Top 10 Reasons
Why Women Have Sex

(August 01, 2007) -- Drunk, ambitious, in love? Or maybe you're just looking for God. From the sensual to the downright scheming, respondents in a new study owned up to scores of unusual motives for having sex.

In the study by the University of Texas at Austin, the people surveyed surprised psychologists by giving 237 separate reasons for having sex -- suggesting there are far more stimulants at play than may previously have been imagined.

"We found that people are having sex for lots of other reasons" beyond sheer arousal or a drive for procreation, said psychologist Cindy Meston, lead author of the paper published in the August issue of Archives of Sexual Behavior.

Alongside predictable claims such as "I was 'horny'," "I was drunk," and "I was in love," was a catalogue of other "infrequent" justifications, from the sublime to the shocking.

Among them:

• I wanted to get closer to God
• I felt sorry for the person
• I wanted to punish myself
• I was slumming

Both men and women reported having sex to get a job or promotion, or because they wanted to be "used or degraded."

Another response stated: "I wanted to give someone else a sexually transmitted disease."

The researchers broke down the leading reasons why men and women have sex. Eight of the top 10 reasons were shared by men and women.

Here are women's top 10 reasons for having sex:

1. I was attracted to the person.
2. I wanted to experience the physical pleasure.
3. It feels good.
4. I wanted to show my affection to the person.
5. I wanted to express my love for the person.
6. I was sexually aroused and wanted the release.
7. I was "horny."
8. It's fun.
9. I realized I was in love.
10. I was "in the heat of the moment."

Also read: 

237 Reasons for Having Sex

Top 10 Reasons For Having Sex

Top 10 Reasons Why Men Have Sex

Last updated: 08/07

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