Recent research carried out at McGill University call into question the widespread notion that women take much longer than men to become sexually aroused. Using new thermal image technology to measure blood flow and temperature in the genitals, the researchers found that men exposed to a series of erotic images became fully aroused in 11 minutes, while women took about 12 minutes to heat up. The scientists concluded that there was no significant difference in how long it took for the genders to become aroused.

(Reference: Science Daily News Release 060930094145)

This research does not zap all differences between the genders, as some in the media have suggested. The experiment was only measuring one physical component of arousal - the new technology used gives a better picture of part of blood flow, but it is a black box approach that cannot replicate how people interact in real sexual situations.
Many men do see sex as the road to intimacy, while women see intimacy as the road to sex. The study did not check to see if there is a difference in what the genders want to do once the nerves around the genitals increase their activity.

Men are often lacking in social skills compared to women. Women are better at deciphering complex emotions from photographs of faces, and are also better at detecting subtle signals in voice patterns. And after a few minutes of inter-gender conversation, men are far likely to think "she wants me" when she is thinking "we are having a nice conversation."

Physical signs of real (but not male imagined) arousal include:

* Dilation of the pupils (see Belladona)
* Sex flush - Redder lips and fingernails due to increased blood flow
* Faster breathing
* Higher blood pressure
* Muscular tension
* Increase in heart rate
* Erection of the nipples

There are also some body language clues, which will make for a good post later.