A second sexual revolution

In 1972, Shere Hite, a former Playboy model turned feminist sex researcher, launched a groundbreaking survey to study women's sexual experiences.

She distributed 58-question forms in Manhattan, asking women about their orgasms, sexual freedom, and whether they felt sex was political.

The responses formed the basis of her 1976 book, The Hite Report: A Nationwide Study of Female Sexuality, which became a bestseller with 50 million copies sold.

Hite's work was revolutionary because it prioritized women's own voices over traditional assumptions about female sexuality.

The survey revealed that 70% of American women could not orgasm from penetrative sex alone and often relied on clitoral stimulation.

Many women also admitted to faking orgasms, highlighting widespread dissatisfaction despite the sexual revolution of the 1960s and 1970s.