15 Things You Need to Know About the Female Orgasm
The ever-elusive big “O”. Relegated to the back burner for centuries, barely discussed, little studied and even less understood but so important to the mental, physical and emotional wellbeing of people with vaginas. In this article, we highlight 15 quirky, interesting, and downright scary facts about orgasms that you needed to know like yesterday.
An orgasm a day keeps the doctor away. The rush of oxytocin into the brain during an orgasm could potentially keep heart attacks at bay by reducing blood pressure, improving memory retention because it lights up certain parts of the brain and even better than receiving unsolicited credit alerts, it can act as an anti-depressant.
Regular orgasms could help slow aging and make your skin and vagina glow. In the lead up to an orgasm, your body releases bucket loads of DHEA; an anti-aging steroid hormone. Additionally, the increased blood flow to your skin and nether regions help keep you and your vagina feeling supple and refreshed.
Having orgasms during your period could lessen the risk of developing endometriosis (more on this later). The backup of menstrual fluid in the pelvic cavity is believed to play a prominent role in the development of endometriosis. According to Harvey J. Kliman, M.D PhD; uterine contractions that are part of the female orgasm induce more effective menstrual-fluid clearance of the uterine cavity, enhancing cervical outflow.
Orgasms get spicier and more frequent as you age. An older woman is probably more attuned to her body’s preferences and is more open to communicating her needs to a partner. So relax girl, the best sex of your life probably lies ahead.
A steamy half-hour session could potentially burn about 200 calories. Good news for the sweet-toothed amongst us. Sex burning calories? Triple count me in!
Have you heard of dysorgasmia? It’s the incidence of painful orgasms. Some causes may include pelvic floor dysfunction, chronic stress, emotional or sexual trauma. Additionally growing up in a sexually-negative atmosphere is directly linked to internalized shame around masturbation, sexual orientation, or pre-marital sex.
The path to an orgasm is between your ears i.e. the brain, so keep your head in the game. This is why cultural or religious beliefs are potential barriers to sexual expression and may prevent orgasms.
Birthgasms, coregasms and breastfeeding arousal are totally normal. A birthgasm occurs as a result of the release of the oxytocin hormone which aids the intensity of contractions, the hormone is also known as the hot drip may be given intravenously to induce or hasten labour. As the baby progresses into the birth canal, it may stimulate the pleasure points for the mother and cause momentary pain relief. Some birth experts have called on more research into harnessing birthgasms as an alternative pain relief method during childbirth. However, cultural bias and shame may prevent women from admitting to a pleasurable birth. Debra Pascali Bonaro a birthgasm expert says; “It makes me sad that we are comfortable with pain but not a pleasurable birth experience. Childbirth is war.” Some women can have orgasms as they exercise according to researchers at Indiana University. The most common exercises associated with coregasms were abdominal exercises, pole or rope climbing, biking/spinning and weight lifting. Dr. Victoria Zadrok, a sex therapist, explains that the underlying cause could be the release of endorphins and dopamine during exercise combined with tension on the pelvic floor can cause the stimulation.
9. The G-spot may or may not exist. Until recently, very little research had been conducted into understanding how the female sexual organ works. The word clitoris originated from the ancient Greek word “kleitoris” meaning little hill. The readily visible tip called the clitoral gland is actually part of a larger organ that is the clitoris. Recent studies have shown that the G-spot may actually be the bottom half of the clitoris buds. However, if it does exist, the G-spot is probably located between 11 o’clock and 1 o’clock when you’re lying flat on your back. Hook a finger and do the “come hither” gesture for best results.
10. Female orgasms can last as long as two minutes and some women even experience multiple orgasms during sexual activity. Some haters disguised as researchers claim that multiple orgasms are actually aftershocks of one orgasm but what do they know?
11. The female orgasm can result from many types of stimulation, including vaginal, clitoral, and nipple contact. Orgasms from penetrative sex are not superior or healthier and are far less common than orgasms resulting from clitoral stimulation. You’re not weird, porn is not a true depiction of sexual activity.
12. Exercising can improve the quality of your orgasm. Some recommended exercises and their benefits include; Kegels to help tighten your pelvic floor, yoga poses that open up your hips and improve flexibility, HIIT to improve your endurance and help you go the long haul and lastly core exercises like pull-ups, lunges and planks help to improve the pelvic floor awareness and strength.
13. Just like men, a percentage of women suffer from uncontrollable premature orgasms. A Portuguese survey of 510 women of all ages found that 40% of women occasionally came to orgasm faster than they intended and 3% reported that the problem was chronic. The typical case of chronic premature orgasm involves negative feelings about unwanted orgasms and a consequent culmination of sexual interaction because the subject loses interest or sensitivity of an overstimulated clitoris may make sex painful.
14. The “Upsuck” theory by Robin Baker and Mark Bellis claims that having an orgasm may help improve conception. The theory posits that when a woman orgasms within 1 to 45 minutes after her partner, she’s able to retain more sperm. Although unconfirmed, the theory is that an orgasm produces rhythmic contractions of the uterus which could help pump more sperm into it making conception more likely.
15. The inability to orgasm is a common issue. Some underlying factors that could be responsible for this include; stress, mental health problems, pelvic pain, sexual abuse or history of trauma, lack of lubrication, and sexual shame. If you are experiencing difficulty having an orgasm, you should try some self-help strategies such as; using lubricants, communicating fantasies beforehand and needs during, masturbating to understand your body better and as a last resort, seeing your OB-GYN or sex therapist.
Although scientific research into the female orgasm is still in its beginning stages, one thing is for certain, there is no right way to orgasm or correct way to feel about sex. The clitoris was created solely for pleasure so feel free to bask in endless waves of enjoyment.