Why do women fake orgasms?

Faking orgasms is common practice among women, according to recent research.

A study carried out by psychologists at Oakland University in the USA found that 80 percent of women had 'faked it' at least once - and they wanted to find out why.

Of course, it's complicated. It turns out there are lots of reasons (nearly 70 of them, to be precise), as this video above shows.

The findings tally with the results of another recent study carried out by ABC News in the US, which found that as many as 70 percent of all sexually active women had faked an orgasms.

Trilce Ortiz, a sexpert and love advisor, told Fox News that one of the most common reasons women 'fake it' is because they want to please their partner and think it will make them feel good.

But it's also common for women to fake sexual enjoyment because they want sex to be over with as soon as possible, as the study found that women often had sex with their partners even if they were not in the mood. "For women, orgasms have a lot to do with mental stage and ambiance, which are both affected if she's not feeling the sexual desire," says Trilce.

Other reasons for faking orgasms include shyness, not knowing what an orgasm really feels like and not feeling a strong connection with a partner. "The large majority of women need to feel a real connection with their partner to fully explore her sexuality. There has to be a certain level of trust established for most women to feel relaxed and let herself enjoy sex more fully," explains Trilce.

Trilce also points out that women are conditioned into behaving in a certain manner. "The way movies and TV portrays sexuality delivers a very unrealistic image of what sex and orgasms are supposed to be like. Taking those examples as a starting point, it is possible for many women to assume that moaning and twisting are just part of the sexual act, whether they are feeling it or not."