Here’s your excuse to try something kinky tonight: After polling more than 400,000 OkCupid members, the dating website found that 62 percent of women enjoy rough sex.
Why? Being bitten, scratched, or spanked increases your blood pressure and heart rate in response to the pain, explains sex researcher Nicole Prause, Ph.D. When that happens during sex, some people interpret it as sexual excitement.
Plus, there are areas of your brain where pain responses and sexual arousal overlap, she says. (The benefits go beyond the bedroom, too. Here’s how kinky sex may actually be good for your mental health.)
So what actually turns women on when they’re feeling a little adventurous? Sixty-two percent of them said having their hair pulled gets them going, while about 60 percent liked it when their partner took control, the poll found.
Other things that topped their list of kinky behaviors? Being bitten, hearing derogatory terms, and being tied up.
In fact, the survey found that OkCupid members are 23 percent more likely to say they’re into BDSM than they were in 2013. Coincidentally, a big spike occurred around Valentine’s Day, when Fifty Shades Darker made its debut in theaters.
Just keep in mind that this isn’t something you surprise your partner with during sex. If you both want to get a little adventurous, talk about things beforehand to make sure you both feel safe.
If she gives you the green light for some hair pulling, biting, and taking control—here are four ways to try rough sex tonight.
Additional reporting by Carrie Borzillo
