# Most Natural Human Sexual Position. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 19, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900 "2014-08-19T15:05:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/1 "2014-08-19T15:05:36Z")
I know I rarely ask sexual questions on these boards. But that’s not because I don’t have one or two. One concerns the most natural (human) sexual position. I know in western culture, for hundreds of years now, the missionary position is considered the most natural human sexual position. But this apparently is found no where else in the animal kingdom. When you see animals (be they wild or farm animals) having sex, they are doing it in the rear entry vaginal position. I have never thus far seen an exception to this rule. That raises an interesting question. Strictly anatomically speaking, What is the most natural human sexual position? _ **Is** _ it the missionary position? Or is it the rear entry vaginal position, the way our hominid ancestors were probably doing it for literally thousands of years? [BTW, I also submit this question to Cecil Adams.] 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/2 "2014-08-19T15:15:56Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > I know in western culture, for hundreds of years now, the missionary position is considered the most natural human sexual position. But this apparently is found no where else in the animal kingdom. When you see animals (be they wild or farm animals) having sex, they are doing it in the rear entry vaginal position. I have never thus far seen an exception to this rule. Well, do you know of any other animals, apart from humans, that habitually walk upright, on two legs, with their spine more or less straight and vertical? Human upright posture is pretty much unique, so it should not be a surprise if human sexual postures are unique too. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/3 "2014-08-19T15:25:45Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > When you see animals (be they wild or farm animals) having sex, they are doing it in the rear entry vaginal position. I have never thus far seen an exception to this rule. You are hereby ordered to visit YouTube and search for “bonobo chimp sex”. They are randy little buggers why have sex in groups and in all sorts of positions. Aside: I once saw footage of two monkeys mating (baboons, I think), and it was the typical rear-entry position - except that the male was actually grabbing the female’s ankles with his own feet. Not sure if it was to keep her there or to allow him to climb up to a better position, but it impressed upon me the surprising merits of having opposable toes. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/4 "2014-08-19T15:27:52Z")
Perhaps we should ask what you mean by “natural.” Most comfortable? Most instinctual? Most common? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/5 "2014-08-19T15:30:34Z")
Begging? ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/6 "2014-08-19T15:33:05Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > You are hereby ordered to visit YouTube and search for “bonobo chimp sex”. They are randy little buggers why have sex in groups and in all sorts of positions. they aren’t randy, they are sociable. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/7 "2014-08-19T15:33:13Z")
If I just wanted sex with no love involved I would choose rear entry standing female bent over. When there is love involved the missionary position seems more natural to me. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/8 "2014-08-19T15:36:18Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Well, do you know of any other animals, apart from humans, that habitually walk upright, on two legs, with their spine more or less straight and vertical? And with that posture, increased size of the butt muscles to keep everything vertical, which makes rear-entry more of a challenge. ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_B](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jim_b/32/4338_2.png) [@Jim\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_B)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/9 "2014-08-19T15:38:09Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Perhaps we should ask what you mean by “natural.” Most comfortable? Most instinctual? Most common? As I said, > [@](#): > > Strictly anatomically speaking… If that isn’t clear, let me put it this way: What _angle_ is the human vagina _bent_ at? Does it more easily allow the rear, or the missionary position? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/10 "2014-08-19T15:42:17Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > they aren’t randy, they are sociable. Eh, same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/11 "2014-08-19T15:51:24Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > If that isn’t clear, let me put it this way: What _angle_ is the human vagina _bent_ at? Does it more easily allow the rear, or the missionary position? I rarely noticed difficulty in “allowing entry,” regardless of position. I believe, however, based on years of field experiments, that the angles match up a bit better with an approach from behind. Sometimes, however, a bit of mismatch is preferable. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/12 "2014-08-19T16:24:03Z")
Bonobos and some dolphins mate face-to-face. It’s not just humans. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/13 "2014-08-19T16:38:35Z")
I once saw a pair of turtles mating: They were end-to-end, both horizontal, with one upright and one on its back (I don’t know which was which). That certainly seems like another departure from the standard “doggy style”. I’ve also heard of some lizards where the standard position has the male’s and female’s bodies against each other at right angles, with the male wrapped around the female. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/14 "2014-08-19T16:50:08Z")
The spoon position seems very natural to me also. Heck, there have been a few times I’ve gone from asleep (in the spoon position) to fully inserted into the woman before I’m fully aware of what’s going on. If you can manage to have intercourse while you’re still half asleep, I don’t see how it can be more natural than that. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/15 "2014-08-19T16:52:10Z")
This thread is turning into the Karma Zootra. ---
**Author:** ![leandroc76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@leandroc76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leandroc76)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/16 "2014-08-19T16:59:16Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > The spoon position seems very natural to me also. > Heck, there have been a few times I’ve gone from asleep (in the spoon position) to fully inserted into the woman before I’m fully aware of what’s going on. > > If you can manage to have intercourse while you’re still half asleep, I don’t see how it can be more natural than that. Some of us aren’t lucky enough to be that well endowed. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/17 "2014-08-19T17:07:53Z")
> [@Jim\_B](#): > > If that isn’t clear, let me put it this way: What _angle_ is the human vagina _bent_ at? Does it more easily allow the rear, or the missionary position? It’s a shallow angle toward the spine. So if you think of the angle of the penis, it actually fits perfectly in either missionary or doggy position. Of course, the vagina is also quite flexible and the penis, too. While these angles may line up nicely, penetration is actually possible from just about any angle. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_t\_Panic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/don_t_panic/32/398_2.png) [@Don\_t\_Panic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_t_Panic)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/18 "2014-08-19T17:14:16Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Bonobos and some dolphins mate face-to-face. Although I think you have to buy the dolphin a few drinks before the bonobo’s face starts looking attractive to him. ---
**Author:** ![md2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@md2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md2000)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/19 "2014-08-19T17:17:32Z")
IIRC the “missionary position” was the name given by South Sea Islanders to missionary positional preference (you got wonder how it became common knowledge). The common position down there was apparently spoon or face to face, but on their sides. I can’t help but speculate that this was to avoid getting sand in the works. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2014, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900/20 "2014-08-19T17:28:02Z")
> [@Martian Bigfoot](#): > > Although I think you have to buy the dolphin a few drinks before the bonobo’s face starts looking attractive to him. I wish I’d said that. 😃 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-natural-human-sexual-position/695900.md?page=2)