A healthy level of physical intimacy is an important foundation in most romantic relationships, with sexual exploration often being the gateway to a deeper sense of connection and trust.  

But physical intimacy can oftentimes be daunting for couples, no matter how long they’ve been together. Whether it’s exploring untapped fantasies or new positions in the sheets, it can be tough to venture away from your tried and tested favourites.

According to a new study by Superdrug Online Doctor, most couples are unfamiliar – and a little intimidated – by many aspects of intimacy. Surveying over 1,000 men and women in both America and Europe (each of whom was in a relationship), the data reveals some surprising truths about our bedroom habits and preferences. 

Here are the positions people are somewhat scared to attempt, and the ones they’re more than comfortable recreating.

The ‘scariest’ sex acts

On a scale of 1 to 5, American and European men and women (4 groups in total) were surveyed about several ‘anxiety-inducing’ sexual scenarios. 

Across the board, ‘Public sex’ was listed as the most intimidating sexual act, receiving a score of 3.2 from the European respondents and 3.7 from the American respondents. 

BDSM, Anal and ‘Rough sex’ all followed in the ranking, with ‘Oral sex’ being listed as the least intimidating act of the selection. 

Overall, sex acts such as bondage, S&M and public sex were reported as considerably more anxiety-inducing than exploring new sex positions or incorporating sex toys into the bedroom. 

The crowd favourites

For male respondents, the top positions were found to be ‘Anal’, ‘Oral sex’, ‘Standing sex’ and ‘Standing 69’ – a bold statement considering the latter requires significant upper body strength.  

For women, a different selection of sex positions topped the preferences, with ‘Missionary’, ‘Spooning’, and ‘Cowgirl’ all coming out on top – no pun intended.

So, which positions ranked highly amongst both men and women? Three in particular polled almost equally between the genders when it came to position preference: ‘Reverse cowgirl’ (51.6/48.4 per cent), ‘Tabletop’, (53/47 per cent), and ‘Legs up’ (52/48 per cent).

The most polarising positions

Like any study, the findings of this survey must be viewed in light of their limitations, such as a reliance on self-reporting, a method often associated with exaggeration, selective memory and telescoping. Exaggeration aside, there are several key findings that represent some polarising preferences between the male and female respondents. 

For instance, when asked which positions people were least comfortable attempting, 54.6 per cent of women responded with ‘anal’, while only 30.5 per cent of men agreed. Likewise, when examining the percentage of preference for anal sex between men and women, the numbers came to 87.9 per cent and 12.1 per cent respectively– the most polarising split. 

Similarly, 16.6 per cent of women were not comfortable with ‘standing sex’, while only 7 per cent of men responded in the same way. 

Who is the most sexually adventurous?

One in ten respondents admitted to not attempting a new sex position in the last six years, with more claiming the quality of their sex life had not improved over time. While there was some variation in the responses from the European and American participants, all surveyed generally agreed they could improve on their intimacy exploration as a whole. 

When asked about whether they would be interested in incorporating sex toys in the bedroom, more women (58.9 per cent) responded with yes than men (41.1 per cent).

The data ultimately demonstrates almost nine per cent of respondents don’t consider themselves ‘adventurous’ in bed. Regardless of experience, the data on each gender’s sex position preferences and willingness to explore sexual acts showcase an obvious appetite for sexual exploration.