Most people could tell you they’re more likely to orgasm if they’re turned on, relaxed, and with a partner who knows what they’re doing. But most people probably don’t know they’re more likely to orgasm with socks on. There are some pretty random things that determine whether you’ll orgasm, and that’s one of them.
Of course, things like your footwear are actually pretty minor when it comes to increasing your chances of reaching orgasm. The most important things are for you to be mentally in the right place (that is, comfortable and not stressed out) and physically getting the right attention (which means clitoral stimulation for most people with vulvas). "The clitoris is really the center of the universe for female orgasm," Vanessa Marin, sex therapist and creator of Finishing School, an online orgasm course for women, tells Bustle.
It’s also worth noting that orgasm is not the most important part of sex. It’s totally possible to have a great sex life if you don’t orgasm regularly or even if you don’t orgasm at all. Great sex is really about enjoying each sensation at every stage of the process.
That said, just for fun, here are a few unexpected things that predict your likelihood of orgasming, according to science.
1Wearing Socks
As I mentioned, one University of Groningen study found that when people didn’t wear socks, 20 percent of couples said both parties orgasmed during sex. When they did, 80 percent did. That’s a huge discrepancy. The explanation? The authors theorize that socks help your circulation, which means more blood flowing to the genitals.
2Exercising
Two of the questions OkCupid asks its users to help calculate their matches are “Do you like to exercise?” and “Is it difficult for you to have an orgasm?” As it turns out, these questions are very related. Around twice as many women who don’t exercise say it’s hard for them to orgasm.
3Sleeping With Someone Who’s Funny
A study in the Evolutionary Psychology Journal found that women had more orgasms when sleeping with funny men. It also found that funny people were perceived as more attractive, which could explain the first result. If you’re looking to get off, after all, having a partner you find attractive certainly doesn’t hurt.
4Having A Larger Clit
Just like penises, clitorises vary in size. And while it’s not necessarily true that the bigger your clit is, the better your orgasm will be, people with smaller clits tend to have more trouble orgasming. A study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine found that women who rarely or never orgasmed had smaller clits than those who orgasmed regularly.
5Having A Clit Closer To Your Vagina
The same study found that women with trouble orgasming had clits further from their vaginas. But it’s not clear what activities these women were trying to orgasm from, so this may only apply to penetrative sex. Another study in Clinical Anatomy found that people with 2.5 centimeters or less between their clits and urinary openings were most likely to orgasm through intercourse.
6Sleeping With A Feminist
Now, there’s a reason to support feminism if I ever heard one. Women who believe men are naturally more dominant, as well as women with more dominant and selfish partners, have fewer orgasms, according to a study in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.
7Having Anal Sex
One of the more surprising statistics out there is that 94 percent of women who had anal sex during their last sexual experience orgasmed, compared to 65 percent of those who had vaginal sex and 81 percent of those who had oral sex, according to a study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine. These findings are pretty confusing — talk about a large distance from the clitoris. As Slate points out, this could be happening just because women who have anal are also having other kinds of sex.
Some of these findings are questionable, and others are beyond your control. But sleeping with a funny feminist? Always a good idea.
