Don’t be shy. Orgasms are just as important for your health as flossing your teeth. In fact, the more comfortable you become with your body and understand how to achieve the “Big O,” you will find that it also becomes easier to have one. Check out these interesting facts about orgasms below.
1. They are great for pain relief.
Is your head hurting? Before you go running to the medicine cabinet, grab your partner and turn the heat up in the bedroom. Research suggests that sexual activity can actually reduce pain, including pain from ailments such as arthritis. Nurse practitioner Lisa Stern RN says, “This is largely due to the body's release of a chemical called oxytocin during orgasm. Oxytocin facilitates bonding, relaxation and other positive emotional states.” Although the sexual pain relief might be temporary, it’s worth the fun you have before it wears off. Studies even suggest that just the thought of sex can temporarily relieve pain. So start up that imagination!
2. Orgasms aren’t affected by condoms.
Next time a guy tries to trick you into believing “it just doesn’t feel the same,” remind him the orgasm will! The same goes for the ladies. According to Dr. Debby Herbenick, a research scientist at Indiana University and author of Because it Feels Good, “Women are equally likely to experience orgasm with or without a condom, dispelling myths that condoms don't make for good sex. In fact, condoms may help a couple spend more time having sex, as a man doesn't have to 'pull out' quickly if he's worried about ejaculating too soon.”
3. Only 70 percent of women have orgasms regularly.
It’s not uncommon for a woman to struggle getting to a climax in the bedroom. In fact, most women take years before they learn how to have an orgasm with each sexual encounter. According to a Planned Parenthood survey, as much as 80 percent of women struggle to have an orgasm from penetration. “Female sexual dysfunction (FSD), which encompasses the inability to orgasm, is very common—as high as 43 percent, according to some surveys—and has been a topic of much debate and medical investigation lately,” says Stern.
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4. It gets better with age.
I guess getting older might not be so bad after all! In Dr. Herbenick’s book she discusses how orgasms become easier with age. She says, “While 61 percent of women ages 18 to 24 experienced orgasm the last time they had sex, 65 percent of women in their 30s did and about 70 percent of women in their 40s and 50s did.” The idea is that as you get more comfortable with exploring your body, you gain more confidence in the bedroom and enjoy your sex life more, while expecting to be pleasured.
5. Random orgasms are possible.
It might seem like some type of urban myth, but it is possible to have an orgasm while doing nothing or something completely normal like walking down the stairs. According to Dr. Stern, “I had a friend who had an orgasm every time she used the treadmill. The reason for spontaneous orgasms during certain activities is twofold—increased blood flow to the genitals and vibration of or contact with the clitoris. The increased blood flow and the general relaxation of a massage can lead to orgasm sometimes, too.” Hmmm…suddenly the gym doesn’t sound so bad after all!
Beauty and hair maven Naomi Mackenzie is a freelance writer and business consultant. Her passion is to continuously keep up with the ever evolving techniques and topics as it relates to skin and hair, while helping others to embrace their own definition of beauty in a healthy way. Her blog, KissTheChaos, shares both an educated and personal perspective, sought to spark ongoing discussion. Follow her on Instagram at @oOolala_laa and on Facebook.
