So science has pronounced.  The final, seemingly unanswerable question has apparently been answered.  Woman and her mystique lies bared beneath the detached, indeed pitilessly disinterested gaze of, to all intents and purposes, androgenous scientific enquiry.

The varying ease with which women reach sexual climax is more heavily influenced by genetic factors than any other, British scientists have found. Inheritance outstrips the contributions made by upbringing, culture or male bedroom skills.

The study of almost 1,400 pairs of female twins revealed that genes affect arousal at least as strongly as they do medical conditions in which their role has long been established, such as hypertension, migraine and depression.

It also suggests that the elusiveness of the female orgasm is evolved, probably because it confers a reproductive advantage that is triggered only with a particularly desirable partner ...

... “The theory goes that if a man is considered powerful enough, strong enough or thoughtful enough, in bed or in the cave, then he’s likely to hang around as a long-term partner and be a better bet for bringing up children,” Professor Tim Spector, of St Thomas’ Hospital in London, who led the research, said.

“Women who orgasm too easily might be less good at selecting partners.”

But do we believe him?

Well for one thing, and though I speak as a man of little experience in these matters, I don’t see why it would benefit a lady to play Russian roulette with five bullets in the chamber.  If Man A, B, C, D and E all prove to be brief and inadequately attentive lovers Nature has still visited upon the unfortunate and clearly somewhat footloose femme fatale the probability of impregnation by an unsuitable paramour.  Doh!

No, I think these scientific chappies will have to go away and try again.  Should they be looking at the male of the species instead?  Why is evolution so rotten?  Why hasn’t this supposed female selection pressure slowed us down?  Do we want to get it all over and done with in a jiffy, after all?  I mean, two and half minutes! Hardly the time it takes to boil the kettle for a nice cup of tea afterwards.  That, of course, would be before one selfishly falls asleep.