Ep. 35 - Surprising Facts About Orgasm - 2

[00:00] Introduction: Surprising Facts About Orgasm, Part 2

Dr. Bawa: Welcome to the Dr. Sex Fairy Podcast. I am Dr. Kanwal Bawa, and I am here to transform your life. I discussed surprising facts about orgasm on Episode 21. I discussed fact versus fiction. I discussed fun facts, and the topic is interesting enough to require further discussion. So here we are. Let’s launch into Surprising Facts About Orgasm, Part 2.

[00:28] Fact 11: Stronger Orgasms During Your Period

Dr. Bawa: Number 11. Some women have stronger orgasms while on their period. Some of you will exclaim, “Ew,” when you hear me say that, but don’t knock it till you try it. Orgasm during menstruation can make menstruation itself less painful, and menstruation can make sex more pleasurable.

Dr. Bawa: I discussed how orgasm can relieve headaches for some on the last episode. You see, pain and pleasure are both registered by the same area of the brain. But can menstruation really make you orgasm more? It turns out that yes, it can.

Dr. Bawa: Serotonin and dopamine are feel-good hormones which the body releases during orgasm. This reduces menstrual cramps, and because periods lead to increased blood flow into the uterus, this also increases arousal, sensitivity, and even lubrication. In fact, there are women who say that they only experience vaginal orgasms while on their period. Masturbation during your period works this way as well. It will reduce pain and feel better.

[01:37] Fact 12: Refractory Periods Are Not Just for Men

Dr. Bawa: Number 12. Refractory periods aren’t just for men. A refractory period is that time after an orgasm where the body is not fully sexually responsive again. We usually think of this in terms of men who cannot get another erection immediately after ejaculation. However, women find that it’s difficult to be pleasured immediately after orgasm as well. This is because they become extremely hypersensitive.

Dr. Bawa: The refractory period may only last for a few seconds to a few minutes for women in some cases, but it lasts for minutes, hours, or even days for some men. And for some, this period varies from session to session. An interesting finding is that the levels of a hormone called prolactin, which plays a very important role in the refractory period, are more than 400% higher after penis-vaginal intercourse than after masturbation. This indicates that your refractory period may last a lot longer after having conventional sex with a partner than after masturbation by yourself.

[02:52] Reducing the Refractory Period

Dr. Bawa: While age does tend to increase the refractory period, there are things you can do to reduce this time. Exercise helps. Improving your cardiovascular health by walking or running will help. In some cases, losing weight will help as well. You must eat a healthy and balanced diet. And, of course, you must work closely with your doctor to treat any chronic conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and more.

Dr. Bawa: I hear about pelvic floor exercises to try to shorten the refractory period, but if there’s any decent research actually supporting it, I haven’t seen it. I personally think that Kegels are overrated to a large extent. I find that acoustic wave therapy combined with the O-Shot, or the orgasm shot for women, and the P-Shot for men is helping me to reduce the refractory period for my patients.

[03:51] Fact 13: Women Can Have Orgasms in Their Sleep

Dr. Bawa: Number 13—and this is a fun one—women can have orgasms in their sleep. Sex dreams, or nocturnal orgasms, are disproportionately associated with men. If you are a woman and you have had a dream in which you really felt like you had an orgasm, it’s likely that you did.

Dr. Bawa: Studies have shown that a woman’s heart rate has gone up from 50 to 100 per minute, and her breathing from 12 to 22 breaths per minute during an orgasm. Even vaginal blood flow has been seen to increase. An interesting fact is that sleep positions may increase or decrease your chances of sex dreams. A study published in the journal Dreaming that was based on 670 Hong Kong students and their sleep positions and dream content found that they were far more likely to have sex dreams when sleeping prone on their belly.

Dr. Bawa: We know that most men have experienced an orgasm while asleep, but how many women have? A study by Barbara Wells in 1986 in The Journal of Sex Research showed that 85% of women have experienced nocturnal orgasm by the age of 21. Eighty-five percent! So, as you can see, wet dreams aren’t just a male phenomenon.

Dr. Bawa: There isn’t much research on the topic because, as you can imagine, it’s hard to measure this kind of data objectively. However, one thing is for sure: sleep orgasms do exist, and men aren’t the only ones having them.

[05:30] Fact 14: Nipplegasms Really Are a Thing

Dr. Bawa: Number 14. Nipplegasms really are a thing. I’m going to quote OB-GYN Christiane Northrup, M.D., author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, here. She said, “When nipples are stimulated, oxytocin is released, which causes the same uterine and vaginal contractions associated with orgasm. This brings more blood flow to the genitals and can trigger an orgasm.”

Dr. Bawa: People differ when it comes to nipple sensitivity. For some, nipple sensitivity is very, very high, and they can actually orgasm from nipple stimulation alone. A study published in Sexual and Relationship Therapy measured brain responses to various stimuli and found that a small number of women experience orgasm from having just their nipples stimulated.

[06:25] Fact 15: Only 18.4% Orgasm From Vaginal Penetration Alone

Dr. Bawa: Number 15. Only 18.4% of women can orgasm from vaginal penetration alone. Mind-boggling, isn’t it? One of the largest studies ever on orgasms, published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy in 2017, surveyed 1,055 U.S. women between the ages of 18 and 94.

Dr. Bawa: Only 18.4% of women said that they could orgasm from vaginal penetration alone. 36.6% of women said that they required clitoral stimulation for orgasm while being penetrated, and approximately two-thirds preferred direct clitoral stimulation. I often say that the clitoris is the seat of the female orgasm, and you can see why that’s true.

[07:14] Fact 16: Orgasm Activates the Brain’s Reward Pathways

Dr. Bawa: Number 16. A 2003 study published in The Journal of Neuroscience talked about how the male orgasm stimulates the same area of the brain as heroin does in an addict’s brain. When we orgasm, our brain gets a rush of dopamine. This can feel so intensely pleasurable that it resembles a heroin rush to the brain and makes the person feel incredible.

Dr. Bawa: Orgasm activates pathways—reward pathways, that is—like drugs do. It can lead to similar feelings of addiction and withdrawal. So it makes sense that sex can be pretty addictive.

[07:58] Fact 17: Orgasms Do Not Stop at a Certain Age

Dr. Bawa: Number 17. Orgasms do not stop at a certain age. A study published in the January 2012 issue of The American Journal of Medicine evaluated sexual activity and satisfaction as reported by 806 older women. This was a group of women who lived in a planned community near San Diego, California, and whose health had been tracked for medical research for 40 years.

Dr. Bawa: The study measured the prevalence of current sexual activity; the characteristics associated with sexual activity, including demographics, health, and hormone use; the frequency of arousal, lubrication, orgasm, and pain during sexual intercourse; as well as sexual desire and satisfaction in older women. The median age in the study was 67 years, and 63% were postmenopausal. Half the respondents who reported having a partner had been sexually active in the last four weeks. How about that?

Dr. Bawa: Regardless of partner status or sexual activity, 61% of all women in this cohort were satisfied with their overall sex life. Although older age has been described as a significant predictor of low sexual satisfaction, the percentage of sexually satisfied women in this study actually increased with age, with approximately 50% of women over 80 years old reporting sexual satisfaction almost always or always.

Dr. Bawa: Not only were the oldest women in this study the most sexually satisfied overall, those who were recently sexually active experienced orgasm satisfaction. I think this is just incredible. These rates of orgasm satisfaction were actually similar to the youngest participants. The oldest and the youngest were, in fact, the most orgasmic.

[09:50] Fact 18: Some Women Have Never Had an Orgasm

Dr. Bawa: Number 18. About 10% to 15% of women have never had an orgasm. Studies suggest that up to 50% of women are not satisfied with how often they orgasm. Can you blame them?

Many factors lead to difficulty with orgasm: a history of sexual abuse or rape, boredom in sexual activity, fatigue, stress, depression, negative feelings about sex often learned in childhood, embarrassment about asking for what they really want, and, of course, partner and relationship issues.

Many factors lead to difficulty with orgasm: There are several health conditions that can cause problems reaching an orgasm as well. Something very ironic is that depression causes difficulty reaching orgasm, but so does the treatment for it. Drugs such as Prozac, Paxil, and Zoloft, which are antidepressants, often cause difficulty with orgasm in the people taking them. Hormonal disorders such as menopause can cause difficulty with orgasm. Vaginal dryness, chronic pelvic pain from endometriosis, and chronic illnesses can affect health and sexual interest as well. Nerve damage from conditions such as multiple sclerosis, diabetic neuropathy, and spinal cord injury can put quite a damper on things in the bedroom as well.

[11:14] Fact 19: The Orgasm Gap Is Real

Many factors lead to difficulty with orgasm: Number 19. The orgasm gap is real. In a study I read, 85% of men reported that their partner had an orgasm, but only 64% of their female partners reported experiencing an orgasm. This is a perfect example of why it’s called the orgasm gap.

Many factors lead to difficulty with orgasm: Interestingly enough, lesbian and bisexual women have significantly more orgasms than heterosexual women. I will be addressing this topic, as well as many of the other topics mentioned in this episode, as complete episodes in and of themselves. They warrant that. These are important issues we’re discussing.

[11:54] Fact 20: Orgasm During Childbirth

Many factors lead to difficulty with orgasm: Let’s talk about number 20 now. And this is a very strange one. Women experience orgasm in some cases while giving birth. These orgasms have been called birthgasms. A 2013 study published in the journal Sexologies surveyed a group of about 100 French midwives who had assisted in the births of 206,000 babies. It concluded that obstetrical orgasm, or birthgasm, was observed in 0.3% of births. It’s not a lot, but it exists.

[12:31] Closing

Many factors lead to difficulty with orgasm: So many facts, so little time. I hope that this Surprising Facts About Orgasm series is helping you see the big O just a little differently. Don’t forget to follow me on my wildly popular TikTok account, Dr. Sex Fairy. Twenty million views in just one month. Go check out what the fuss is all about and join my tribe. Until next time.

[12:55] Recorded Outro

Dr. Bawa: I hope you enjoyed the Dr. Sex Fairy Podcast today. I would love to continue this conversation with you. If you would like to get in touch with me, email me at askme@drsexfairy.com. Don’t forget to follow this podcast and leave me a five-star review. And make sure you follow my blockbuster-hit TikTok account, Dr. Sex Fairy.