Well, it’s National Orgasm Day in the US, and I thought we’d help them celebrate by sharing some facts about orgasm. Just for fun. Then you can go and celebrate however you wish.
- The English word “orgasm” comes from the Greek “orgasmos”, which means “to swell with moisture, be excited or eager”
- Men’s orgasms stimulate the same part of the brain that heroin does in a heroin addicts brain
- While there is only one kind of orgasm, there are multiple ways to achieve them (particularly in women). “Blended orgasms” occur with multiple nerve pairs are stimulated simultaneously achieving orgasm.
- 48% of regular headache sufferers can have their pain cured by orgasm
- Dopamine helps you achieve orgasm, and Dopamine is produced by doing something new, exciting or taboo. That’s why new sexual activities bring such strong orgasms, and more easily.
- Men can have multiple orgasm as well, it’s just extremely rare.
- Approximately 15-20% of American women have never had an orgasm.
- 30% of women have trouble reaching orgasm.
- 30% of women can have an orgasm from intercourse alone.
- Orgasms do not stop with age. Some still experience them when 90 years old.
- How long it takes to orgasm varies dramatically from person to person and includes a variety of factors including, but not limited to age, sexual experience and drugs (medical or recreational). While men “typically” need 2-20 minutes of stimulation to achieve orgasm, some who experience “delayed orgasms” may need an hour or more, whereas some women can orgasm in under 30 seconds rather than the “typical” 20 minutes minimum stimulation needed for women.
- Men tend to overestimate how often their partner orgasms by about 20%.
- The older you get, the shorter your orgasm becomes, on average.
- Different religions have specified how often you should engage in sex while married (and presumably orgasm):
- Zoroastrians (Zoroaster): once every 9 days
- Hindus (Hindu authorities): 3-6 times per month
- Muslims (Koran): Once per week
- Jews (Talmud): Once per day to once per week, depending on your occupation
- Protestant Christians (Martin Luther): Twice per week
- People experience orgasm often look like they are in pain. This may be due to the fact that two of the same brain regions that light up during orgasm are also activated by pain.
- Some women can have an orgasm just by having their nipples stimulated.
- Orgasms can alleviate pain. So can thinking about sex.
- Antihistamines can inhibit self-lubrication in the same way they stop a runny nose.
- Women who feel less secure in their relationship are less likely to orgasm.
- Aristotle is considered the first to write about female ejaculation.
- The French translation of orgasm is “le petit mort” meaning “the little death”
- Female orgasms cause the uterus to behave differently depending on their menstrual cycle. Near fertility, it contracts in a way to “suck up” as much semen as possible. At other times, it contracts to expel semen. As such, women are more likely to conceive if they have an orgasm after their partner does.
- Some women experience orgasm while giving birth.
- You can get pregnant without either partner having an orgasm.
- There is literally a device that can be hard-wired to the brain of a woman to produce orgasms at the touch of a button….that’s dangerous. I could play that game all day long.
- It is possible for men to orgasm and ejaculate without an erection.
- Orgasms boost your immunity.
- Men who orgasm at least twice a week have a longer life expectancy.
- Female orgasms last about twice as long as male orgasms.
- 37% of women experience orgasm while sleeping
- About 40% of women have had a “premature orgasm”, meaning they didn’t want to orgasm yet, but couldn’t stop. It’s not just men.
- Some people sneeze after orgasm.
- Some women have orgasms and don’t realize it.
- Men usually want to orgasm during every encounter. Many women do not.
- It’s possible to have an orgasm and experience no pleasure from it. This is typically linked to SSRI medications.
- Men who are overweight produce less semen.
- Semen contains: water, sperm (only 1-5% of the total volume), sodium (10 mg), fructose (9 mg), protein (500 mg, about 50% by weight), and smaller amounts of zinc, potassium, calcium and chlorine.
- Male ejaculate travels at about 28 miles per hour (45 kph) until it leaves the male body, then it slows and takes about 5 minutes to reach the cervix.
- Orgasm used to be considered a medical cure for hysteria in women. Vibrators were original invented to help doctors provide treatment.
- A study found that people who orgasm 4 or more times a week look up to 7 years younger.
- Some people feel a “spark” up their spine when they orgasm. It’s from the pair of nerves that connect your genitals to your brain.
- Kegel exercises increase your ability to orgasm.
- The part of your brain that is responsible for handling fear and danger shut off during orgasm.
- Stress produces cortisol which is an orgasm inhibitor.
- Some women can orgasm from exercise alone. However, almost all women become more easily aroused and more orgasmic for 30 minutes after doing aerobic exercise (exercise that makes you breath hard) and an hour if that’s combined with strength training.
- Orgasm might get better with age for women. One study says that the most sexually satisfied women are over the age of 80.
I’d be interested to see a source for why you think Lutherans have specified how often one should engage in sex while married. I was raised and confirmed Lutheran, my husband and I went through premarital counseling with a Lutheran pastor, are actively involved in church, Bible studies, etc in our congregation (even Bible studies with sex and marriage as the topic!) and I have NEVER heard of it being recommended to have sex twice per week…or any specific recommendation for the frequency of sex at all! If it isn’t outlined in the Book of Concord or Catechism (which give specific references to the Bible verses supporting the reasoning for that stance) then it isn’t an actual Lutheran stance. I’m certain that frequency of sex isn’t in there! I found the rest of of your points interesting…thanks for sharing! And who knew there was a national orgasm day?! 🙂
It appears to have been reported by Havelock Ellis in 1910 that Martin Luther believed this. I’m afraid I don’t have an original source. I might need to learn German to get one 🙂
But, it doesn’t matter that much, Martin Luther certainly wasn’t infallible. After all, he apparently thought sex was a sinful act (“The matrimonial duty is never performed without sin.” – Weimar, Vol 8. Pg. 654) only useful for warding off the temptation of the worse sins of adultery and fornication.
I really enjoyed reading this, however I wish you had listed sources for these statements; there are quite a few I would be interested in researching further.
Oh, I didn’t have the time to find the original sources for all of them, sorry. It was just a quick fun post for the day. To list the sources for all would have turned this into a day (or more) long project.
It’s always fun to look through stats or thoughts such as these. Thanks.
Happy to oblige
Now this is something worth celebrating…..again and again 🙂
“Orgasm might get better with age for women. One study says that the most sexually satisfied women are over the age of 80.” Who knew? I have a good 25 plus years of good satisfying sex to keep looking forward to, before it gets even better. This is too much to take in. I’m celebrating too!
Protestants do not any ‘prescribed’ number. Absolutely NO ‘frequency’ is ever taught. I was raised Methodist and remember pre-marriage counseling stating that the frequency is to be decided on by BOTH spouses. Also, orgasm for women only relieves pain for about 6-8 minutes in almost 40% of cases. Then the pain actually comes back worse than before. You used the word ‘cure’ which is not correct for almost half of women. And my understanding of ancient Jewish tradition is that only an independently wealthy person (someone who does NOT work and was able to stay home) could enjoy sex every day. The working man was once a week, the camel driver was once a month, and the sailor was once every six months. UNLESS it was written differently in the marriage contract. And in to ‘contract’ sex – both parties had to agree to the contract. I think the overall theme is mutual agreement. One more little ‘tidbit’ – if I remember this right, 85% of men orgasm every time. So there’s 15% of men who don’t. Orgasm for the male is not a sure thing. Also, again I hope I remember this right, orgasm for the majority of males creates a sleepy state, but for females creates a hyper state. Fatigue and stress are the top killers of orgasm.
…it was just a fun list for National Orgasm Day
But, since you seem to want to pick a fight:
1) No protestants do not have any prescribed number. However, 1 Corinthians 7:5 would suggest that it is not mutually chosen, but rather the higher drive spouse should be used as a guide for how often sex should occur. Neither spouse should have veto power.
2) It is my understand that in Jewish tradition, it is not the independently wealthy that were to have sex every day, but rather those who weren’t day labourers, that is, they had to find a new job daily. For example, Rabbi’s were to be available to their wife a minimum of once a day, because they worked out of the home. So, if you are a long-haul truck driver, yeah, once a week makes sense, because you may not be home more often than that. If you are an offshore fisher, then every six months might be the best you can manage. The “working man” by the way was twice a week, not once. Once a week was for donkey drivers, those that brought trade goods from the outlying villages into the city. That’s because they might only be home a couple times a week. In short, it seems you should be available to have sex any time you are home. See Ketubot 5:6.
Jay,
I wasn’t trying to ‘pick a fight’. I apologize if I came off that way.
1Cor7:1-6 is about sexual relationships in marriage. But again, no number is prescribed. And it does not elude to the higher drive having any more authority than the lower drive. It is believed that Paul was a educated Jewish Pharisee, so he would have known what the Jews taught about marriage. The Jews taught that sex was for the WIFE and not the husband. So if anything, the wife’s wishes regarding frequency would have more weight. That’s why there was also a contract.
As for the ‘leisure’ – that is what independently wealthy is. They have the all the ‘leisure’ time to stay at home. As for the common laborer – I stand corrected. Also remember that in ancient Jewish law, there was absolutely no sex for two weeks during the wife’s menses. I have read that this has been explained as the ultimate equalizer. Two weeks on, two weeks off. Half spent in physical bonding, half spent in emotional bonding.
No need to apologize, I was just poking back.
I agree, no number is prescribed. However, 1 Corinthians 7:5 says “Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent”. Meaning, both have to agree NOT to have sex. Therefore if one doesn’t agree, then the couple should have sex. This, practically, tends to make the frequency more governed by the higher-drive spouse. Now, ideally that same spouse should be cognizant of the lower drive spouse’s energy levels, mood, etc. For example, I’m the higher-drive spouse in my marriage. My wife has committed to never saying “no”, so I could, if I so desired, by properties of the verse above, successfully initiate sex every night. However, I do not. Because I realize that my wife is very tired lately, particularly since we have a 5 month old that doesn’t sleep through the night yet, and 4 other kids who wake up early every morning. And so, during this season of our marriage, our frequency is much lower, in the once, perhaps twice a week range.
As for that ultimate equalizer, my wife hasn’t had many periods in the last 10 years because she’s been either pregnant or breastfeeding. So, that doesn’t quite keep true if you’re having a lot of kids. 🙂
But yes, sex was considered a responsibility of the husband towards the wife. However, she was equally responsible for providing children (which involves sex) and could not deny him that, so that sort of equals out.
Good discussion.
I love this post btw. 🙂 Thanks for putting it together.
You’re very welcome
For me, the statistic 15-20% of women never experience orgasm is comforting. My wife of 35 years has never experience a true orgasm and it is nice to know that she is not alone. Apparently there a lot of women who do not experience orgasms.
In this household, the 8th of August has always been a special cause for celebration. One sweltering Saturday on that date in 1981, Sciencey Gal and this Artsy Guy exchanged wedding vows. In the evening, that heat and humidity turned to thick fog. By the time I and my bride left the reception and piled into our ten year old Volvo – with newly minted License-To-Have-Sex grasped firmly in hand – you could barely see past the car’s hood.
It took four hours took make the normally one hour journey back home. Exhausted, we fell into bed but it was brunch time before we went to sleep. Sex as the sun rises is still a nostalgic thing with us.
Fast forward 34 years (and I mean really fast – where DID that time go?) through three kids, careers, life in the ‘burbs. Through times of joy and awe filled wonder at it all, through slow walking and sad singing… You know, all that stuff.
Despite the changes and the challenges, what has remained constant are the commitments we made to each other and before God. They, and He, have kept this marriage going through it all. With each new day, I still wonder how I could be this fortunate.
I know there are lots of You Tube videos and Interweb articles touting “how to have mind blowing orgasms” but they haven’t lived up to their billing, in my experience. The best sex ever is commitment sex. That simple.
So, on the 8th of August, don’t sleep through the sunrise on National Orgasm Day. Celebrate with your spouse! I know we will be doing so around here!