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Rethinking sexual response: are erogenous zones-including nipple stimulation-more than secondary stimuli? A
Aysu Yildiz Karaahmet1, Sevda Karakas2, Fatma Sule Bilgic3
1Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Midwifery, Biruni University, Istanbul, 34100, Turkey.
Objectives:
The nipple, a key erogenous zone in female sexual response, is often insufficiently considered in clinical practice, and scientific studies on nipple stimulation are limited. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies examining the effect of nipple stimulation on sexual response and sexual satisfaction in young women.
Methods:
For this systematic review and meta-analysis, studies were identified through a search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, EBSCOhost, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Scopus databases without any year restrictions.
Results:
A total of nine studies (~1276 participants) were included in the systematic review. Of these, six studies (390 intervention, 441 control; n = 831) contributed to the meta-analysis of sexual response/orgasm outcomes, and six studies (655 intervention, 621 control; n = 1276) contributed to the meta-analysis of sexual satisfaction. Nipple stimulation significantly improved sexual response [standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.51, P < .00001] and sexual satisfaction (SMD = 0.59, P = .005).
Discussion:
Nipple stimulation may be used as a supportive method to enhance sexual function and sexual satisfaction in young women. It may be considered as a complementary approach to sexual counseling and therapy, particularly for women experiencing sexual aversion, difficulty with arousal, and orgasm problems. This meta-analysis suggests that nipple stimulation may have a moderate positive effect on sexual response and sexual satisfaction in young women; however, the findings should be interpreted with caution due to the limited age range of the included population and the heterogeneity across studies.
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