# Male vs. female nipples **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 1, 2009, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584 "2009-04-01T15:33:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Find\_Friends](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c37758/32.png) [@Find\_Friends](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Find_Friends)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/21 "2009-04-04T20:32:07Z")
Well, not as much as my toes, (I’d much rather _“get”_ than _“give”_ on that account) but plenty _ **erogenous enough!** _ (Although I’d rather _“give”_ than _“get”_ on **that** account!) - Jack (_ **is BACK!** _) ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2009, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/22 "2009-04-06T14:53:31Z")
I consider myself educated. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![benevolentmasculinity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9c0ed/32.png) [@benevolentmasculinity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/benevolentmasculinity)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/23 "2013-02-13T23:26:11Z")
Says evidence. Only female nipples get erect from simply being sexually aroused and only females can reach orgasm just from having her nipples stimulated. Men only get hard nipples when cold or if their nipples are twisted or rubbed constantly but this hardness is a resistance to the contact and has no sexual implication. I am a male with plenty of male friends and I’ve done extensive research on this. There are exceptions with men with unusually high levels of female hormones. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/24 "2013-02-14T00:22:24Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Another question is why male nipples aren’t able to be sexually stimulated. Because you’re doing it wrong. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/25 "2013-02-14T01:09:59Z")
> [@benevolentmasculinity](#): > > Says evidence. Only female nipples get erect from simply being sexually aroused and only females can reach orgasm just from having her nipples stimulated. Men only get hard nipples when cold or if their nipples are twisted or rubbed constantly but this hardness is a resistance to the contact and has no sexual implication. I am a male with plenty of male friends and I’ve done extensive research on this. There are exceptions with men with unusually high levels of female hormones. You are wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Troppus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a587f6/32.png) [@Troppus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troppus)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/26 "2013-02-14T01:32:19Z")
> [@benevolentmasculinity](#): > > Says evidence. Only female nipples get erect from simply being sexually aroused and only females can reach orgasm just from having her nipples stimulated. Men only get hard nipples when cold or if their nipples are twisted or rubbed constantly but this hardness is a resistance to the contact and has no sexual implication. I am a male with plenty of male friends and I’ve done extensive research on this. There are exceptions with men with unusually high levels of female hormones. Hilarious. Got anymore studies to share? ---
**Author:** ![moriah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b2d939/32.png) [@moriah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moriah)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/27 "2013-02-14T02:17:59Z")
> [@benevolentmasculinity](#): > > Says evidence. Only female nipples get erect from simply being sexually aroused and only females can reach orgasm just from having her nipples stimulated. Men only get hard nipples when cold or if their nipples are twisted or rubbed constantly but this hardness is a resistance to the contact and has no sexual implication. I am a male with plenty of male friends and I’ve done extensive research on this. There are exceptions with men with unusually high levels of female hormones. Is your user name meant to be ironic or sarcastic? ---
**Author:** ![Powers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Powers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Powers)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/28 "2013-02-14T02:31:37Z")
> [@benevolentmasculinity](#): > > I am a male with plenty of male friends and I’ve done extensive research on this. Boy that must have been a fun party. Powers &8^] ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/29 "2013-02-14T12:22:50Z")
> [@benevolentmasculinity](#): > > Says evidence. Only female nipples get erect from simply being sexually aroused and only females can reach orgasm just from having her nipples stimulated. Men only get hard nipples when cold or if their nipples are twisted or rubbed constantly but this hardness is a resistance to the contact and has no sexual implication. I am a male with plenty of male friends and I’ve done extensive research on this. There are exceptions with men with unusually high levels of female hormones. I’m a lumberjack, and I’m okay. I drinks all night and I sleeps all day… 😃 ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/30 "2013-02-14T13:26:20Z")
> [@benevolentmasculinity](#): > > I am a male with plenty of male friends and I’ve done extensive research on this. > [@Powers](#): > > Boy that must have been a fun party. good research is done performing multiple trials, this would need to be done on a number of different dates with large groups of different people. you would then do statistical analysis and find the distribution of the data, noting outlying values. you might put the data on a graphical plot and these outlying values might then be called out-standers. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/31 "2013-02-14T13:38:42Z")
Please describe the method you used to sexually stimulate your male subjects. Perhaps the fault is not theirs, but yours? ---
**Author:** ![Lightnin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lightnin/32/180_2.png) [@Lightnin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lightnin)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/32 "2013-02-14T13:50:32Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Another question is why male nipples aren’t able to be sexually stimulated. Two women have asked me about this, and I just said, “I don’t know.” At the risk of TMI, my nipples are a lot more sensitive than my wife’s. Hers might as well not even be there, but mine want to be there _all the time_. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/33 "2013-02-14T15:47:01Z")
> [@Bluffcityguy](#): > > If your women friends hadn’t discovered long before this that male nipples are quite “sexually stimulatable” (mine certainly are, though I obviously don’t need to add to the flood of "me too"s upthread), I’d kindly suggest that they need a little coaching in their technique. Either that or to find more “normal” partners. (“Normal” in that I know very few men who don’t find attention paid to their nipples sexually pleasurable, though I’m sure there are some.) Abnormal man checking in here. My nipples serve only to provide some visual interest to my otherwise bland, white, nearly-hairless chest. (That said, I am quite aware that many men do enjoy having their nips played with.) ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/34 "2013-02-14T16:31:01Z")
I’ve always wondered: do all male animals have nipples if the female does? I’ve never seen a male dog’s nipples, nor does a bull have an udder, so which male animals have nipples? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/35 "2013-02-14T16:35:10Z")
When I first saw the title of this thread my first thought was “Don’t threads about reality shows belong in Cafe Society?” ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/36 "2013-02-14T21:04:32Z")
> [@AaronX](#): > > I’ve always wondered: do all male animals have nipples if the female does? I’ve never seen a male dog’s nipples, nor does a bull have an udder, so which male animals have nipples? Most male mammals have the basic equipment; mice and horses are exceptions. They are not as visible as on human males because they are both undeveloped and under fur. Human females are also unusual in that they have large breast structures that have little or nothing to do with nursing; some suspect that their main purpose is just to be sexy. ---
**Author:** ![colander](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e8c25b/32.png) [@colander](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/colander)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2013, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/37 "2013-02-16T21:45:28Z")
> [@benevolentmasculinity](#): > > Says evidence. Only female nipples get erect from simply being sexually aroused and only females can reach orgasm just from having her nipples stimulated. Men only get hard nipples when cold or if their nipples are twisted or rubbed constantly but this hardness is a resistance to the contact and has no sexual implication. I am a male with plenty of male friends and I’ve done extensive research on this. There are exceptions with men with unusually high levels of female hormones. best gimmick poster ever ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2013, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/38 "2013-02-17T06:24:38Z")
> [@John\_W.Kennedy](#): > > Most male mammals have the basic equipment; mice and horses are exceptions. They are not as visible as on human males because they are both undeveloped and under fur. The phrase “useless as tits on a boar-hog” comes to mind… ---
**Author:** ![snailboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/97f17d/32.png) [@snailboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snailboy)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/39 "2013-03-10T02:59:33Z")
> [@dotchan](#): > > This is second hand info, so take it with a grain of salt, but I have vague memories of my mother, while nursing my little brother, not producing milk in sync with his feeding times, so I would help her pump. Removing the milk, for her, was a great relief, but I never got around to asking it it also turned her on. Am I the only one that finds it bizarre that this person pumped milk from their mother’s breasts? ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584/40 "2013-03-11T16:18:35Z")
I think it’s an evolutionary “don’t care” case. In engineering, “don’t care” cases are input cases where we don’t care what the outputs are. The results end up being arbitrary, and usually are determined by optimizations. In evolution, don’t care cases get arbitrary results because they don’t have a significant enough effect on fitness to be selected for. Thus, we have lots of behaviors and traits that more or less piggy-backed on other, useful alleles. Few (if any) genes do just one thing. Genes that affect behavior are particularly complex in how they affect behavior. One that’s particularly fit might give rise to apparently unrelated behaviors and traits that either don’t affect fitness, or even hamper it (but less than the benefit that’s selected for). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/male-vs-female-nipples/491584.md?page=3)