A second sexual revolution

In 1972, Shere Hite, a former Playboy model with a passion for feminist sex research, embarked on a motorbike tour of Manhattan. Armed with a collection of surveys and dressed in a vintage lace gown, she sought out women to voice their opinions about sex. The questionnaire spanned 58 questions, inquiring about orgasm experiences, sexual freedom, and the political nature of sex.

The responses compiled in The Hite Report, published in 1976, became a groundbreaking feminist sexology bestseller, selling an astounding 50 million copies. This book was among the first to ask women about their own feelings towards sex rather than dictating societal expectations. Hite's findings revealed that 70% of American women could not reach orgasm through penetrative sex alone and often had to rely on clitoral stimulation.

A significant number of women admitted to faking orgasms. Although by the early 1970s, 62% of young women in the US had engaged in premarital sex, a stark contrast to the 7.6% of women born before 1900, The Hite Report brought to light the fact that many women's sexual experiences remained unsatisfactory. In the wake of the sexual revolution, women were having more sex, but the experience was often still unsatisfying, with male orgasm dictating the end of sexual encounters.

Hite's report also highlighted that women felt their right to consent was undermined, with men often disregarding their desires. The sexual revolution was marred by sexual inequality, with women feeling they had 'lost their right to say 'no'.' Hite's journey to feminism was unconventional, as she worked as a model and even appeared in pornographic advertisements before becoming involved in political activism and consciousness-raising groups.

However, even within these groups, sex remained a taboo topic, with women reluctant to openly discuss their experiences. To overcome this shyness and shame, Hite devised an anonymous questionnaire, which spread beyond the women's movement, finding its way into abortion rights groups, church newsletters, and even popular magazines like Brides and Mademoiselle.