Women moan during sex for partner's sake.

A new study from the University of Central Lancashire has revealed that the noise a woman might make during sex does not often correspond with her orgasm -- but may have to do with her partner.

It found a woman's 'copulatory vocalisations' are made most often before her climax or during her partner's.   The findings were based on analysis of 71 women with an average age of 22 .  

The study aimed to identify whether a woman's vocal expressions during intercourse were triggered by orgasm or occurred independently.   Most women polled said they reached orgasm during foreplay, but were most likely to vocalise their enjoyment during their partner's.  

The researchers believe the reason for this discrepancy is that women are "manipulating male behaviour to their advantage".   "These data together clearly demonstrate a dissociation of the timing of women experiencing orgasm and making copulatory vocalisations and indicate that there is at least an element of these responses that are under conscious control, providing women with an opportunity to manipulate male behaviour to their advantage," the Daily Mail quoted the researchers as writing.   Another suggestion is that women are conforming to ' an idealised sexual script'.   "Women appear to vocalise during sex not to express their own enjoyment so much as to help the man reach climax,"

Dr John Grohol, founder of website Psych Central, said.   "Maybe these vocalisations are a part of that idealised sexual script, or at least done in response to what women believe their male partner wants," he added.