Do women love doggy style
Executive summary
Survey-based reporting and pop-cultural pieces repeatedly put doggy style near the top of lists of commonly used or “favorite” sexual positions, but scientific literature and methodological caveats complicate a simple answer: many women enjoy doggy style, yet “love” is neither universal nor the only driver of preference [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]. Preference varies by sample, by what “favorite” means (frequency, pleasurability, or curiosity), and by how much clitoral or paired stimulation is available during penetration — factors clearer in academic work than in headlines [5] [6].
1. Popular surveys: doggy often ranks first, but that’s a narrow slice of evidence
Multiple large public surveys and aggregate lists put doggy style at or near the top: an international-style analysis reported doggy as the most common position with roughly 35% naming it their favorite or go-to (BedBible; DrEd data summarized in Women’s Health and JOE) [1] [2] [3]. Media roundups and sex-advice outlets repeat similar rankings — Pure Romance/OnePoll and other popular outlets list doggy among the most used positions in the U.S. and U.K. [7] [4]. These sources establish that doggy style is widely practiced and widely reported as preferred in many non‑clinical samples [1] [2] [3].
2. Clinical and academic findings complicate the “women love doggy” headline
Peer-reviewed research paints a less monolithic picture: representative studies and clinical surveys often find face‑to‑face positions (missionary or woman-on-top/face-to-face) highly prevalent and strongly associated with female orgasm potential, suggesting that many women prioritize positions that facilitate clitoral access or eye contact [8] [5]. The large Czech survey and other academic projects link face‑to‑face use to greater female orgasm likelihood and report that frequency correlates with rated pleasurability — meaning “most used” does not always equal “most orgasmic” [8] [5].
3. What drives position preference: anatomy, stimulation, context, and partner dynamics
Preferences are shaped by multiple measurable drivers: the physical ease of clitoral stimulation during a position, the capacity for partnered stimulation (solo or partner pairing increases orgasm odds), relationship dynamics and communication about sex, and even health conditions like endometriosis which can make certain positions uncomfortable [5] [6]. Academic work shows that pairing manual or toy stimulation with penetration boosts orgasm rates for many women, which can shift preference toward positions that make that pairing practical [5] [6].
4. Pornography, culture, and sampling bias skew what polls capture
Survey results and media lists are influenced by cultural inputs: porn exposure is a reported source for position ideas, disproportionately cited by men in some surveys, and media-driven lists tend to conflate curiosity, search volume, and self-reported “favorites” [4] [1]. Pop surveys are often convenience samples, limited by age ranges, geography or recruitment method, so the high ranking of doggy in popular polls does not by itself prove an intrinsic or universal female preference [2] [1].
5. Bottom line — a balanced conclusion from available reporting
It is accurate to say that doggy style is very commonly liked and used by a large subset of women — numerous surveys and mainstream outlets report it as a top position [1] [2] [3]. However, academic studies and more nuanced surveys show substantial variation: many women prefer or find greater orgasm potential in face‑to‑face positions or value positions that allow direct clitoral stimulation or emotional connection, and preference changes across individuals, contexts, and health conditions [8] [5] [6]. Therefore, the simplest headline — “women love doggy style” — is overstated: many do, many do not, and sexual pleasure is highly individual and situation‑dependent [1] [5] [6].