A new survey has explored the sex positions women enjoy the most, with the findings suggesting emotional connection and comfort often matter more than the hypersexualized coital exchanges popularized in the media and online.

Pornography has warped our perception of sexual ‘norms’, from where it takes place and who it’s with, to how it is ultimately carried out — the depictions have become increasingly experimental, and in some cases, illegal.

The research, conducted by Seduced AI, analysed responses from 2,590 women across the UK and the US to better understand female sexual preferences.

According to a spokesperson for the company, many people place unrealistic expectations on themselves and their partner because of what they see online.

“There is a big difference between what people see in porn and what actually feels good in bed,” the spokesperson explained.

“A lot of people try to recreate it and feel like they’re doing something wrong. Trying out new kinks is always exciting, but the pleasure and comfort of all people involved should be a priority.”

The research's findings

The January 2026 report found that women were more likely to enjoy partnered sex when emotional intimacy, communication, and eye contact played a central role.

“Positions that require flexibility, stamina, or specific body types shouldn't be the standard everyone tries to match,” the spokesperson added. “Different bodies have different comfort zones, and that's completely normal.”

They continued: “When both people feel heard and comfortable enough to adjust what isn't working, sex life and romantic life both get better. That's the difference between performing for an imaginary audience and actually enjoying what you’re doing here and now.”

The most popular sex positions for women

The survey found that missionary was the most popular choice overall, with 10 percent of women naming it as their preferred position.

Respondents said the face-to-face nature of the position helped create a stronger emotional connection, while small adjustments, such as using pillows for support, could also increase comfort and pleasure.

A couple getting intimate. Credit: Flashpop / Getty

Doggy style ranked as the second most popular position, chosen by 9 percent of respondents.

While it involves less eye contact, participants described it as “highly satisfying,” with many saying the physical sensations made up for the reduced intimacy.

Receiving oral sex was the third most popular preference, selected by 7.2 percent of women surveyed, ranking above several other sex positions.

Many respondents said they enjoyed being able to “focus on receiving stimulation and pleasure” without feeling pressure to reciprocate at the same time, allowing them to fully relax and enjoy the experience.

The survey concluded that, despite how sex is often portrayed in mainstream media, many women prioritize comfort, connection, and communication over overly elaborate experiences.

Featured Image. Credit: Flashpop / Getty

Ask your closest friend how often they have sex and watch them hesitate.

They will tell you about their in-laws, their Hinge disasters, the rash they accidentally sent to their boss.

But this one makes people go quiet.

Half of adults responding to one UK-based study still considered sex a taboo subject, and the reason it stays that way is that everyone has a number in their head that they think they should be hitting, and almost nobody believes they are hitting it.

Here is what it actually looks like when 100 women tell the truth.

The numbers nobody believes

According to the UK's National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles, people aged 16 to 44 have sex three times a month on average.

That probably sounds low, but here is the gap between perception and reality: a 2023 Hims and Hers report found that 81% of people assume others are having sex at least once a week.

Only 45% actually are. And while 98% assumed everyone else had sex last month, 21% hadn't.

Everyone thinks everyone else is at it. Almost nobody is right.

Credit: Jamie Grill/Getty

The women having sex constantly

They exist, but there are fewer of them than you think.

One woman, 36, five months into a relationship, said she has sex twice a day whenever she sees her partner.

Six orgasms for her, two for him, on the stairs and then in the bedroom.

Another, 30, has sex every day and summed up her preference for mornings with four words: 'IBS girlies know.'

A 39-year-old married woman said she and her husband have sex most days and both orgasm about 90% of the time.

Their last time was yesterday, in the front room - no fanfare. Just part of their life.

These women are the minority. They know it too.

The women doing it once a week or less

This is where most people actually land.

A 36-year-old, married nine months, described having sex on a work-from-home lunchbreak.

Twenty minutes. Both orgasmed. Then back to their desks in separate rooms.

A 38-year-old, married eight years, said they do it twice a week at the same time on the same days while their baby naps - both orgasm.

Then they get dressed fast, make a cup of tea, and sit on the sofa until the baby wakes up.

One woman, 30, in a four-year relationship, said they manage once a month because they work opposite schedules and only get one evening together a week.

The pressure on that single night is so intense they usually avoid it altogether.

'If I were to initiate, I'd be getting rejected every night,' she said.

Credit: Witthaya Prasongsin/Getty

The women who have basically stopped

This is where the survey got properly raw.

A 37-year-old married mother said she and her husband have had sex once since their toddler was born. They tried. It was awkward. Neither of them knows how to start anymore.

A 46-year-old, married eight years, said the last time they had sex was conceiving their second child. In 2017.

A 48-year-old, married 18 years, said she has not had an orgasm in 19 years. Her husband finishes, lies down, and goes to sleep. Every time.

A 34-year-old in a 14-year relationship put it bluntly.

She works, looks after the kids, does the housework, and deals with family issues.

By the evening, the last thing she wants is to perform for someone else when she feels 'incredibly unsexy and tired'.

A 55-year-old, married 32 years, couldn't remember the last time. Definitely more than 18 months ago. It hurt because of menopausal dryness.

The women on their own

A 34-year-old single woman hasn't had sex in six years.

She took a vow of celibacy after what she called 'a few wild years'.

She misses it but says it has been so long she wouldn't know what to do anymore. She will never tell anyone how long it has actually been.

A 29-year-old said simply: 'I've never had sex.'

A 36-year-old hasn't had sex in 10 years. 'Drunken fun' was the entire description.

A 32-year-old has solo sex four times a week. Partnered sex, not since Christmas. He orgasmed. She didn't.

Credit: Bymuratdeniz/Getty

The orgasm problem

It runs through the whole thing like a thread you can't unsee once you notice it.

Woman after woman describing sex where their partner finishes and they don't.

Some fake it, some have given up faking it, some never started.

Clinical psychologist Dr Karen Gurney says the orgasm gap is not biological.

It is about how men and women have sex with each other.

'We don't see this orgasm gap when women have sex with other women,' she told Stylist, the outlet that conducted the survey.

A 27-year-old, married one year, described sex lasting three thrusts before her husband finished and started apologising.

She reassured him because she didn't want to break his confidence, but she said her own self-esteem has plummeted because of it.

A 54-year-old, married 32 years, said she has never climaxed with her husband. When menopause killed her libido, she stopped pretending. That was that.

A 30-year-old took the opposite view. She doesn't always orgasm with her boyfriend but has decided she is fine with that. 'I've stopped putting pressure on myself,' she said.

Why nobody talks about any of this

Because shame fills the silence.

When nobody shares, everyone assumes they are the only one struggling.

Sex educator Ruby Rare's suggestion was simple: get a group of women in a room and actually talk about it. The amount, the kind, how it feels.

'The only way we get out of our own heads and let go of spiralling self-judgment is by talking to each other.'

A hundred women just did.

The answers were messy, funny, sad, awkward, sometimes hot, often painful, and completely all over the place.

Which is probably the most useful thing about them.

Featured image credit: Flashpop/Getty

When you're in your mid-late teens, it is easy to believe that sex is the key to happiness. Due to the raging hormones in your body, you are constantly randy and looking to hump anything that moves. However, as you grow up and begin to slow down, so does your sex drive. Despite this, sex is still a vital cog in a smooth relationship and is vital when it comes to maintaining a balanced, pleasant and happy relationship.

But, while you may think that the happiest couples are those who are getting freaky on the regular, you would be mistaken... kind of. It turns out then when it comes to sex, less is actually more - and we have the science to prove it.

According to a recent survey that was published in the scientific journal Social Psychology and Personality Science, the happiest couples don't get jiggy with it every single day, they actually go at it like a pair of rabbits around once a week. Also, according to the same survey, those who were having sex less than once a week were left less fulfilled.

However, in a separate study conducted by the Kinsey Institute revealed that the average amount of sex that couples have is purely based on age. According to the research, couples between the ages of 18 - 29 have sex 112 times a year, averaging out at twice a week.

But, once you hit the age of 30, that number falls to 86 times a year. Then, when you hit the dreading 40, it falls even further, to 69 (lol) times a year. Of course, this is all completely understandable as the older you get, the more responsibilities you have. On top of this, as your body gets older, it begins to decline - with the likes of arthritis and fatigue likely to take their toll on the amount of sex you have.

“Some people want to have sex every day, and they are. Other people have other priorities, so sex isn’t on the top of their list, so they are having it less,” marriage therapist and professor at the University of Southern California, Mary Andres, told USA Today.

According to Dr. Sanam Hafeez, the main reason couples struggle in the love-making department is because of things like stress, medical issues, smartphones and declining connections. But, Hafeez does say that doesn't mean your sex life is over, just that you need to put a bit more effort in.

“Check in throughout the day. A kissy face emoji or a quick message sending love keeps the connection going,” Hafeez explained to NBC News. “Also, something as simple as walking together after dinner without phones, or dancing, can get good brain chemicals flowing".

Of course, it should be noted that there is no such thing as the perfect amount of sex. All relationships are based on communication, so it's all about finding a happy medium between too much and too little. In other words, don't worry about comparing your sex life to other people's, it's pointless.