A significant new study has lifted the lid on a widely practised yet rarely discussed method of female self-pleasure known as 'broadening'. The research, which involved around 20,000 women, found that an overwhelming 87% use this technique to achieve orgasm.
What is Broadening and Why is it a Secret?
The survey, conducted by sex research platform OMGYES in partnership with the renowned Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, uncovered a striking paradox. While the vast majority of women engage in broadening, a full 80% prefer not to share this detail of their private lives with others, often due to fears of being judged.
So, what exactly is broadening? Psychosexual therapist Natasha Silverman explains it as a form of masturbation that involves pressing, moving, or rubbing the entire vulva against an external surface. "Think of it like dry humping on a large surface," she suggests. Unlike targeted stimulation, this method engages a broader area.
"It can be just as – if not more – pleasurable than other types of masturbation because it stimulates a larger surface area of the vulva," Silverman tells Metro. "Instead of just targeting the external clitoris, it engages the deeper clitoral structures."
The Benefits and How Women Discover It
Natasha Silverman, who also works as an educator for Bed Nerdz, notes that clients frequently ask if broadening is "normal" – and she assures them it absolutely is. The sensations it creates are distinct from direct stimulation.
"Broadening can create a more diffuse, full-body pleasure sensation, leading to orgasms that feel deeper, more widespread, and even more wave-like compared to the sharper, more concentrated climax that direct stimulation can create," she describes. These orgasms often build more slowly and fully, potentially making multiple orgasms easier to achieve.
Intriguingly, the practice appears to be instinctive for many. The survey indicated that 75% of women discover broadening before ever having sex with a partner. "It’s incredibly common, particularly among women who discover self-pleasure in childhood or adolescence," Silverman adds. This early discovery often happens through rocking against a pillow, squeezing legs together, or pressing against a seat during movement.
How to Practice Broadening and Is It For Everyone?
The study detailed the varied ways women practice this technique:
- 13% grind face down on flat surfaces like mattresses or floors.
- 18% prefer soft surfaces with a firmer centre, such as a sofa arm or rolled blanket.
- 16% opt for harder objects like table edges or bed posts.
Natasha Silverman shares additional creative methods, such as pressing against the floor of a running bath. She offers tips for enhancing the experience: explore different movements like rocking or circling, vary positions from lying on your stomach to standing, and experiment with fabrics like silk for different sensations. As hands are often free, she suggests using them to stimulate other erogenous zones.
However, the therapist is clear that broadening is not a universal preference. "Like any type of sexual touch, broadening is deeply personal," she explains. Some may prefer penetration or direct clitoral stimulation. The key is to tune into your own body and explore what feels right without judgment.
The findings, originally published in February 2025 and updated in December 2025, aim to normalise a practice that, while extremely common, remains shrouded in unnecessary secrecy for many women across the UK and beyond.
