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The Hite Report on Male Sexuality: How Men Feel About Love and Sex
"A riveting document!"
NEWSWEEK
Over 7,000 men, ages thirteen to ninety-seven, speak out What they think of women--as wives, lovers, and friends; why a majority of men like marriage but are not faithful; what they think about love--and why they often distrust it; how they feel about giving women clitoral stimulation; why they often masturbate even with a regular sex life...and more.
NEWSWEEK
Over 7,000 men, ages thirteen to ninety-seven, speak out What they think of women--as wives, lovers, and friends; why a majority of men like marriage but are not faithful; what they think about love--and why they often distrust it; how they feel about giving women clitoral stimulation; why they often masturbate even with a regular sex life...and more.
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1981
15 people are currently reading
476 people want to read
About the author
Shere Hite
50 books82 followersShere Hite (born November 2, 1942, Saint Joseph, Missouri) is an American-born German[1] sex educator and feminist. Her sexological work has focused primarily on female sexuality. Hite builds upon biological studies of sex by Masters and Johnson and by Alfred Kinsey. She also references theoretical, political and psychological works associated with the feminist movement of the 1970s, such as Anne Koedt's The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm. After attacks on herself and her work, she renounced her United States citizenship in 1995 to become German.
Hite graduated from Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, Florida. She received a masters degree in history from the University of Florida in 1967. She then moved to New York City and enrolled at Columbia University to work toward her Ph.D. in social history. Hite attributes the non-completion of this degree to the conservative nature of Columbia at that time. She later completed a Ph.D. at Nihon University (Tokyo, Japan) and another Ph.D. in clinical sexology at Maimonides University, North Miami Beach, Florida.
Shere Hite has focused on understanding how individuals regard sexual experience and the meaning it holds for them. Hite has criticised Masters and Johnson's work for uncritically incorporating cultural attitudes on sexual behaviour into their research. For example, Hite's work showed that 70% of women do not have orgasms through in-out, thrusting intercourse but are able to achieve orgasm easily by masturbation or other direct clitoral stimulation. Only 30% of the women in her study reported ever experiencing orgasm during thrusting intercourse. She has criticised Masters and Johnson's argument that enough clitoral stimulation to achieve orgasm should be provided by thrusting during intercourse, and the inference that the failure of this is a sign of female "sexual dysfunction." Whilst not denying that both Kinsey and Masters and Johnson have been a crucial step in sex research, she believes that we must understand the cultural and personal construction of sexual experience to make the research relevant to sexual behaviour outside the laboratory. She offered the criticism that limiting test subjects to "normal" women who report orgasming during coitus was basing research on the faulty assumption that having an orgasm during coitus was typical, something that her own research strongly refuted.
Hite graduated from Seabreeze High School in Daytona Beach, Florida. She received a masters degree in history from the University of Florida in 1967. She then moved to New York City and enrolled at Columbia University to work toward her Ph.D. in social history. Hite attributes the non-completion of this degree to the conservative nature of Columbia at that time. She later completed a Ph.D. at Nihon University (Tokyo, Japan) and another Ph.D. in clinical sexology at Maimonides University, North Miami Beach, Florida.
Shere Hite has focused on understanding how individuals regard sexual experience and the meaning it holds for them. Hite has criticised Masters and Johnson's work for uncritically incorporating cultural attitudes on sexual behaviour into their research. For example, Hite's work showed that 70% of women do not have orgasms through in-out, thrusting intercourse but are able to achieve orgasm easily by masturbation or other direct clitoral stimulation. Only 30% of the women in her study reported ever experiencing orgasm during thrusting intercourse. She has criticised Masters and Johnson's argument that enough clitoral stimulation to achieve orgasm should be provided by thrusting during intercourse, and the inference that the failure of this is a sign of female "sexual dysfunction." Whilst not denying that both Kinsey and Masters and Johnson have been a crucial step in sex research, she believes that we must understand the cultural and personal construction of sexual experience to make the research relevant to sexual behaviour outside the laboratory. She offered the criticism that limiting test subjects to "normal" women who report orgasming during coitus was basing research on the faulty assumption that having an orgasm during coitus was typical, something that her own research strongly refuted.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
December 12, 2022
Just bad science. You can read about some of the deep, invalidating methodological problems here and here.
Not sure if it's bad enough to go on my "Actively Harmful" shelf.
Not sure if it's bad enough to go on my "Actively Harmful" shelf.
July 30, 2017
After "The Hite Report on Female Sexuality", Shere Hite aims at understanding what is behind male sexuality and tries to keep pushing the same theory: intercourse is not the right and only way to define "sex".
Comparing with the female report, one cannot avoid noticing that the first work went to greater lengths to categorize sexual behaviors themselves, and one gets the impression that the thesis being pushed is something that arises naturally. In this work, there is a greater focus on the family and emotional life of men, way more than regarding sexual behaviors; also this is clearly trying to answer the question of "How do men see women?", because a lot of the questions regarding men's sexual feelings are framed in terms of "how do men experience women". To make justice to the full work of Shere Hite, these family and emotional questions from the perspective of women are explored in other books, which I think is more appropriate.
The reason why the emotional questions are explored here, in my opinion, is that, regarding men, those are the more taboo subjects, since men talk openly about masturbation. While in the women's case it was clitoral stimulation, here men's secret need for affection is the big central question. The thesis goes something like this: society tells men that the sex they should have is penetration, and this is what makes them true men. Needless to say this mindset doesn't help either women or men. Hite tries to back this up with testimony from men complaining about this pressure, and how sometimes they would like more foreplay for themselves, almost to the touching level of "Men are people too and they want to feel wanted too".
I still think that Hite presented only circumstantial evidence that men don't want to just "shove it in", but you would have to have a heart of stone not to consider this to be true. From that step to having men willingly stepping out from that role is a long jump. Still, it is enlightening to read that men feel oppressed by this.
Ultimately, I think that considering a world in which men want generally more from women than just "masturbating inside them" frees both men AND women, as it would allow for women to express themselves more freely too.
A honorable mention for the sections of "men having sex with other men" and "sexuality of older men", as they represent the least often honestly heard voices.
4 starts because there are a lot of topics covered but not with the depth that I was expecting.
Comparing with the female report, one cannot avoid noticing that the first work went to greater lengths to categorize sexual behaviors themselves, and one gets the impression that the thesis being pushed is something that arises naturally. In this work, there is a greater focus on the family and emotional life of men, way more than regarding sexual behaviors; also this is clearly trying to answer the question of "How do men see women?", because a lot of the questions regarding men's sexual feelings are framed in terms of "how do men experience women". To make justice to the full work of Shere Hite, these family and emotional questions from the perspective of women are explored in other books, which I think is more appropriate.
The reason why the emotional questions are explored here, in my opinion, is that, regarding men, those are the more taboo subjects, since men talk openly about masturbation. While in the women's case it was clitoral stimulation, here men's secret need for affection is the big central question. The thesis goes something like this: society tells men that the sex they should have is penetration, and this is what makes them true men. Needless to say this mindset doesn't help either women or men. Hite tries to back this up with testimony from men complaining about this pressure, and how sometimes they would like more foreplay for themselves, almost to the touching level of "Men are people too and they want to feel wanted too".
I still think that Hite presented only circumstantial evidence that men don't want to just "shove it in", but you would have to have a heart of stone not to consider this to be true. From that step to having men willingly stepping out from that role is a long jump. Still, it is enlightening to read that men feel oppressed by this.
Ultimately, I think that considering a world in which men want generally more from women than just "masturbating inside them" frees both men AND women, as it would allow for women to express themselves more freely too.
A honorable mention for the sections of "men having sex with other men" and "sexuality of older men", as they represent the least often honestly heard voices.
4 starts because there are a lot of topics covered but not with the depth that I was expecting.
May 6, 2015
I don't really read these books on sexuality in a totally objective way. I always hope that there might be something a little spicy, a little stimulating to read before bedtime. But this wasn't a woman's book. Shame that.
May 1, 2025
El Informe Hite: sexualidad masculina es uno de esos libros que uno lee como quien abre una carta vieja de una novia a su novio encontrada en una caja de madera: desordenado, excesivo, algo cursi, pero lleno de sinceridad. Con sus miles de cuestionarios voluntarios y anónimos, Hite se propone nada menos que radiografiar el deseo masculino. Y, en el intento, nos ofrece más bien un álbum coral del varón sensible, contradictorio y, en ocasiones, desesperado por decir algo que nunca le dejaron.
Claro, el sesgo es evidente —¿quién responde a un cuestionario sobre sexualidad masculina en los años 70?—, y muchas de sus conclusiones hoy suenan más a eco de una utopía feminista que a análisis empírico. Pero precisamente por eso fascina: por ese tono entre panfletario y confesional, por ese deseo tan setentero de salvar al hombre de sí mismo.
¿Es riguroso? No. ¿Es divertido, incómodo y revelador? Mucho. Una lectura recomendable no por lo que enseña sobre «el hombre», sino por lo que deja al descubierto: el miedo a no ser lo bastante hombre en una época que no explicaba qué demonios significaba eso. Y porque es graciosísimo, claro está —como todo lo que se toma demasiado en serio—.
Claro, el sesgo es evidente —¿quién responde a un cuestionario sobre sexualidad masculina en los años 70?—, y muchas de sus conclusiones hoy suenan más a eco de una utopía feminista que a análisis empírico. Pero precisamente por eso fascina: por ese tono entre panfletario y confesional, por ese deseo tan setentero de salvar al hombre de sí mismo.
¿Es riguroso? No. ¿Es divertido, incómodo y revelador? Mucho. Una lectura recomendable no por lo que enseña sobre «el hombre», sino por lo que deja al descubierto: el miedo a no ser lo bastante hombre en una época que no explicaba qué demonios significaba eso. Y porque es graciosísimo, claro está —como todo lo que se toma demasiado en serio—.
February 21, 2025
So cool and insightful. Loved it. Anyone who likes men should read this. Some of the attitudes are probably outdated now (I would expect the frequency of cheating to have gone down compared to the generations interviewed in the 80s), but still an awesome read. I was glued to this freaking book
August 9, 2012
First of all it gives men a frame of reference as to how men think, feel and act sexually. Second, it gives women insights into how men think, feel and act sexually. I was surprised by how difficult men found it to express their feelings since, as a man I've never had any difficulty expressing my feelings to men or women. When you don't have difficulty with something it can be mystifying when others find it daunting.
In June, 2005, a new female friend told me that 'men don't read fiction' (with the possible exception of Tom Clancy et al) but she was an exquisite ironist and knew that I did.
At least one woman here suggested she enjoyed reading snippets at bedtime. Krafft-Ebbing's 'Psychopathia Sexualis' is an interesting bedtime read as well (since you already knew about Nin's Delta of Venus and Little Birds).
I enjoy reading the Hite Report on Female Sexuality at bedtime.
In June, 2005, a new female friend told me that 'men don't read fiction' (with the possible exception of Tom Clancy et al) but she was an exquisite ironist and knew that I did.
At least one woman here suggested she enjoyed reading snippets at bedtime. Krafft-Ebbing's 'Psychopathia Sexualis' is an interesting bedtime read as well (since you already knew about Nin's Delta of Venus and Little Birds).
I enjoy reading the Hite Report on Female Sexuality at bedtime.
January 16, 2012
Excellent! I learned so much and then some. No other Male Sexuality Book like it. I love how she asks questions after questions after questions from every possible angle surveying men from all walks and talk of life. I'm looking forward to purchasing the Hite report for female sexuality.
February 7, 2025
It's actually amazing how different views of men and women were only 40 years ago. Very interesting, very sexist, and a completely different view of sexuality than the original Hite Report. In one survey, almost 80% of men admitted to being married but searching for (and getting) sex outside their marriage. It's crazy - hopefully it is less bleak nowadays.
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June 11, 2024I don't think I can properly rate this as it's essentially the results of a questionnaire. But despite Hite trying to structure their answers as [insanely depressing male answer] then [more optimistic answer], all this does is showcase men as repressed, lecherous adulterers.
August 27, 2025
I read as much as I could if this at the library today and I cannot for the life of me understand where the objections come from.
I skipped the parts on homosexuality, male friendship, anal penetration, and older male sexuality because those are of no interest or relevance to me personality. However, all the other chapters I read had findings and conclusions that I expected and that have been found in research from the time of publication since.
Admittedly I’d like to believe men have gotten more comfortable with women’s need for clitoral stimulation.
Many of Shere’s observations were ahead of her time and not validated in peer reviewed academic research until recently.
For example, recent research shows that women who orgasm during casual sex feel less sexual regret and just as positively about those sexual encounters as men do. Women who orgasm more often have higher sexual satisfaction and sexual desire. Men who go down on women are more prosocial and whether or not men make women orgasm in early encounters predicts the longevity of the sexual relationship. Many (most?) sex differences in sexual behaviors can be explained by how women have worse sex. Women have better sex if they are more assertive and adhere less to traditional sexual scripts. Men who have sexual double standards more often endorse and admit to committing sexual violence.
I could go on but basically there is a large body of recent research that corroborates what Shere Hite was pointing out nearly a half century ago. In that sense, her work is incredible.
I don’t really understand the objections or the backlash she got.
Some of her conclusions might be a little off base. For example, masturbation doesn’t replace sex with another human being. Surely more pleasure can be had with a partner than alone (unless I missed some testimony that this is not the case for men). But for the most part she is on point in her analysis of men’s responses.
I skipped the parts on homosexuality, male friendship, anal penetration, and older male sexuality because those are of no interest or relevance to me personality. However, all the other chapters I read had findings and conclusions that I expected and that have been found in research from the time of publication since.
Admittedly I’d like to believe men have gotten more comfortable with women’s need for clitoral stimulation.
Many of Shere’s observations were ahead of her time and not validated in peer reviewed academic research until recently.
For example, recent research shows that women who orgasm during casual sex feel less sexual regret and just as positively about those sexual encounters as men do. Women who orgasm more often have higher sexual satisfaction and sexual desire. Men who go down on women are more prosocial and whether or not men make women orgasm in early encounters predicts the longevity of the sexual relationship. Many (most?) sex differences in sexual behaviors can be explained by how women have worse sex. Women have better sex if they are more assertive and adhere less to traditional sexual scripts. Men who have sexual double standards more often endorse and admit to committing sexual violence.
I could go on but basically there is a large body of recent research that corroborates what Shere Hite was pointing out nearly a half century ago. In that sense, her work is incredible.
I don’t really understand the objections or the backlash she got.
Some of her conclusions might be a little off base. For example, masturbation doesn’t replace sex with another human being. Surely more pleasure can be had with a partner than alone (unless I missed some testimony that this is not the case for men). But for the most part she is on point in her analysis of men’s responses.
August 9, 2008
This book is not only about sex, but about men's FEELINGS, something that it is hard for them to talk about, and it gave me a greater understanding of what was happening in my own personal relationships that drives behavior.
January 5, 2008
Still relevant today, especially the many quotes from men responding to Hite's questionaire.
December 14, 2010
I picked this up for $2 at the Newberry Library used book sale in Chicago and it now lives on my coffee table (except when my parents visit). When I feel goofy, I read passages to my boyfriend.
February 23, 2012
Tended to be about gayness, camping holidays, sniffing other mens jocks/sox etc
Makes you able to talk with gay men better.
Read it then leave it.
Makes you able to talk with gay men better.
Read it then leave it.
April 22, 2012
Preferred this one ("Hite Report on MALE Sexuality") a lot more to "The Hite Report on Female Sexuality"--though both were very insightful and informative!
July 11, 2015
It was published in 1987. The interviewee's way of thinking shown in this book may be old-fashioned, but some might be true. It made me curious about Female Sexuality.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews