We've been doing it since the Immaculate
Conception office closed its doors, and watching it since Harry met Sally, so
you'd reckon we'd have the art of O-ing sussed.
But modern science has put everything you
thought you knew about hitting the high note in an ice bath. Read it and
scream.
This is a big one and it's going to give
you a thrill. Just when we were starting to feel more than satisfied by the
prospect of experiencing one type of the big O, science has gone and revealed
that there may, in fact, be several forms of the female orgasm.
But hold onto your lady y-fronts, because
the latest research now also shows that distinct types of orgasm may involve
different neural pathways. This means that each form of orgasm may actually be
perceived as a wildly different experience.
These sensational revelations (plus many
more) have recently been reported in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
This
means that each form of orgasm may actually be perceived as a wildly different
experience.
If you're among the 15 per cent of women
who struggle to reach their peak, these findings could be your passport. But
don't think being 'O-negative' is some land of leprosy. According to Dr.
Marianne Brandon, a clinical psychologist and certified sex therapist, the more
you worry about having an orgasm, the harder it is to, er, come by. That's a
fail for getting fixated on any orgasm, let alone a specific type.
WTF? (What's the fuss)
From a medical standpoint, an orgasm is the
sudden release of accumulated sexual tension. It involves a series of rhythmic
muscular contractions within the sexual organs and lower pelvic muscles; and it
is associated with the release of endorphins within the brain. It is
accompanied by a rise in blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate.
But such a description is about as useful
as bringing sand to the beach because an orgasm is so very much more. Orgasms
produce feelings of unbelievable pleasure and explosive exhilaration. And they
often leave us feeling intensely intimate with our partner (due to the release
of oxytocin, also known as the 'love hormone').
V-gasms
It was Sigmund Freud (bless him!) who in
1905 came up with the notion that vaginal orgasms are distinct from clitoral
ones.
But here's the problem: Freud theorized
that the orgasm experienced by clitoral stimulation was an inferior, more
pre-pubescent type; while the orgasm experienced by the vagina during
intercourse heralded a much deeper, more satisfying and mature sexual response.
This view (which was not actually supported by scientific evidence), caused
many women in the early twentieth century to feel rather inadequate in the
'bedroom department' because they were unable to achieve a vaginal sexual
climax.
But
here's the problem: Freud theorized that the orgasm experienced by clitoral
stimulation was an inferior
However, over the past several decades,
experts have deeply debated the issue of whether vaginal orgasms actually exist
in the first place. Even today this overarching issue remains controversial.
In recent times, several key experts have
argued that vaginal orgasms do not exist in their own right. They have
contended that the vagina is a 'poorly responsive' organ, and that the orgasms
experienced during sexual penetration are, in fact, clitoral ones. They assert
that, because clitoral tissue surrounds the vagina and extends into the vaginal
wall, it is pretty much impossible to stimulate the vagina without activating
the clitoris as well.
However (you knew this was coming), the
latest studies published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine offer some new
insights into the matter.
For example, in one study, Dr. Barry
Komisaruk at Rutgers University USA used brain imaging studies to investigate
the impact of clitoral and vaginal stimulation on the brain. The research
identified that when a woman climaxes from vaginal stimulation, a different
area within the brain is activated than when climaxing from clitoral
stimulation (although there was some overlap). This supports the idea that
vaginal and clitoral orgasms are in fact separate phenomena and highlights that
they may actually be perceived as very different sensations.
Further still, Beverly Whipple, Professor
Emerita from Rutgers University, who is affectionately known as 'the inventor
of the G-spot', has reported that the Gspot is an exceptionally sensitive area
within the vagina. She contends that when it is stimulated, it swells, and that
rhis contributes to a vaginal orgasm.
She
contends that when it is stimulated, it swells, and that rhis contributes to a
vaginal orgasm.
But wait, there's more! Further, multiple
studies have shown that v-j-j orgasms are more likely to occur when the dude
side of the deed has a longer- than-average penis. When it comes to crossing
the finish line, size is like a tailwind in the Sydney to Hobart.
C-gasms
The naked truth is that the clitoris most
certainly plays a major role in sexual arousal. In fact, current studies show
that around 70 per cent of women require direct clitoral stimulation to reach
an orgasm.
But any woman who has ever experienced a
clitoral orgasm will let you know that there is nothing inferior about such an
experience (sorry Freud!). The clitoris does, after all, contain more than
8,000 nerve endings (which is as many as and sometimes more than a penis).
These nerve endings are generally connected to nerve fibers that run up the
spinal cord to the brain. When the clitoris is stimulated, impulses are sent
directly to the brain, which then interprets the signals as incredibly o-mazing
sensations.
D-gasms
Lady Gaga famously declared that she could
reach the top note through thought alone on command. And there is now evidence
that orgasms can be achieved from mental arousal alone. In fact, Dr. Komisaruk
and Professor Whipple have conducted studies on people with spinal cord
injuries to show that it is possible for women to 'think' themselves all the
way to a sexual peak, even without physical stimulation.
And
there is now evidence that orgasms can be achieved from mental arousal alone.
'Dream-gasms' are an additional form of
psychological orgasm. According to Dr. Annie Sprinkle, the US-based renowned
ex-porn star turned sexologist and author, dream-gasms are a form of fantasy
orgasm that occur during sleep. Although they require absolutely no genital
stimulation, Dr. Sprinkle likens their sensation to a clitoral type orgasm and
explains that they are more likely to occur when there is a full bladder.
Core-gasms
Just when you thought that going to the gym
was becoming a bit ho-hum, scientists from Indiana University have now revealed
that a select number of women can actually experience exercise induced orgasms
(colloquially known as core - gasms). These orgasms can occur without the
involvement of sex or fantasy. More specifically, they tend to happen for some
women when they are performing exercises that target the core abdominal
muscles, including biking, spinning, and climbing poles or ropes.
B-gasms
In some women, fondling of the breasts or
nipples can lead to a form of 'breast orgasm'. Some postulate that this
sub-type of the big O may be due to the trigger of oxytocin production that
occurs when the breasts or nipples are stimulated. Others believe that when the
breasts are stimulated, there is activation of the same sensory areas within
the brain that are involved with genital stimulation.
Iffy, but interesting... It's enough to
make you spring for a trolley at bunnings: pressure on the pelvic nerve can
throw neural wiring responsible for the big 0, says feminist writer Naomi Wolf in
her book vagina, which tells how a back operation restored her O-JO
