The Case Of The Female Orgasm: Bias In The Scie... 〈Mobile HIGH-QUALITY〉

The dogmatic assumption that every biological trait must have an evolutionary purpose—specifically, one that increases reproductive success. Lloyd contends that researchers often invent "just-so stories" to explain why female orgasm helps reproduction, even when the evidence is flimsy or contradictory.

Lloyd meticulously reviews 21 different evolutionary accounts of the female orgasm. She "knocks down" 20 of them—including the "uterine upsuck" theory—by showing they lack a solid empirical base or ignore known sexological data. The Case of the Female Orgasm: Bias in the Scie...

Lloyd favors the theory that the female orgasm is an evolutionary by-product rather than an adaptation. Just as men have nipples because they are a developmental requirement for females, women have the capacity for orgasm because the clitoris and penis develop from the same embryonic tissue. In this view, male orgasm was selected for its reproductive necessity, and female orgasm was "carried along" as a happy accident. The dogmatic assumption that every biological trait must

She highlights that a large percentage of women do not regularly achieve orgasm during vaginal intercourse, a fact that adaptationist theories often fail to account for. If it were a critical reproductive adaptation, one would expect it to be more reliably linked to the act of procreation. Scientific and Social Impact The Case of the Female Orgasm - Harvard University Press She "knocks down" 20 of them—including the "uterine