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Topics: Women's Health, Health, Science, Reddit, Advice
Ella Scott
Topics: Women's Health, Health, Science, Reddit, Advice
Experts have weighed in on why some women casually slip their hands down their pants - with research claiming it could have something to do with the so-called ‘love drug’ our bodies produce.
I’m sure you’ve seen men walking around town with their hands down their loungewear.
Or perhaps you’ve spotted them absentmindedly touching their crotch while chilling, watching TV at home on the sofa?
And while that act is seemingly nothing new, the fact that women do the exact same thing has apparently surprised some social media users.
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Previously, one woman took to Reddit to ask: “Do women ever stick their hands down their pants or in their waistband when relaxing?
“Technically, I know the answer is ‘yes’ because I'm a woman, and I do.
“However, I hear this referenced more frequently as a male stereotype and even a male-only trait.”
They continued: “There don't appear to be in surveys on the issue and I've never wanted to say 'Hey, do yall stick your hands down your pants?' to friends.”
The Redditor clarified that they were not referring to masturbation ‘or anything sexual’, but instead wanted to know if other women liked to sleep with their hands in their pants.
The user’s post in the popular r/AskWomen thread has seen a flurry of replies, with one person claiming: “I often sit on the couch with one hand tucked into my waistband. I think I do it because most of my pockets are just too small to fit my hand in comfortably.”
Another typed: “I actually feel the most comfortable when one of my hands is tucked into my underwear, kind of next to my hipbone.”
“I always do it,” echoed someone else. Like if I'm hanging out on the couch or whatever, my hands are probably gonna be either on my belly or down my pants.”
They added that the act was not meant to be ‘sexual’ but just felt ‘comfortable’.
“My SO used to think I was trying to secretly ~play with myself~ and I was like oh, nope, just chillin',” the user wrote.
Now you know that men and women like to put their hands down their pants, we need to explore why the act seems to be so well-liked among both sexes.
According to Dr Linda Blair, a chartered clinical psychologist, the act of placing one’s hand in their pants can actually be a ‘self-soothing mechanism’.
“It's not so different from other habits like sucking your thumb as a child or holding onto a security blanket. It's just that society views this particular act with greater scrutiny,” she explained.
Body language expert and author Martin Brooks told The Times that the physical contact can also release the hormone oxytocin, known by many as the ‘love drug’ or the ‘love hormone’.
Research suggests that oxytocin can have a positive impact on social behaviours related to relaxation, trust and overall psychological stability.
Brooks added that men stroking their beard could also release oxytocin, making them feel just as good as when they have their hands down their trousers.
“This curious public activity could be a strange combination of displacement and self-comforting behaviour,” he said.
Counsellor Lisa Spitz has also chimed in, remarking that touching your genitals is often an ‘unconscious act of self-soothing’.
She told Cosmopolitan that ‘it’s rarely done in a sexual way’ but understands it can sometimes feel ‘sexually aggressive’.
So if you do feel the urge to slip your hand down your skirt, make sure it’s the right time and place. Maybe save it for after that meeting with your co-workers.