NEW RESEARCH ON THE FEMALE ORGASM

For vulva owners, it’s true that orgasms are harder to attain during partnered play than it is for penis owners. Hello orgasm gap!

Now the thing about the orgasm gap is that people, companies, institutions, and professionals are continuously working hard to close it. Hence why there’s a huge popularity in sex toys. But wouldn’t it be great to enjoy blissful moments of self-love and partnered play?

Now we’re not saying that sex toys shouldn’t be incorporated into your couples fun. But how about we move into a space where two people can merge together and experience orgasmic euphoria on an equal footing? Perhaps new data that’s recently emerged can help to close the orgasm gap! Hooray!

NEW DATA ON THE FEMALE ORGASM

First things first, what is the orgasm gap? It’s when women tend to orgasm less frequently than men. Why does it exist? For many, penetration alone rarely, if ever, leads to orgasms. And this is something that everyone should learn about. In fact, it’s often clitoral stimulation (with or without penetration) that can get women to that wonderful sensation of climax.

Not just that, but a woman’s orgasm also tends to be highly correlated to a number of psychological and societal factors such as:

· Body image

· Sexual assertiveness

· Sexual shame

· Sexual pride

· Sexual attitudes (permissiveness, birth control)

· Gender norms

· Double standards

· Prioritising male sexual pleasure

In contrast, many men experience orgasms in the realm of physiology. For example, even when erection issues occur, a man can simply pop a blue pill or use a cock ring, making them ready to play. Women don’t really have that luxury when their sexual satisfaction is rooted in psychology.

Luckily, a 2021 study looked at the sociocultural influences on orgasm frequency and sexual satisfaction in women.

The research looked at 1043 women (with the median age being 38), using a variety of factors to determine how sociocultural factors and orgasm frequency is linked to sexual satisfaction.

Their variables included:

· Masturbation leading to orgasm

· Orgasming with a familiar partner

· Orgasming with a new partner

· The frequency of multiple orgasms

Their findings were quite fascinating, with the most important key takeaways being:

AN ORGASM ISN’T THE ONLY INDICATION OF SEXUAL SATISFACTION

For many of the women, experiencing an orgasm that was accompanied with sex-positivity, emotional satisfaction, sexual pride, a positive body image, and sexual assertiveness tended to result in more sexual satisfaction than those who experienced an orgasm without all of the above. In other words, it’s an experience, not just an orgasm, that creates sexual satisfaction.

SEXUAL ASSERTIVENESS AND PRIDE IS THE BIGGEST INDICATOR OF ORGASM FREQUENCY

In the study, the more comfortable a woman felt in her own body, the more sexual satisfaction she experienced. When these women were able to communicate what they wanted in the bedroom with their partner(s), it made her feel assertive and powerful, which often led to more orgasms. This was shown to be true whether she was masturbating alone, or having sex with a new or a familiar partner.

FREQUENCY OF ORGASMS ARE MOST COORELATED TO SEXUAL SATISFACTION WHEN WITH A FAMILIAR PARTNER

In this case, it wasn’t about quality but more so, quantity. It was shown that those who engaged in sex with a familiar partner enjoyed more frequent orgasms, which led to more sexual satisfaction. The researchers also wanted to clarify that, in this case, a “familiar partner” wasn’t necessarily someone with whom the subject was in a long-term relationship with, but could also be a friend with benefits.

MULTIPLE ORGASMS DON’T ALWAYS PREDICT SEXUAL SATISFACTION

You may be thinking that multiple orgasms equal immense sexual satisfaction. This new research begs to differ. In fact, the study found that those who experienced one orgasm were just as likely to experience sexual satisfaction as those who experienced multiple orgasms.

WOMEN WHO ARE MORE SEX-POSITIVE ARE MORE LIKELY TO ORGASM DURING ONE-NIGHT-STANDS AND LESS LIKELY TO ORGASM WITH A FAMILIAR PARTNER

Women in the study who were more sex-positive and who rejected the idea that men’s sexual pleasure comes first were more likely to orgasm during a one-night-stand. It also found that these women may just prefer casual sex as opposed to sex with a familiar partner. This was especially true when the women were motivated by reasons such as desire for sexual pleasure and adventure, and women who focused on their own pleasure.

With this new research, we’ve come to learn that an orgasm isn’t actually the be-all and end-all, and that there’s actually a lot more to female sexual satisfaction that simply experiencing climax.

Basically, when a woman feels comfortable to communicate their sexual needs, feels free and confident in their body, and has sexual assertiveness and pride, there is a huge amount of sexual satisfaction to be enjoyed.

It’s simply about removing shame, stigma, and the notion that men’s sexual satisfaction is a priority that could lead to women having highly satisfying sex lives and orgasms.