▁the ▁reported ▁difference ▁in ▁levels ▁of ▁ar ous al ▁is ▁typically ▁much ▁smaller ▁than ▁those ▁in ▁men . ▁A ▁possible ▁explanation ▁for ▁the ▁non - category ▁specific ▁gen ital ▁ar ous al ▁in ▁women , ▁which ▁also ▁accounts ▁for ▁their ▁high ▁individual ▁variation , ▁is ▁the ▁" pre par ation ▁hypothesis ". ▁This ▁hypothesis ▁suggests ▁that , ▁provided ▁there ▁is ▁enough ▁of ▁an ▁increase ▁in ▁v ag inal ▁blood ▁flow ▁for ▁v ag inal ▁lub ric ation ▁to ▁occur ▁in ▁a ▁sexual ▁context , ▁the ▁magnitude ▁of ▁ar ous al ▁need ▁not ▁be ▁consistent . ▁That ▁is , ▁the ▁hypothesis ▁is ▁that ▁v ag inal ▁lub ric ation ▁can ▁take ▁place ▁as ▁a ▁protect ive ▁mechanism ▁even ▁in ▁a ▁non - pre ferred ▁sexual ▁situation , ▁such ▁as ▁when ▁sexual ▁activity ▁is ▁non - cons ens ual . ▁ ▁Other ▁research ers ▁argue ▁that ▁since ▁the ▁research ▁is ▁done ▁on ▁people ▁who ▁volunte er ▁to ▁be ▁studied , ▁the ▁observed ▁levels ▁of ▁category ▁specific ity ▁may ▁not ▁represent ▁the ▁population , ▁that ▁there ▁may ▁be ▁different ▁cultural ▁expect ations ▁of ▁sexual ▁interests ▁being ▁linked ▁to ▁gen ital ▁ar ous al ▁that ▁make ▁men ▁with ▁non - category ▁specific ▁gen ital ▁ar ous al ▁less ▁likely ▁to ▁appear ▁as ▁test ▁subjects . ▁There ▁research ers ▁also ▁argue ▁that ▁the ▁assumption ▁that ▁men ▁are ▁always ▁sex ually ▁interested ▁in ▁what ▁causes ▁gen ital ▁ar ous al ▁removes ▁its ▁own ▁f als ifi ability ▁by ▁explaining ▁all ▁contradict ory ▁data ▁away ▁as ▁" den ial ",