According to a recently published study, one of the reasons men perform oral sex on female partners may be to minimize the risk of infidelity.
The study, published late last month in the Journal of Evolutionary Psychology, sought to discover why men perform oral sex on women, since the act does not lead directly to reproduction.
After surveying 243 adult men in heterosexual relationships, the researchers deduced that cunnilingus is used to discourage women from cheating, a theory the authors refer to as a “mate-retention strategy.”
The research suggests that men perform oral sex on their female partners in order “to minimize the risk of their partner’s infidelity by increasing her relationship satisfaction.”
The study has garnered some negative reactions across the web: An article on The Gloss wondered why the researchers aren’t “questioning the evolutionary advantage of oral sex for men? Isn’t that purposeless, too?” And Handbag.com writer Kate Gilbert pointed out that perhaps men perform oral sex because it’s pleasurable: “Sorry science guys — sometimes things are just meant for fun.”
