Science

Elisabeth Lloyd: “The Orgasm Debates”

Elisabeth Lloyd
Elisabeth Lloyd

For decades, scientists have disagreed over the evolutionary purpose of the female orgasm. Because women don’t need to achieve orgasm to conceive, it doesn’t have the same adaptive significance as the male orgasm, which must occur for reproduction. Weighing in on this biological puzzle, evolutionary biologist and historian of science Elisabeth Lloyd, in her book, The Case of the Female Orgasm: Bias in the Science of Evolution, examines the existing theories from an objective perspective and presents an argument for the unpopular but scientifically solid theory that the female orgasm has no evolutionary purpose.

http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/04/orgasm.aspx