Australian women have welcomed technology into their sex lives,
according to a survey that questioned nearly 2,000 women from
around the country.
The survey found one in five women have had a sexual encounter in
an internet chatroom, more than half have sent or received a sexual
text message and one in five have starred in their own sex
tape.
"As a society, we increasingly rely on technology to get the job
done, whatever the job is," writes Joan Sauers in her new book, Sex
Lives of Australian Women.
"Have Australian women joined the cyber-sexual revolution?" The
answer, apparently, is yes.
Sauers used an online survey to question women about their sex
lives during a three-month period last year and the results are
published in her book.
According to the results, the most avid participants in chat room
sex are women in their 20s (26%) followed by those in their 50s
(21%).
Some women reported finding net sex liberating, exciting,
guilt-free, empowering and safe - no chance of STDS or
pregnancy.
Others described the experience as empty, unfulfilling, demeaning,
tacky and pretty lame.
However, women who had good experiences with chat room sex
outnumbered those who had bad experiences two to one, Sauers
reports.
For others, the problems were practical ones.
"It did get me aroused but I can't come & type!" quipped a
22-year-old student and barmaid from Western Australia.
"I had to pretend I'd come so I could get outta there!"
The webcam also forms a part of online sexual activity for some
women, who use it either with their partner or with
strangers.
"I do a little strip tease and masturbate in front of the camera
(while) he masturbates," writes a 27-year-old Queensland sales
assistant and mother.
Young women are the most likely to engage in text sex using their
mobile phones, the survey shows.
Seventy percent of women in their twenties had engaged in sexual
SMS exchanges, followed by 44% of those in their forties and 34% of
women in their fifties.
Meanwhile, 22% of women in their twenties and 20% of women in their
thirties had been filmed or taped having sex.
Some enjoyed the experience but slightly more were less than
thrilled when seeing the results in the cold, hard light of
day.
Many said they didn't like seeing themselves on film because they
looked fat.
"It was fine, but to tell you the truth ... watching it again was
hilarious ... not erotic ... my arse was NOT ever meant to be on a
tape," responded a 33-year-old mother from WA.
But a 34-year-old designer and artist from Victoria highlighted
another problem: "At the time OK - exciting, defiant, liberating
... Absolutely horrified after the event - especially after we
broke up".
Sex Lives of Australian Women also reveals intimate details about
masturbation, sexual fantasies, same-sex sex, pornography, affairs,
as well as posing the question: "Are men necessary?"
Respondents were almost evenly divided between yes and no, Sauers
writes.
"It was also interesting to note that proportionately, lesbians
tended to find men necessary more often than straight women," she
reports.
"A lot of women feel that men aren't exactly necessary, but they're
nice to have around."
