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What Do We Know About Erogenous Zones?
A research study by Nummenmaa et al. (2016) on human touch in relation to sexual arousal has generated a list of essential lessons about the human senses. Though sexual arousal can be triggered by visual and audible cues, the bodily regions that possess the capability to stimulate sexual response play a main role as well. However, the functional role of arousal-triggering properties are poorly understood. Nevertheless, through this scientific study, sexual regions in the body were examined and identified. We summarize the highlights below:
Topography & Sensitivity of Erogenous Zones
This groundbreaking study gathered responses from 704 participants who mapped over 1400 bodily regions they found sexually arousing either during solo play or with a partner. The data reveal that while arousal hotspots are universal in some respects (genitals, lips, inner thighs), partner touch activates a broader range of zones than masturbation.
In other words, your entire skin is an erogenous zone, but it lights up differently depending on who’s doing the touching. The researchers found:
- A partner’s touch elicited significantly broader arousal zones than self-touch.
- Extended zones (arms, neck, back) were more likely to arouse when touched by a partner.
- Only 6.3% of body area in women and 4.3% in men was arousing during masturbation, compared to 26% and 22% respectively with a partner.
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Sensitivity Maps: Tactile & Pain-Related Touch
The same team also mapped tactile and nociceptive (pain-related) sensitivity to better understand the link between sensation and arousal. These images underscore that genital regions are most sensitive to both pleasure and pain, but areas like the neck, nipples, and inner thighs also rank high for tactile sensitivity, especially among women.
All Skin is Sensual Skin
Every inch of your skin has the capacity to respond erotically, it’s your largest organ and a vast network of pleasure receptors. But many of us have inherited sexual scripts that narrow our view of what’s “allowed” or “hot.” This study, along with the sensitivity maps it produced, invites us to expand our definition of erotic touch.
Take the back of the knees or the nape of the neck. These are regions often overlooked in heteronormative porn or abstinence-only education, yet they’re rich with nerve endings and personal meaning. When you step outside the genital script, you make room for more pleasure and less pressure. It’s a win for body confidence, sexual diversity and, frankly, better sex.
Want to dive deeper into overlooked erogenous zones? You might enjoy reading this blog post on 6 surprising ways women reach orgasm.
Touch as a Political & Psychological Act
Touch isn’t neutral. Who gets to be touched, how, and by whom is shaped by race, gender, ability and orientation. For some, touch is affirming and liberatory; for others, it’s tangled up in trauma, body
dysmorphia, and social scripts that deny us our pleasure.
That’s why understanding erogenous zones isn’t just about technique but about tuning into each person’s unique boundaries, histories and pleasures. Your kink might not be mine. Your “yes” might need a warm-up. Your pleasure should never require pain. These aren’t just preferences, they’re political.
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Works Cited: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301509880_Topography_of_Human_Erogenous_Zones
Post By: Hootan Ghaffari
Hootan is a 20 year old philosophy/literature student at the University of Toronto. He has an eye for the creative arts.
