Sexual Practices & Identities Codexery

Nipple stimulation

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A 2006 survey found that direct nipple stimulation enhances sexual arousal in about 82% of young females and 52% of young males.[1] Sexual excitement can result from nipple stimulation, and an erect nipple may signal that a person is sexually aroused.[2] Only a small number of women say they have had an orgasm from nipple stimulation alone.[3]

Key facts and history

At puberty, female breasts develop further due to estrogen and progesterone, while male breasts remain rudimentary.[4] Nipple stimulation triggers the release of oxytocin from the posterior pituitary.[5] Oxytocin receptors increase 100- to 300-fold at the time of parturition.[5] Suckling during breastfeeding promotes oxytocin and prolactin release, decreasing anxiety and increasing bonding.[6]

A 2011 fMRI study mapped nipple sensation to the same brain area as genital sensation, supporting reports of nipple-induced orgasm.[3] A 1951 analysis of 191 traditional cultures noted that breast stimulation before sex is common in many human societies but absent in subhuman forms.[7] In the fetus and during infancy, the nipples of males and females develop in a similar way.[4] The nipples and breasts are areas of the body that can produce sexual feelings.[1]

Oxytocin release and the contraction of smooth muscle cause the nipple to become erect during breastfeeding or when a person is sexually aroused.[6]

What the cited sources add

The Glamour article advises applying lube before nipple play to minimize chafing.[8] It recommends not leaving nipple pumps on for more than 20 minutes to avoid pain or bruising.[8] According to a 2025 article, nipple play increases sexual arousal for most individuals and can result in nipple orgasms.[8]

References

  1. Wikipedia, "Nipple stimulation" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Levin, "Nipple/Breast Stimulation and Sexual Arousal in Young Men and Women", The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2006, p. 450–454; Levin, "Nipple/Breast Stimulation and Sexual Arousal in Young Men and Women", The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 2006, p. 450–454 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  2. Wikipedia, "Nipple stimulation" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Levin, "The breast/Nipple/Areola complex and human sexuality", Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 2006, p. 237–249; Alfred C. Kinsey, "Sexual Behavior in the Human Female", Indiana University Press, 1998, p. 587; Boston Women's Health Book Collective, "The New Our Bodies, Ourselves: A Book by and for Women", Simon & Schuster, 1996, p. 575 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
  3. Wikipedia, "Nipple stimulation" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Alfred C. Kinsey, "Sexual Behavior in the Human Female", Indiana University Press, 1998, p. 587; Boston Women's Health Book Collective, "The New Our Bodies, Ourselves: A Book by and for Women", Simon & Schuster, 1996, p. 575; Merril D. Smith, "Cultural Encyclopedia of the Breast", Rowman & Littlefield, 2014, p. 71; Merril D. Smith, "Cultural Encyclopedia of the Breast", Rowman & Littlefield, 2014, p. 71; "The Psychology of Human Sexuality", John Wiley & Sons, 2013, p. 120; "Women's Clitoris, Vagina, and Cervix Mapped on the Sensory C en.wikipedia.org
  4. Wikipedia, "Nipple stimulation" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Levin, "The breast/Nipple/Areola complex and human sexuality", Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 2006, p. 237–249; Levin, "The breast/Nipple/Areola complex and human sexuality", Sexual and Relationship Therapy, 2006, p. 237–249 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  5. Razgaitis, "Physiologic Mechanism of Nipple Stimulation", Medscape Today from WebMD. facts only, no text reused. medscape.com
  6. Wikipedia, "Nipple stimulation" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Lauralee Sherwood, "Fundamentals of Human Physiology", Cengage Learning, 2011, p. 619; E. Malcolm Symonds, "Essential Obstetrics and Gynaecology E-Book", Elsevier Health Sciences, 2013, p. 37; Razgaitis, "Physiologic Mechanism of Nipple Stimulation", Medscape Today from WebMD; "Oxytocin: the Great Facilitator of Life", Progress in Neurobiology, June 2009, p. 127–51; David A. Lovejoy, "Neuroendocrinology: An Integrated Approach", John Wiley & Sons, 2005, p. 322; Margaret Neville, "Lactation: Physiology, Nutrition, and Breast-Feeding", en.wikipedia.org
  7. Wikipedia, "Nipple stimulation" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Clellan S. Ford and Frank A. Beach, "Patterns of Sexual Behaviour", 1965, p. 70 (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
  8. Griggs, "14 Best Nipple Stimulators, According to Experts and Testers", 24 February 2025. facts only, no text reused. glamour.com

Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Nipple stimulation (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.

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Sources

Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.

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