While certain bits of anatomy (ahem, genitalia) are well-known as sites of sexual pleasure, getting turned on doesn’t have to be limited to below the belt. Other areas of the human body have a high concentration of nerve endings, so they’re particularly sensitive to touch, pressure, or vibration. These so-called “erogenous zones” can contribute to sexual arousal—think of them as the road map to a happy ending.1
According to Monica Geller of Friends, there are seven erogenous zones on a woman’s body, but the exact list (for any gender) remains up to speculation. Still, while everyone is a little different when it comes to getting turned on, people generally agree about which erogenous zones are most pleasurable.2
The human body’s erogenous zones might seem like a topic worthy of a Cosmo article, but this information matters for several reasons. Knowing these “hot spots” is a plus for both your partner and yourself—who would say no to a boost in sexual satisfaction? Identifying different erogenous zones also may improve sexual health; some research suggests that stimulating different spots may produce different reactions in the body. For example, touching the vagina appears to set off the release of the feel-good hormone prolactin, while the cervix may be involved in controlling muscle tension during sex. Understanding erogenous zones is also important to make sure that people undergoing gender reassignment surgery or breast augmentation don’t lose sig…