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Orgasm
Orgasm
is the sudden discharge of accumulated sexual tension resulting in
rhythmic muscular contractions in the pelvic region that produce
intensely pleasurable sensations followed by rapid relaxation. It
typically lasts for several seconds. Orgasm is also in part a
psychological experience of pleasure
and abandon, when the mind is focused solely on the personal experience.
It is sometimes called climaxing or coming.
In Masters and Johnson's
original research of the human sexual
response cycle , orgasm is the third of four stages, occurring after
the plateau phase and before the resolution phase. Another widely
accepted model of the sexual response cycle, developed by Helen Singer
Kaplan, M.D., PhD., involves just three stages: desire, excitement and
orgasm.
Orgasms vary from person
to person and for each individual at different times. Sometimes orgasm
is an explosive, amazing rush of sensations, while others are milder,
subtler, and less intense. The differences in intensity of orgasms can
be attributed to physical factors, such as fatigue and length of time
since last orgasm, as well as to a wide range of psychosocial factors,
including mood, relation to partner, activity, expectations, and
feelings about the experience.
There are several
physiological components of orgasm. First, orgasm is a total body
response, not just a pelvic event. Brain wave patterns have shown
distinct changes during orgasm, and muscles in many different areas of
the body contract during this phase of sexual response. Some people
experience the involuntary contraction of facial muscles resulting in
what looks like a grimace or an expression of discomfort or displeasure,
but it is actually an indication of high sexual arousal.
The most characteristic
physical feature of orgasm is the sensation produced by the simultaneous
rhythmic contractions of the pubococcygeus muscle (pc muscle). Along
with contractions of the anal sphincter, rectum and
perineum,
the uterus and outer third of the vagina (the orgasmic platform) for
women, and the ejaculatory ducts and muscles around the penis for men,
this constitutes the reflex of orgasm. The first few contractions are
intense and close together, occurring at about 0.8-second intervals. As
orgasm continues, the contractions diminish in intensity and duration
and occur at less frequent intervals.
Despite the anatomical
differences between male and female genitals, orgasms in men and women
are physiologically and psychologically, or subjectively, very similar.
In fact, studies have been done in which "experts" could not
reliably determine gender when reading descriptions of orgasms with all
anatomical references removed.
Women have described the
sensations of orgasm as beginning with a sense of suspension, quickly
followed by an intensely pleasurable feeling that usually begins at the
clitoris and spreads throughout the pelvis. The genitals are often
described as becoming warm, electric or tingly, and these physical
sensations usually spread through some portion of the body. Most women
also feel muscle contractions in their vagina or lower pelvis, often
described as "pelvic throbbing".
The subjective feeling of
orgasm in men has been described quite consistently as beginning with
the sensation of deep warmth or pressure that corresponds to ejaculatory
inevitability, the point when ejaculation
cannot be stopped. It is then felt as sharp, intensely pleasurable
contractions involving the pc muscles, anal sphincter, rectum, perineum
and genitals. Some men describe this part as a sensation of pumping.
Finally, a warm rush of fluid or a shooting sensation describes the
actual process of semen traveling through the urethra during
ejaculation. It is important to note that orgasm and ejaculation are not
one in the same event. Although they typically occur together, a man may
have an orgasm without ejaculating.
A major difference
between the female and the male orgasmic phase is that far more women
than men have the physical capability to have one or more additional
orgasms within a short time without dropping below the plateau of sexual
arousal. Being multi-orgasmic depends on both continued stimulation and
sexual interest. Because neither of these is present every time for most
women, multiple orgasms do not occur with every sexual encounter. On the
other hand, upon ejaculation, men enter a recovery phase called the refractory
period. During this time, further orgasm or ejaculation is
physiologically impossible. However, some men can learn to have an
orgasm without ejaculating, thereby making it possible to experience
multiple orgasms.
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Sex
