A small change to the missionary position, first described in 1988, can make orgasm during intercourse more likely for many women. Some traction on social media recently revived the Coital Alignment Technique (CAT), claiming it lifts the female orgasm rate from 15% to 56%. The technique is real and backed by research, though the actual study findings are more modest and more interesting than the headline number.
The problem it tackles is well documented. The best evidence suggests only about 25% of women reliably reach orgasm from intercourse alone, regardless of position, partner or effort. The reason is anatomical, and so is the proposed fix.
What the Coital Alignment Technique Is
The CAT was developed by psychotherapist and sex researcher Edward Eichel and first published in 1988 in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy. Eichel’s paper describes it as a combination of a “riding high” variation of missionary with focused pressure-and-counterpressure movement between the partners’ pelvises.
In practice, the man shifts his body upward along his partner’s, so that his chest sits closer to her shoulder rather than directly over her chest. This shift is at roughly two inches. The effect is that the base of his pelvis, rather than only the shaft, rests against her clitoral region, keeping that area in contact throughout.
Why It Works: A Problem of Geometry
The clitoris is the organ most responsible for female orgasm, and it sits above the vaginal opening. In standard missionary, the in-and-out motion of intercourse largely bypasses it, so the clitoris gets little direct stimulation.
The CAT reorganizes the bodies around that fact. By riding higher, the man brings the pubic bone at the base of his penis into steady contact with the clitoral hood. Instead of being a bystander during penetration, the clitoris becomes the main point of contact with every movement.
From Thrusting to Rocking
The second change is in the movement itself. Rather than thrusting in and out, the couple rocks together in an up-and-down motion, with each partner pressing gently in turn. Because the pelvises stay aligned, the clitoral area receives pressure through the whole stroke rather than in occasional passing contact.
It is advised to keep the rhythm slow and steady, around one rock per second, and resisting the urge to speed up. Its reasoning is that a consistent rhythm lets arousal build like a wave, while abrupt changes in pace interrupt it. However, as always with sex positions and sexual play, couples should treat this advice on tempo as a starting point and adjust to what feels good for them.
What the Research Actually Found
The CAT does have research behind it. Eichel’s original 1988 study gave a questionnaire to 43 people who had learned the technique and 43 who had not. Women in the CAT group reported significantly more orgasms during intercourse, more simultaneous orgasms, and more orgasms they rated as complete and satisfying.
The 56% figure comes from a later study by David Hurlbert and Carol Apt, published in the same journal in 1995. They randomly assigned 36 married women and their husbands to workshops teaching either the CAT or directed masturbation, a standard sex-therapy approach. Over the following weeks, the masturbation group reported a 27% increase in orgasms during intercourse, while the CAT group reported a 56% increase.
That is a meaningful result, but it is a 56% increase, not a jump from a 15% rate to a 56% rate. The study was also small, and both approaches produced clinically significant improvements; the authors suggested combining them may work better than relying on either alone. A more recent Spanish study, which taught the technique online to women with orgasmic disorder found similar results, with both methods outperforming a waiting-list group.
The Coital Alignment Technique is a simple, evidence-supported adjustment: ride higher, rock instead of thrust, and keep a steady rhythm so the clitoris gets consistent contact. It will not work for everyone, and the viral numbers overstate the research. But for couples who want orgasm during intercourse to be more likely, it is a low-effort change worth trying, alongside other forms of stimulation that many women find more reliable.
