When it comes to sex positions, we all have our favorite. For example, I’m a sucker for the spooning position, whereas almost every guy I’ve dated has put doggy style as their number one position that gets their rocks off. But according to a new study by DrEd, an online doctor service, favorite sex positions extend past gender, with each country having they're preferred way of doing it.
DrEd asked more than 2,000 people throughout the U.S., U.K., and Europe to see what positions they love most and what positions they’d love to try the most. Sitting at the top of the list, with 35 percent of the vote, is the doggy style position. Coming in second place, and not a close second either with 22.5 percent, is missionary, because who doesn’t love to stick to the basics from time to time? Rounding out the top three, at 19.4 percent, is the position that stimulates the clitoris to no end: Cowgirl. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg of the study’s results.
From favorite positions, to wishlist positions, to the fact that Poland really wants to get more 69 in their life, here are nine findings from DrEd’s study.
1. Tabletop Sex Is The Least Preferred Position
At only 1.2 percent, tabletop sex is the least preferred position among participants. While we already know that doggy style, missionary, and cowgirl come in the top three spots, the other favorite positions with only single digit percentages are, in descending order, holding legs up, 69, spooning, reverse cowgirl, oral, anal, and then good old tabletop in last place. Tables everywhere are taking this very personally, I'm sure.
2. Doggy Style Is The Favorite In Most Countries
Although the study didn’t survey every single country in the world, what it did find researching favorite sex positions in the U.S., U.K., and Europe is that doggy style is all the rage. France, Spain, Germany, Romania, Austria, the U.K., and the States all put it as their absolute fave.
3. Netherlands And Poland Stand Alone In Their Favorite Positions
According to the study, the only country that loves the missionary position is Netherlands. In also taking a stand and doing their own thing is Poland, which happens to be the only country that lists spooning as their most favorite. (Maybe I’m secretly from Poland?)
4. Italians Do Love Their Cowgirl
In Italy, the favored position is cowgirl. This happens to be the favorite position in Belgium and Switzerland, too, making it the second most popular position in Europe.
5. In Portugal, You Better Be Ready To Lift Your Legs
For both Hungary and Portugal, the most favorite sex position is “holding legs up.” As to how high these legs are up, how spread, or other “holding legs up” details, the survey doesn’t say. But if you find yourself in bed with someone in either of these two countries, just don’t be surprised when they lift your legs up during sex.
6. Tabletop Is The Position People Want To Try Most
Although tabletop was the least favorite position with only 1.2 percent people favoring it, in a shocking twist, at 19.9 percent, it’s the position people want to try most. What?!
Not far behind, in second place at 16.1 percent, is standing up. In third place, with 13.4 percent of the votes, is the kneeling wheelbarrow position. A position, that honestly, has never once crossed my mind as a thing to do, so Godspeed to those who do it and enjoy it!
7. Spooning Is The Position People Want To Try The Least
While it’s still in the top 10 positions that people want to try, spooning is at the bottom with only 4.2 percent of people being interested in giving it a whirl. Holding legs up also shows up again in ninth place, with five percent of people interested in trying it, and in eighth place, 69 is piquing the interest of 5.3 percent of people.
8. People In France Really Want To Get Out Of Bed
According to the study, the position that people in France want to try the most is standing. They’re also the only country that puts this on the top of their must-try-sex-position list, but not the only country who wants to try standing in general. What I mean is that in both Spain and the Netherlands, the position those residents want to try the most is 69 standing up. How one can possibly do that without ending up with a severe sex-related injury, I don’t know. But, hey, you only come around this way once, so go for it.
9. Poland Really Wants Some 69 Action
As the survey pointed out, the most desired position to try is tabletop sex. So we already know that. But the countries in which this is the number one position are the U.S., Portugal, UK, Germany, and Italy. In Poland, 69 is the position people want to try the most, in Switzerland and Austria, anal sex is the position most desired, and in Romania and Hungary, the sex positions of holding the legs up and reverse cowgirl, respectively, are the positions they want to try most.
Of course these stats don't mean that every single person in these countries are committed to these specific positions, as either loving them or wanting to try them. But, should you find yourself in Spain and your partner suggests 69 standing up, you may not be totally surprised. And if you go for it, please cover the floor with pillows to limit any and all injuries. No one wants to be out of commission for a few weeks and not be able to have sex at all.
Images: Andrew Zaeh for Bustle; Caroline Wurtzel/Bustle; DrEd
