The Case Of The Female Orgasm: Bias In The — Scie...

The central theme of Elisabeth Lloyd’s influential book, is that scientific research into female sexuality has been deeply compromised by two main types of prejudice: adaptationism and androcentrism . Core Biases Identified

Lloyd argues that evolutionary biologists have historically approached the female orgasm with preconceived notions that have blinded them to the actual empirical data: The Case of the Female Orgasm: Bias in the Scie...

Lloyd favors the theory that the female orgasm is an evolutionary by-product rather than an adaptation. Just as men have nipples because they are a developmental requirement for females, women have the capacity for orgasm because the clitoris and penis develop from the same embryonic tissue. In this view, male orgasm was selected for its reproductive necessity, and female orgasm was "carried along" as a happy accident. The central theme of Elisabeth Lloyd’s influential book,

A male-centered perspective that assumes female sexuality is a mirror of male sexuality. In men, orgasm is inextricably linked to ejaculation and fertilization; because of this, many scientists have incorrectly assumed it must serve a similar reproductive function in women. Key Arguments and Findings In this view, male orgasm was selected for

The dogmatic assumption that every biological trait must have an evolutionary purpose—specifically, one that increases reproductive success. Lloyd contends that researchers often invent "just-so stories" to explain why female orgasm helps reproduction, even when the evidence is flimsy or contradictory.