Purpose of Review
Studies have consistently found that there is a gendered orgasm gap, with men experiencing orgasm more frequently than women in heterosexual sexual encounters. This literature ...review aims to highlight the current state of research on orgasm equality and to explore the reasons underlying this orgasm gap.
Recent Findings
Our review of recently published studies indicates that the gendered orgasm gap still exists today. Additionally, these studies underscore how sociocultural factors can contribute to the differences in reported orgasm frequency between men and women in heterosexual encounters.
Summary
This review suggests that our cultural prioritization of penile-vaginal intercourse over more clitorally focused sexual activities is linked to the gendered orgasm gap. Additional related contributing sociocultural factors may include women’s lack of entitlement to partnered sexual pleasure, societal scripts about masculinity, and women’s cognitive distractions during partnered sex. Recommendations to increase orgasm equality are discussed.
There is a notable gap between heterosexual men and women in frequency of orgasm during sex. Little is known, however, about sexual orientation differences in orgasm frequency. We examined how over ...30 different traits or behaviors were associated with frequency of orgasm when
sexually intimate
during the past month. We analyzed a large US sample of adults (
N
= 52,588) who identified as heterosexual men (
n
= 26,032), gay men (
n
= 452), bisexual men (
n
= 550), lesbian women (
n
= 340), bisexual women (
n
= 1112), and heterosexual women (
n
= 24,102). Heterosexual men were most likely to say they usually-always orgasmed when sexually intimate (95%), followed by gay men (89%), bisexual men (88%), lesbian women (86%), bisexual women (66%), and heterosexual women (65%). Compared to women who orgasmed less frequently, women who orgasmed more frequently were more likely to: receive more oral sex, have longer duration of last sex, be more satisfied with their relationship, ask for what they want in bed, praise their partner for something they did in bed, call/email to tease about doing something sexual, wear sexy lingerie, try new sexual positions, anal stimulation, act out fantasies, incorporate sexy talk, and express love during sex. Women were more likely to orgasm if their last sexual encounter included deep kissing, manual genital stimulation, and/or oral sex in addition to vaginal intercourse. We consider sociocultural and evolutionary explanations for these orgasm gaps. The results suggest a variety of behaviors couples can try to increase orgasm frequency.
The “orgasm gap” refers to the finding that cisgender men, on average, have more orgasms than cisgender women during heterosexual partnered sex. In the current research, we replicated evidence for ...several orgasm discrepancies across sexual contexts and assessed men’s and women’s perceptions of the orgasm gap. Our sample consisted of 276 heterosexual, cisgender, sexually active undergraduate students (56.52% women; M
age
= 18.84). We assessed participants’ self-reported orgasm frequencies with a familiar partner, with a new partner, and during masturbation, as well as participants’ perceptions of their partners’ orgasm frequencies. We found evidence for orgasm discrepancies between young men and women within contexts and for women across contexts. Additionally, men perceived the size of the orgasm gap to be smaller than women perceived it to be. We used qualitative analyses to assess participants’ perceptions of driving forces behind the orgasm gap and their responses could be grouped into five overarching themes: Sociocultural Influence, Women’s Orgasm Difficulty, Biology, Men’s Fault, and Interpersonal Communication. This qualitative data can inform education and advocacy efforts focused on improving orgasm outcomes for young women, particularly by disproving prominent biological justifications for orgasm difference and addressing relevant sociocultural concerns. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ’s website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/10.1177/03616843221076410.
Heterosexual women's low orgasm rates are widely acknowledged within sexuality research. However, researchers have not accounted for whether women are even pursuing orgasm (actively and purposefully ...attempting to orgasm) in their sexual encounters with men. Given that heterosexual sexual scripts often deprioritize women's pleasure, women may vary in their orgasm goal pursuit – whether they set orgasm as a goal and strive to have an orgasm – in any given sexual encounter, with some women being less likely to pursue orgasm than others. Across two studies, we investigated the association between women's orgasm goal pursuit and orgasm occurrence. By examining the variations in women's orgasm goal pursuit, we aimed to explain why some women orgasm in their sexual encounters and other women do not. Women who reported greater orgasm pursuit were more likely to report that they orgasmed in their most recent sexual encounter. These findings suggest that researchers should not assume that women equally pursue orgasm in their sexual encounters, and that this important individual difference can help explain differences in orgasm occurrence between women.
The complexity of female orgasm and ejaculation Arias-Castillo, Liliana; García, Lina; García-Perdomo, Herney Andrés
Archives of gynecology and obstetrics,
08/2023, Letnik:
308, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The anatomy and physiology of the female orgasm are often neglected. The female orgasm is a normal psychophysiological function to all women, and some even can achieve ejaculation as part of the ...normal physiological response at the height of sexual arousal. The complexity of female sexuality requires a deep understanding of genital anatomy. The clitoris is the principal organ for female pleasure. The vaginal stimulation of the anterior vaginal wall led women to orgasm due to the stimulation of the clitourethrovaginal complex and not due to stimulation of a particular organ called the G spot in the anterior distal vaginal wall. Female ejaculation follows orgasm. It consists of the orgasmic expulsion of a smaller quantity of whitish fluid produced by the female prostate. Squirting can be differentiated from female ejaculation because it is the orgasmic transurethral expulsion of a substantial amount of diluted urine during sexual activity, and it is not considered pathological. The female orgasm is influenced by many aspects such as communication, emotional intimacy, long-standing relationship, adequate body image and self–esteem, proper touching and knowledge of the female body, regular masturbation, male sexual performance, male and female fertility, chronic pain, and capacity to engage in new sexual acts. Stronger orgasms could be achieved when clitoral stimulation, anterior vaginal wall stimulation, and oral sex is involved in the same sexual act.
Delayed orgasm and anorgasmia Jenkins, Lawrence C; Mulhall, John P
Fertility and sterility,
11/2015, Letnik:
104, Številka:
5
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Delayed orgasm/anorgasmia defined as the persistent or recurrent difficulty, delay in, or absence of attaining orgasm after sufficient sexual stimulation, which causes personal distress. Delayed ...orgasm and anorgasmia are associated with significant sexual dissatisfaction. A focused medical history can shed light on the potential etiologies, which include medications, penile sensation loss, endocrinopathies, penile hyperstimulation, and psychological etiologies. Unfortunately, there are no excellent pharmacotherapies for delayed orgasm/anorgasmia, and treatment revolves largely around addressing potential causative factors and psychotherapy.
Abstract Context The interpretation of available clinical evidence related to the effect of testosterone (T) treatment (TTh) on sexual function has been inconsistent, in part due to the use of ...different and self-reported measures to assess outcomes. The International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) is the most frequently used validated tool to assess male sexual function. Objective To perform a meta-analysis of available data evaluating the effect of TTh on male sexual function using IIEF as the primary outcome. Evidence acquisition An extensive Medline, Embase, and Cochrane search was performed including all placebo-controlled randomized clinical trials enrolling men comparing the effect of TTh on sexual function. Evidence synthesis Out of 137 retrieved articles, 14 were included in the study enrolling 2298 participants, with a mean follow-up of 40.1 wk and mean age of 60.2 ± 6.5 yr. Using IIEF-erectile function domain (IIEF-EFD) as the outcome, we found that TTh significantly improved erectile function compared with placebo (mean difference = 2.31 1.41;3.22 IIEF-EFD score, p < 0.0001). Patients with more severe hypogonadism (total T < 8 nmol/l) reported greater changes in final IIEF-EFD score when compared with those with a milder T deficiency (total T < 12 nmol/l; 1.47 0.90;2.03 and 2.95 1.86;4.03 for total T < 12 nmol/l and <8 nmol/l, respectively, Q = 5.61, p = 0.02). The magnitude of the effect was lower in the presence of metabolic derangements, such as diabetes and obesity. Other aspects of sexual function, as evaluated by IIEF subdomains, were also improved with TTh including libido, intercourse satisfaction, orgasm, and overall sexual satisfaction. Conclusions TTh significantly improves erectile function and other sexual parameters as measured by IIEF in hypogonadal men. These results argue that sexual dysfunction should be considered a hallmark manifestation of T deficiency, since those symptoms can be significantly improved with normalization of serum T. In addition, these results suggest that TTh alone may be considered a reasonable treatment for hypogonadal men with milder degrees of erectile dysfunction, whereas the addition of other treatments, such as phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors, may be more appropriate for men with more severe erectile dysfunction. Patient summary We investigated the effect of testosterone treatment on sexual function by performing a meta-analysis of all available studies that used the most frequently used assessment tool, the International Index of Erectile Function. We found that testosterone treatment significantly improves erectile dysfunction, as well as other aspects of sexual function, in men with testosterone deficiency. This treatment may be all that is required for hypogonadal men with milder erectile dysfunction; however, additional treatments may be necessary in more severe cases.
Women fake orgasm for partner-focused reasons and self-focused reasons, the latter of which include elevating their own sexual arousal. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships ...between motivations for faking orgasm and orgasm consistency within the sexual activities of receiving oral sex and sexual intercourse among young adult women (N = 998). For both receiving oral sex and sexual intercourse, women who faked orgasm in order to elevate their own sexual arousal had greater orgasm consistency, whereas women who faked orgasm out of fear or insecurity had lower orgasm consistency. Overall, the results suggest that self-focused motivations for faking orgasm – particularly elevating arousal – are more closely associated with orgasm consistency than partner-focused motivations for faking orgasm.
Introduction: Sexual satisfaction is considered one of the most important factors in marital happiness, and it plays a significant role in the health, well-being, and overall quality of life for ...individuals in a society. Therefore, the research aims to develop and assess the effectiveness of a counseling package based on the sexual communication model on the level of satisfaction and sexual intimacy in Iranian couples.Methods: The research was conducted using a mixed exploratory research design. Initially, qualitative methods were employed to identify the factors influencing couples' sexual exchange. Subsequently, a counseling package was developed based on these factors. For the purpose of quantitative validation, the relative content validity ratio and content validity index were utilized. In the next research phase, an applied and semi-experimental method with a pre-test and post-test design was employed, including a one-month follow-up with a control group. Data analysis was carried out using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the SPSS software version 26.Results: The results showed that the relative content validity coefficient and content validity index were higher than the required size (CVR≥49 and CVI≥79) and a valid counseling package was prepared. The results of the next stage also showed that the sexual communication pattern counseling package significantly increased sexual satisfaction (P<0.01) and sexual intimacy (P<0.01); the experimental group had a significant increase in sexual satisfaction and intimacy compared to the control group.Results: The results indicated that the content validity ratio and content validity index exceeded the required thresholds (CVR≥0.49 and CVI≥0.80), establishing the validity of the counseling package. Subsequently, the results of the next phase demonstrated that the sexual communication pattern counseling package significantly contributed to sexual satisfaction (P<0.01) and sexual intimacy (P<0.01). The experimental group exhibited a substantial increase in sexual satisfaction and intimacy compared to the control group.Conclusion: The counseling package based on the sexual communication pattern is valid and can lead to an increase in the sexual satisfaction and intimacy of Iranian couples.
While previous research has established the existence of an orgasm gap between men and women, research exploring this phenomenon within dyadic samples of mixed-sex couples has been limited. The ...current study aims to investigate the impact of this orgasm disparity on novel sexual outcomes for couples, including desire and expectation for orgasm. We conducted secondary data analyses on a sample of 104 sexually active mixed-sex couples using an online Qualtrics panel (
M
age
= 43.9 years; 94.2% heterosexual; 79.3% White). Cisgender men and women within the couple reported on their sexual satisfaction, orgasm frequency, desired orgasm frequency, expectation for how often people should orgasm (“orgasm expectation”), and perceptions of their partner’s orgasm frequency. An orgasm gap emerged, and men significantly underreported the size of the orgasm gap in their relationships. In a dyadic path model, men’s and women’s own orgasm frequency positively predicted their desire and expectation for orgasm. Additionally, women’s orgasm frequency predicted men’s orgasm expectation. This relationship between orgasm frequencies and expectancies may partially explain women’s lower orgasm importance compared to men. A cycle of orgasm inequality within relationships may be perpetuated when women who experience less frequent orgasms lower their desire and expectation for orgasm. Sex educators, activists, and therapists should work to improve entitlement to sexual pleasure and orgasm, particularly for women who wish to increase their orgasm frequency.
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