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This #NationalOrgasmDay I'm delighted to support The Clit Test. A Bechdel-style test that highlights how roughly only 20% of women can orgasm through penetration, and yet we see it in almost 100% of sex scenes in books, TV, and film. https://www.theclittest.com/about
It's amazing to see Vogue has already covered it today here! https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/the-clit-test-campaign-onscreen-sex-women
With support from Professor Elisabeth Lloyd too!
When I worked as a relationships advisor, I'd get daily messages from young women who believed something was 'wrong' with them because they couldn't orgasm through sex. Also a huge amount experiencing painful and dry sex because their partners gave them next to no foreplay
This is unsurprising when the clitoris is hardly acknowledged in so much sex we see portrayed in art. From porn, to Hollywood blockbusters, but even award-winning literary novels often fail to pass this simple test. We must do better.
Additionally, every #NationalOrgasmDay, much is often made of the 'orgasm gap'. We need a more nuanced and less-shaming conversation around this issue. Not only should we talk about The Clit Test, but also it's important to acknowledge one in five women experience sexual trauma
We need to start telling the truth about ALL women's sexual experiences and their barriers to pleasure. I know a lot of editors and authors follow me on here, and, I urge you to ensure your manuscripts pass The Clit Test as often as possible
Like the Bechdel Test, this isn't a perfect concept. Lots of problematic art passes. But we should at least use it as a jumping-off point for discussion, rather than having every woman climaxing effortlessly after no foreplay, while losing their virginity, against a bookshelf etc
I know from the emails I get about Pretending, that a lot of women will feel seen by these tweets, but also too ashamed/scared to admit how seen they feel. Please share the message widely without making assumptions about the sex lives of women who talk about this.
Finally, this isn't to shame women who can orgasm through penetration, or to assume their sex lives are better than others. There is no wrong way to be a woman or to have consensual sex. The Clit Test is more about re-addressing the balance to tell more women's stories of sex
