe its just the Scots, but as for Americans this does not hold true.

        • 1 vote
        Reply#14 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 8:52 PM EDT

        Any volunteers hello ladies.

          Reply#15 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 8:56 PM EDT

          I thought that said, "258 manly Scottish women".

          • 1 vote
          Reply#16 - Fri Jun 24, 2011 9:52 PM EDT

          LOL!

            #16.1 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:15 PM EDT

            Hahahahahaha

              #16.2 - Mon Jun 27, 2011 12:01 PM EDT
              Reply

              I'm skeptical on this....

                Reply#17 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 12:34 AM EDT

                Perhaps some further study could turn up some more unrelated events that may or may not have any relationship to one another.

                  #17.1 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:05 AM EDT
                  Reply

                  In related news, you can tell how racist a man is by the shape of his eyes.

                  Which is just my way of demonstrating that some men are way too fixiated on SEX, and more specifically, trying to determine which woman will give them the most het sex.

                  • 1 vote
                  Reply#18 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:35 AM EDT

                  Gill does seem to have a point. If some tiny spot on the human body did corelate to more orgasms, then one question becomes, "does this hold true for both men and women"? So why is the researcher only studying women? He seems to be fixiated on only women for some strange reason.

                  And, if some tiny spot on the human body did corelate to more orgasms, then it would hold true even if the men and women were masturbating by themselves. So why would the researcher focus only on women who have sex with men?

                  And, before someone would have sex at all, whether or not they orgasm, they would have to FIRST experience the desire to have sex. Has the researcher bothered to study assexuals, or people with low libido? Because if his theory was correct then assexuals would have an extremely small tubercle.

                  Really honestly, his sexist research appears to be: "this is what a slut looks like". In the exact same way that racist researchers used to claim that certain foreheads have this character trait, while people with big noses have that character trait.

                    Reply#19 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 11:59 AM EDT

                    I wish someone would do a study to find how women can have more vaginal orgasms, lip shape or not :P As a woman, I'd like to know since they are extremely rare for me :/

                      Reply#20 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 1:15 PM EDT

                      You can have an orgasm anytime, that you want one. You can't just lay there and expect your man to provide it. Get into it. Go for it. Get what you want.

                      • 1 vote
                      #20.1 - Sun Jun 26, 2011 1:56 AM EDT
                      Reply

                      sorry women with weird lip shapes, you're outta luck

                        Reply#21 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 1:34 PM EDT

                        Never heard anyone call it a " Pout" before.

                        • 1 vote
                        Reply#22 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 1:35 PM EDT

                        "I'm a serious scientist! Really! LOOK AT ME!"

                          Reply#23 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 2:58 PM EDT

                          the article itself is disgusting enough. "find someone to have sex with by the shape of their mouth."  you people are really disgusting! 

                            Reply#24 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 4:31 PM EDT

                            Now wait a minute, makes perfect sense if oral sex (not mentioned) were the main objective..

                              #24.1 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 10:19 PM EDT
                              Reply

                              Dumb, dumb dumb. A unscientific study that has no criteria for determining lip shape other then asking women to rate their own. Then based on how they rate their own, finds that these women have more "vaginal" orgasms then other women, but not "clitoral" orgasms, although there is absolutely no proof that there is even differences between the two kinds. And yet, this study makes the front page of a national news organization? Talk about falling standards.

                              • 3 votes
                              Reply#25 - Sat Jun 25, 2011 4:48 PM EDT

                              A woman can have an orgasm any time she really wants to. It took my wife 45 years to get there. I don't do anything different than I did 40 years ago. She wants it and she goes for it. Thank God.

                              • 1 vote
                              Reply#26 - Sun Jun 26, 2011 1:43 AM EDT
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