Sex therapists say one small tweak to missionary sex, sliding the top partner up an inch or two, can give many women the clitoral stimulation they often need to orgasm, HuffPost reports. The move is called the coital alignment technique, or CAT, and it is aimed at the orgasm gap, the statistical tendency for women in heterosexual relationships to have fewer orgasms than men.
Penetration alone often falls short. Psychologist and sex therapist Megan Fleming, who is based in New York City, told HuffPost that "roughly two-thirds of women don't have an orgasm with penetration alone." CAT, she said, "offers direct pressure and rocking and grinding that gives women additional clitoral stimulation."
It's a modified missionary position in which the partner on top rides a little higher, so the base of the penis rubs against the clitoris.
Sadie Allison, a sexologist and author of Ride 'Em Cowgirl! Sex Position Secrets for Better Bucking, gave HuffPost the setup:
- Start in traditional missionary, with a small pillow under the receiving partner's hips for lift and to support the pelvis angle.
- After penetration, shift your body up several inches so your pelvis sits directly on top of hers. Your chest should be near her shoulders instead of face-to-face.
- From there, the shaft creates friction against the vulva and clitoris with every stroke.
Then comes the grinding. "While staying snug and pressed against her, grind and gyrate your pelvis in small circles against her vulva," Allison said. She advises resisting the urge to lift off and thrust in and out, and instead finding "the rhythm she needs." Her sign that it's working: "You'll know it's working when you feel her holding you tighter and pulling you closer with her legs."
There may be a perk for the partner with a penis, too. Lori Buckley, a sex therapist and author of 21 Decisions for Great Sex and A Happy Relationship, told HuffPost the technique "may also help men last longer since they don't experience the same heightened arousal that fast, deep thrusting provides."
As for the research, HuffPost points to a study in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy of women who couldn't orgasm from missionary sex. Those who learned CAT reported a 56% increase in how often they orgasmed. HuffPost doesn't name the study, so PSYN can't speak to its size or design.
What the reporting doesn't say: how many women were studied, or whether the results hold across relationships. CAT is also a position tip from therapists, not a guarantee.
For anyone who needs a little more than penetration, though, the fix may be as small as a couple of inches.