How the female orgasm “saves” masculinity in men with sexual dysfunction: Study

Behind every good, heterosexual man there is a sexually satisfied woman.

In the United States alone, approximately 30 million men suffer from erectile dysfunction, while an estimated 2 in 100 American men fail to maintain their testosterone levels within the normal, healthy range. This condition is called male hypogonadism. Fortunately, medications such as Viagra (sildenafil) and testosterone supplements have been helping men with erectile dysfunction and low testosterone levels achieve a more satisfying sex life for decades.

However, a new study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior examined how the use of these libido-enhancing therapies affects society’s perception of their masculinity. Ultimately, psychology researchers at Pennsylvania Western University in Edinboro found that these drugs play little role as long as women achieve orgasm.

The results also showed that men who used Viagra (sildenafil) or testosterone injections for pleasure – without a medical reason – were not considered more masculine than men who used these drugs to treat erectile dysfunction and low testosterone levels, even if they also regularly brought their partner to orgasm.

The study sheds light on the so-called “independent rule of masculinity,” a trend in sexual health research that suggests men are considered more masculine when they do not need help to get an erection and, crucially, to satisfy their partner.

“The female partner’s orgasm served to ‘rescue’ the societal perception of masculinity that had been lost due to low testosterone levels,” the researchers wrote in their report.

The study included two experiments, one focused on the use of Viagra and the other on testosterone.

The first test recruited 522 participants – 54% men and 46% women with an average age of 32.2 years – to read one of eight randomly assigned sexual vignettes. The stories involved a man who had sex with the same woman three times and either climaxed each time or didn’t climax at all. The scenarios varied depending on whether the male character was identified as someone with erectile dysfunction or someone taking Viagra.

After reading, participants rated the hypothetical man on his masculinity and sexual self-esteem.

The second test involved 711 participants and a similar series of 12 stories. This time, a man was described as having low, normal or high natural testosterone levels and whether he was taking the hormone. Again, the women in the stories either achieved orgasm every time or never. Finally, participants rated the extent to which the story they were assigned demonstrated masculinity and sexual self-esteem.

In both cases, female orgasm was identified as the most influential factor, regardless of whether the man suffered from erectile dysfunction and low testosterone levels and was taking medication for it.

While men without erectile dysfunction or low testosterone levels are generally considered more masculine, the presence of a female orgasm helped bridge this gap in men with such conditions—and taking these performance-enhancing drugs, especially when not medically necessary, had no positive impact on perceived masculinity.