Page 77 - Family Life Student Textbook

Men Women
Orientation Physical Relational
Compartmentalized Wholistic
Physical oneness Emotional oneness
Variety (Risk) Security (Birth Control)
Sex is high priority Other priorities may be
higher
Stimulation Sight Touch
Fragrance Attitudes
Actions Words
Body-centered Person-centered
Needs Respect Understanding
Admiration Love, closeness
Not to be put down Preparation
Physically needed Emotionally needed
Sexual Response A-cyclical Cyclical
Quick excitement Slow excitement
Initiates (usually) Responder (usually)
Difficult to distract Easily distracted
Orgasm Develop release Develop oneness
Shorter, more intense Longer, more in depth
Physically-oriented Emotionally-oriented
Orgasm usually needed for Satisfaction possible
satisfaction without orgasm

Husbands are shocked to discover that the priorities for most women turn out to be something other than
physical release. 80% of wives would rather have physical closeness than physical release. Most wives desire
to be held by their husbands at least 8 times a day. 70% of wives would rather have emotional closeness.
53% of wives would rather have time together with their husband. 40% desire physical release on a regular
basis. According to these statistics, we can see that a woman's priorities in the area of sex differ from her
husband's.

Another study showed that a husband's top 3 priorities are sex, food, and sleep, in that order. A wife's top 3
priorities are sleep, food, then sex, in that order. You can see that this difference in priorities can cause
conflict and misunderstanding.

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