Unveiled: The Age When Women Enjoy the 69 Position the Most

The 69 position, a well-known part of the Kamasutra, involves partners giving pleasure to each other head-to-toe, mimicking the inversion of the numerals in its name. It remains one of the favored positions for engaging in oral sex. According to data released on World 69 Day, June 9, oral sex continues to be immensely popular. “The French have always engaged in it extensively,” confirms Eva Joy, community manager for JOYclub, a dating site that has a membership of over 6 million singles and “open” couples in France.

An Ifop survey for JOYclub shows that 83% of French men and women claim they have received oral sex at some point in their lives, and 82% admit to having given it. The numbers are nearly equal for both giving and receiving. “This is a practice that spans generations. Oral sex isn’t just a trend among the younger crowd,” notes JOYclub. However, fellatio and cunnilingus are not considered “frequent” practices among the French, as only 45% engage in them regularly. Particularly, men are more active, with 54% frequently performing cunnilingus compared to 38% of women performing fellatio. But finding pleasure in these acts is another story altogether…

It’s a known fact: men generally reach orgasm during sexual intercourse more often than women (67% vs 40%). This holds true across various positions, including the 69. According to the Ifop study, 76% of men achieve climax in the 69 position, whereas only 54% of women do. However, the good news for women is that this gap narrows with age. For women, the orgasm rate in the 69 position increases from 41% before the age of 35 to 66% after the age of 65. It seems it might take until 60 or 65 years old to fully appreciate this position. Why? Perhaps due to experience, letting go, and especially because at this age, women have finally decided to prioritize themselves. “That’s a 25-point increase over time, as if female pleasure too, must be learned and allowed,” agree the experts from JOYclub. Pleasure is something that must be initiated, and the first trigger is oneself, not the partner.

To truly enjoy the 69, sexologists recommend not trying to multitask. Alternating roles, focusing on one’s own pleasure and then the other’s, and vice versa, can often make one more relaxed and more attuned to sensations. This approach also avoids the challenge of having to give and receive pleasure at the same time, which can scatter focus and sensation. A bit of light can also enhance arousal and intimacy, as this position offers a particularly close face-to-face encounter with your partner’s body. Lastly, there’s no need to stick to the 69 continuously: taking a break, switching positions, and then returning to it later can enrich the experience and extend the pleasure.

*IFOP study for JOYclub conducted through a self-administered online questionnaire from March 6 to 9, 2026, with a sample of 2,210 individuals, representative of the French population living in metropolitan France aged 18 years and older