This article is for women who want to orgasm during penetration, solo or with a partner, and want to understand why certain positions work better than others. Not as an obligation, but as insight. The anatomy explains more than you might expect.
Step 1: Understand the Anatomical Foundation
Before positions become meaningful, it helps to know what you're looking for. The clitoris is a 9 to 11 centimetre internal organ: the visible tip is just the exposed portion. Internally, the organ branches along the vaginal wall.
Many women find external clitoral stimulation helpful during penetration. In a U.S. probability survey, 36.6% said it was necessary for orgasm during intercourse; another 36% said it improved their orgasms without being necessary. These are different experiences, not one universal requirement.
Read more on the anatomy: How to Stimulate the Clitoris: A Complete Guide to Clitoral Pleasure.
Step 2: The Coital Alignment Technique (CAT)
CAT has been examined in small studies. The technique is a modification of missionary: the penetrating partner shifts upward so that the pubic bone applies direct pressure to the external clitoris. Movement then becomes friction rather than thrusting: a grinding motion against the clitoris rather than depth variation.
Eichel and colleagues (1988) compared people familiar with CAT with volunteers unfamiliar with it. A later trial by Hurlbert and Apt (1995) included 36 married women. Both CAT and directed masturbation workshops improved outcomes, with CAT somewhat more favourable for orgasm consistency during intercourse. These small studies do not establish a best technique for everyone.
How to:
- Start in standard missionary
- The penetrating partner shifts the entire body approximately 10 cm upward
- The penetrating partner's pubic bone now contacts the receiving partner's labia and clitoris
- Movement is grinding (rubbing) rather than deep thrusting
- Rhythm is slower and more consistent than in standard missionary
Step 3: Face-to-Face Positions and Blood Flow
A 2022 study combined biomechanical models with ultrasound observations in one volunteer couple. Blood flow varied between positions. This small exploratory study cannot show which position makes orgasm easier for women generally.
What this means in practice:
- Missionary (adjusted): ✓ face-to-face, direct pubic bone-to-clitoris contact possible
- Cowgirl (receiving partner on top): ✓ face-to-face, maximum control over angle and rhythm
- Side-lying (spooning): ✓ face-to-face possible with adjustment; also intimate and less tiring
- Rear entry: direct external clitoral contact may be limited; add touch if you enjoy it.
Step 4: Movement, the Most Overlooked Factor
Bischof-Campbell and colleagues (published online in 2018) found an association between a preference for body movement and more frequent orgasm during intercourse. This does not prove that movement causes orgasm or matters more than every other factor.
This reframes the question from "which position is best?" to "in which position can the receiving partner move most freely?" That's typically:
- On top (cowgirl / reverse cowgirl)
- Side-lying with free hips
- Any position where the receiving partner isn't pinned down or bearing a partner's weight
Step 5: Adding External Stimulation, Without Interrupting the Position
For most women, simultaneous external clitoral stimulation is the most reliable route to orgasm during penetration. This can be:
- Manual: your own hand or a partner's hand reaching the clitoris
- Oral: before or during penetration
- Via a vibrator: a compact model that's easy to use at the same time
The Touch provides external clitoral stimulation through tapping movements. Choose a position that leaves enough room to hold it comfortably, and adjust the pressure to what feels pleasant. It is not proven to require less pressure than a vibrator.
Step 6: Anatomy and Individual Preferences
CUMD is the distance between the clitoris and the urethral opening. Research has explored a possible association with orgasm during intercourse, but findings are not consistent. It is not a validated guide for choosing a position.
A shorter distance does not guarantee orgasm with CAT or any other position.
A longer distance does not determine what you can enjoy. Explore the contact and external stimulation that feel pleasant, without measuring yourself.
Common Mistakes
- Treating one position as routine: if a position isn't working, it's tempting to give up rather than adjust
- Confusing depth with stimulation: deeper penetration doesn't automatically reach more clitoral tissue. Angle and rhythm matter more
- Leaving no room to move: Make space for the receiving partner to adjust their position and communicate what feels comfortable.
- Losing arousal by thinking "technically": technique is a starting point, not a recipe. If you're more focused on the position than the sensation, you've lost the point
More on the gap in orgasm outcomes between partners: The Orgasm Gap: Why Hetero Couples Have a 30% Gap (and How to Close It).
The Verdict
No position guarantees an orgasm. Explore comfortable contact, movement and clitoral stimulation according to your preferences. Research offers possibilities, not a universal ranking. Use these steps as ideas rather than a checklist.
The Touch - Tapping Clitoris Vibrator is designed for precisely that situation: targeted external stimulation that works alongside whatever else is happening. Browse the sex toys for her collection for more options.
Sources:
1. Eichel, E.W., Eichel, J.D. & Kule, S. (1988). The technique of coital alignment and its relation to female orgasmic response and simultaneous orgasm. PubMed
2. Hurlbert, D.F. & Apt, C. (1995). The coital alignment technique and directed masturbation: a comparative study on female orgasm. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. PubMed
3. Bischof-Campbell, A., Hilpert, P., Burri, A. & Bischof, K. (2018, online publication). Body Movement Is Associated With Orgasm During Vaginal Intercourse in Women. PubMed
