Woman on top is any sex position in which the woman is on top of her sexual partner during sexual activity. The position most commonly associated with the woman on top is often called the cowgirl or riding position, which derives its name from the image of the woman "riding" the man as a cowgirl rides a bucking horse. In that position, a man typically lies on his back with his legs closed, while the female partner straddles him, usually in a kneeling position facing either forward or back, and either the man or woman inserts the man's erect penis into the woman's vagina or anus. [1] The cowgirl position is commonly cited as one of the more popular sex positions, especially by women, because it gives them control over the rhythm and pace of vaginal stimulation and the extent and duration of penetration and because of its ability to adequately stimulate the clitoris. [1] There are other positions in which the woman may be on top, including the 69 position and the pompoir sex position.
In any of the woman on top positions, the woman is usually the active partner during sexual activity, and in addition to satisfying herself can stimulate or massage the man's scrotum, especially if his legs are spread. The woman may take the position in the course of sexual activity, especially if the man has attained orgasm while she has not; and in this position she or her partner may perform fingering for her to achieve orgasm.
Initially, the man typically lies on his back with his legs together, while the female partner straddles him in a kneeling position. [1] With the woman's legs open, either the man or woman would insert the man's erect penis into the woman's vagina. [1] Once the woman has attained sufficient vaginal lubrication, she feels comfortable in thrusting up and down the penis and is in a position to vary her position for variety and enhanced pleasure. She can, for example, tilt her body forward toward a full lying position or backwards, or rock sideways. The woman has control over the rhythm and speed of her thrusting. She can also spread the man's legs and position herself between them. In this position, she can tighten her legs at will, to increase the pressure on the man's penis and on her crotch, and the man can also tighten his legs to increase the pressure. In this position, the man's legs are free to raise, as high as the Amazon position, with his legs rolled up towards her chest, [2] but this also should be done with care. These changes can alter the depth and angle of penetration.
The woman can sit backwards on the man and alter her position similarly.
The woman may also be on top in a precursor to the lateral coital position. [3] In this position, the woman will usually prefer to kneel, as a squat will usually place a significantly greater stress on her legs. [4]
In the cowgirl position, the man lies on his back or sits, with the woman straddling him across his pelvis facing forward, either in a kneeling or squatting position. The woman will align her vagina with the man's erect penis, and lower herself onto the penis with either the man or the woman guiding the penis into the woman's vagina for penetration. [1] With the erect penis inside the woman, the woman can glide up and down the man's penis, [5] [6] controlling the rhythm and pace of vaginal stimulation and the extent and duration of penetration. [1] The woman is free to change her position; possibilities range from leaning back to stretching out on her partner's chest to rocking from side to side or in a circular motion. Each of those changes would alter the angle and depth of penetration and which part of the vaginal area and sex organs are stimulated. The man's hands are free to reach and touch the woman's breasts, clitoris, buttocks, face etc., [5] [6] and the partners can maintain eye contact. With the woman in the sitting or leaning back positions, the man may also stimulate her nipples and clitoris with his fingers, or suck on her nipples if she inclines towards him or he raises his torso towards her.
In this position, a woman can continue with the up and down motion after the man has achieved orgasm until she reaches orgasm. Afterwards, she may collapse onto the man's chest, with her vagina being very sensitive to further stimulation. On the other hand, if the woman reaches orgasm before the man, the woman may raise her pelvis to enable the man to actively thrust upwards [5] or the couple may change to a position which enables the man to continue thrusting, such as the missionary position.
When the woman lies on her partner's chest, this is also called the reverse missionary position. Stretching out with her legs on the man [5] puts more pressure on the woman's mons pubis and clitoris. If the man separates his legs, the woman can put her legs between his. [5] In this position, she can increase the tightness on the man's penis by pressing her thighs together, or the man may press the woman's thighs together. This increases vaginal friction, but she can still control the pace and rhythm of her thrusts. As most women approach orgasm, they experience acute vaginal contractions, [7] which also increases the man's sexual stimulation by increasing tightness on his penis.
In the reverse cowgirl position, the woman straddles the man facing the man's feet in a kneeling or squatting position. After either she or the man has guided the penis into the woman's vagina, the woman can keep her torso upright, or she can lean forward or back to lie on the man's chest or move sideways at will. The man's legs can be flat on the bed or arched. The woman also has control over the pace, rhythm, depth, and duration of penetration. By changing her position and thrusts, the woman can change the level of stimulation for the man, while simultaneously stimulating her clitoris or an area termed "the G-spot".
An advantage of the woman-on-top positions is that the man's weight is not on the woman. These positions are ideal during pregnancy as there is no pressure on the woman's abdomen, and it is easy for her to control the depth and speed of penetration. They are also useful if the man is recovering from a serious illness or surgery or if the woman has recently given birth. [5]
Sex with the woman on top has been known in most cultures in all times,[ citation needed ] and has been depicted in art:
Among adults, a female sitting on the lap of another person usually indicates an intimate or romantic relationship between the two, or may be regarded as flirtatious. In public, such behaviour may be regarded as a public display of affection. In private, sitting on a man's lap or being pulled by the man onto his lap, especially if she straddles his legs or waist, when accompanied with a smile, kiss or other flirtatious gesture, may be regarded as showing either's interest in sexual activity or as foreplay.[ citation needed ] It is rare for a man to sit on a woman's lap, though not for him to lay his head there.
The erotic significance in sitting on a lap is a factor in the erotic activity in strip clubs such as a lap dance, where one person (usually a woman) straddles the lap of the other and gyrates their lower extremities in a provocative manner. [8]
Anal sex or anal intercourse is generally the insertion and thrusting of the erect penis into a person's anus, or anus and rectum, for sexual pleasure. Other forms of anal sex include anal fingering, the use of sex toys, anilingus, pegging, as well as electrostimulation and erotic torture such as figging. Although anal sex most commonly means penile–anal penetration, sources sometimes use anal intercourse to exclusively denote penile–anal penetration, and anal sex to denote any form of anal sexual activity, especially between pairings as opposed to anal masturbation.
In amniotes, the clitoris is a female sex organ. In humans, it is the vulva's most erogenous area and generally the primary anatomical source of female sexual pleasure. The clitoris is a complex structure, and its size and sensitivity can vary. The visible portion, the glans, of the clitoris is typically roughly the size and shape of a pea and is estimated to have at least 8,000 nerve endings.
Orgasm or sexual climax is the sudden release of accumulated sexual excitement during the sexual response cycle, characterized by intense sexual pleasure resulting in rhythmic, involuntary muscular contractions in the pelvic region. Orgasms are controlled by the involuntary or autonomic nervous system and experienced by both males and females; the body's response includes muscular spasms, a general euphoric sensation, and, frequently, body movements and vocalizations. The period after orgasm is typically a relaxing experience, after the release of the neurohormones oxytocin and prolactin, as well as endorphins.
The G-spot, also called the Gräfenberg spot, is characterized as an erogenous area of the vagina that, when stimulated, may lead to strong sexual arousal, powerful orgasms and potential female ejaculation. It is typically reported to be located 5–8 cm (2–3 in) up the front (anterior) vaginal wall between the vaginal opening and the urethra and is a sensitive area that may be part of the female prostate.
A sex position is a positioning of the bodies that people use to engage in sexual intercourse or other sexual activities. Sexual acts are generally described by the positions the participants adopt in order to perform those acts. Though sexual intercourse generally involves penetration of the body of one person by another, sex positions commonly involve non-penetrative sexual activities.
Double penetration is a term that usually refers to a vaginal and anal sex act involving one penis penetrating a vagina while another penetrates the anus. It could also refer to the simultaneous penetration of either a vagina or an anus by two penises or objects.
The missionary position or man-on-top position is a sex position in which, generally, a woman lies on her back and spreads her legs and a man lies on top of her while they face each other and engage in vaginal intercourse. The position may also be used for other sexual activity, such as anal sex. It is commonly associated with heterosexual sexual activity, but is also used by same-sex couples. It may involve sexual penetration or non-penetrative sex, and its penile-vaginal aspect is an example of ventro-ventral (front-to-front) reproductive activity. Variations of the position allow varying degrees of clitoral stimulation, depth of penetration, participation on the part of the woman, and the likelihood and speed of orgasm.
Doggy style is a sex position in which one participant bends over, crouches on all fours, or lies on their abdomen, for sexual intercourse, other forms of sexual penetration or other sexual activity. Doggy style is a form of a rear-entry position, others being with the receiving partner lying on the side in the spoons sex position or the reverse cowgirl sex position. Non-penetrative sex in this position may also be regarded as doggy style.
The coital alignment technique sex position is used primarily as a variant of the missionary position and is designed to maximize clitoral stimulation during sexual intercourse. This is achieved by combining the "riding high" variation of the missionary position with pressure-counterpressure movements performed by each partner in rhythm with coitus.
Tribadism or tribbing, commonly known by its scissoring position, is a sexual practice involving vulva-to-vulva contact or rubbing the vulva against the partner's thigh, stomach, buttocks, arm, or other body parts, especially for stimulation of the clitoris. A variety of sex positions are practiced, including the missionary position.
An erogenous zone is an area of the human body that has heightened sensitivity, the stimulation of which may generate a sexual response such as relaxation, sexual fantasies, sexual arousal, and orgasm.
Mammary intercourse is a sex act, performed as either foreplay or as non-penetrative sex, that involves the stimulation of a man's penis by a woman's breasts and vice versa. It involves placing the penis between a woman's breasts and moving the penis up and down to simulate sexual penetration and to create sexual pleasure.
Fingering is sexual stimulation of the vulva or vagina by using the fingers. Vaginal fingering is legally and medically called digital penetration or digital penetration of the vagina. The term "digital" takes its significance from the English word 'digit', which refers to a finger, thumb, or toe. Fingering may also include the use of fingers to stimulate the anus.
A forced orgasm is consensual BDSM or kinky sexual play whereby a person consents to be forced to orgasm in a way that is beyond their control.
A strap-on dildo is a dildo designed to be worn, usually with a harness, during sexual activity. Harnesses and dildos are made in a wide variety of styles, with variations in how the harness fits the wearer, how the dildo attaches to the harness, as well as various features intended to facilitate stimulation of the wearer or a sexual partner. Strap-on dildos are most frequently used by lesbian women, but can be used by people of any gender or sexuality.
A G-spot vibrator is a sex toy with female and male varieties. The female version of the device is built to massage the G-spot, described as a bean-shaped area of the vagina. Some women report that it is an erogenous zone which, when stimulated, can lead to strong sexual arousal, powerful orgasms and female ejaculation. The male version of the G-spot vibrator is used for massaging the prostate for both sexual and health-related reasons.
Non-penetrative sex or outercourse is sexual activity that usually does not include sexual penetration, but some forms, particularly when termed outercourse, include penetrative aspects, that may result from forms of fingering or oral sex. It generally excludes the penetrative aspects of vaginal, anal, or oral sex, but includes various forms of sexual and non-sexual activity, such as frottage, manual sex, mutual masturbation, kissing, or hugging.
The spoons position or spooning is both a sexual position and a cuddling technique. The name derives from the way that spoons may be positioned side by side, with bowls aligned. The sexual spoons position is a form of a rear-entry position, another form being the doggy style position. The spoons sex position has been called one of the "basic four" sex positions.
Kunyaza is the Rwanda-Rundi name given to a sexual practice found in the Great Lakes region of East Africa which is meant to facilitate female orgasm and female ejaculation during intercourse.
Penile-vaginal intercourse or vaginal intercourse is a form of penetrative sexual intercourse in human sexuality, in which an erect penis is inserted into a vagina. Synonyms are: vaginal sex, cohabitation, coitus, intimacy, or (poetic) lovemaking. It corresponds to mating or copulation in non-human animals.