Randy Dotinga writes: Talk about sensitive skin.

A new study found that women with the most sensitive fingertips are much more likely to have had recent orgasms during vaginal intercourse. The common thread seems to be the ability to feel the tiniest sensations, regardless of whether they occur above or below the waist.

The research does raise plenty of questions, and not just "How do I manage to figure out if that girl I just met has sensitive fingertips?" At the moment, researchers aren't sure whether fingertips in men provide insight into the orgasms that they experience. And there’s a big mystery about why the study only found a link between fingertip sensitivity and one specific type of female orgasm -- vaginal intercourse with a man.

Still, the findings do provide insight into how "many factors can both help or hurt optimal sexual functioning," says study lead author Stuart Brody of the University of the West of Scotland.

The study researchers tested the fingertip sensitivity of 70 French-Canadian college students, aged 18-30, and asked them questions about their orgasms within the last month and over their entire lives. The study findings appear in a recent issue of The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Women with the highest levels of sensitivity reported having many more orgasms in the last month from vaginal intercourse than the other women. But more fingertip sensitivity didn't appear to boost the likelihood of orgasms from other kinds of sexual activity, like cunnilingus, anal sex and masturbation.

Is there anything women can do to improve the physical sensitivity of their bodies? Yes, as it turns out, says Brody.

"There's one simple thing that requires a little bit of work: pay attention," he says. "Sensation is not only a function of the quality of the stimulus and (the body's) receptors. It is also a function of processing by the nervous system, notably the brain. If you pay full attention to a stimulus, it is more prominent in awareness than if you are distracted or ignoring the stimulus."

Research suggests better vaginal orgasms come when women focus on sensations specifically in that part of the body. So think vagina, Brody says.

"Not the clitoris, not what your hair is like, not whether he thinks you're fat or what the kids are doing," he says. "Focus on sensations on a long-term basis, for the rest of your life. Pay attention: it's a good thing."

Find The Body Odd on Twitter and on Facebook.

Want more weird health news? Find The Body Odd on Facebook.