Woman on top sex position

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This article is about sex position; for a movie by this title see Woman on Top.

An erotic Roman wall painting from Pompeii

The woman on top position, also called the reverse missionary, jackhammer, or cowgirl, is a type of sex position. In this position,

the man lies on his back or sits down in a chair of some kind
the woman sits on top of him facing him, with his body between her legs, and with her groin aligned over his to facilitate penetration.

The name derives from the image of the woman "riding" the man like a cowboy rides a bucking horse. It is one of a number of female superior sexual positions, another being the reverse cowgirl.

Contents

1 Features
2 Dominance and submission
3 Feminism
4 Disabilities
5 See also

Features

Penetration is quite deep, and the woman can control the depth and intensity of penetration. Clitoral pressure may not be very intense for some women, but can be provided by hand, or by the man periodically semi-withdrawing and manipulating his penis against the woman's clitoris, or by other means.

Proponents of the cowgirl position say there are these advantages:

Very deep penetration.
Both partners can see one another, and in particular the man can view and caress the woman's breasts while they are in a more natural position.
Often the man can delay his orgasm longer in this position.
The position is far less tiring for the man as he does not have to support his weight while also being physically active.
The woman may take a relatively static position, so that she does not tire (by supporting her upper body with her extended arms with her torso almost horizontal), while the man, not having to support his weight can be quite active without fatigue. This variation eases the strain of motion upon the woman's knees, which may be an advantage for some women.
The woman can control the depth, intensity and angle of penetration, and enjoy the dominant feeling of being in control.
The man can enjoy the relaxing and otherwise rare opportunity of reclining and receiving pleasure without physical strain.
The woman can easily stimulate her clitoris with her hand (if in the upright version).
The man can stimulate the woman's clitoris with his hand, though some find the thumb to be more comfortable.
If sitting upright, the woman can reach behind her to stimulate the man's testicles.
The man can caress the woman's buttocks and stimulate the anus.
In a variant position in which the woman is on top and leaning over the man, the man and woman can embrace and kiss while the man is penetrating the woman. He can also caress her breasts in the position.

The Cowgirl position

Dominance and submission

Variant allowing improved clitoral stimulation and greater male activity. Also much easier on the woman's knees and much more intimate for both parties.

As well as being enjoyable for its own vanilla sexual pleasure, this position is a good position for play with sexual dominance: some women like to take control of the man by holding his arms down, and some men like to take control of the woman by taking hold of her arms behind her back. Those of a switchy disposition can move from one to the other and back again. Some consider this to be a position which is particularly suited to female dominance.

Feminism

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Female superior sex was promoted by some feminists of the 20th century. For example, Avedon Carol recalls in an essay on feminism and BDSM that:

"I definitely felt I was under pressure from some quarters to be dominant if I was going to persist in my unfortunate tendency to interact sexually with men. It was also made clear to me that I was supposed to prefer the "female superior" position in intercourse."

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Disabilities

The reverse missionary position is one of a number of positions sometimes recommended for experimentation by partners where the male has some form of disability. Dr. Ruth Westheimer wrote to the wife of a stroke victim that: