Five Things You Didn’t Know About Female Orgasms

1. Bigger is not better when it comes to sounds. From the famous faking-it scene in When Harry Met Sally to the over-the-top shrieking of mainstream porn, the female orgasm has become synonymous with hyperbolic moans and animalistic squeals. But the reality is that not every orgasm is accompanied by earth-shattering screams.

In fact, research suggests that women’s sounds do not always reflect our experiences of pleasure. One study actually found that women moan and scream to turn their partners on as opposed to express their own sexual pleasure.  From gentle breaths to moon-howling wails, each orgasm is unique and its intensity simply can’t be measured by the volume of vocalizations.

2. Orgasms can result from non-genital touch. You’ve probably heard of clitoral orgasms, vaginal orgasms and G-spot orgasms, but ultimately every orgasm is a brain orgasm. A small percentage of women can orgasm from breast stimulation alone and some creative divas can even “think” themselves off with fantasy alone!

3. Most women experience their first orgasm through self-pleasure. This is no surprise considering the fact that you know more about your own body and its unique response than anyone else. Though it’s still taboo to talk about masturbation, it’s far less taboo to actually do it. Research suggests that more than 80% of women have experimented with self-pleasure and this is good news (and great practice) considering the benefits associated with masturbation: higher levels of sexual functioning, elevated mood, reduced stress, improved body image and intensified orgasmic response.

4. Orgasms get better with age. Woohoo! Older women are more likely to have orgasms and report high levels of sexual satisfaction than younger women. One study found that while 61 percent of women between the ages 18 to 24 experienced orgasm during their last sexual encounter, the rates were higher for women in their 30s (65 percent) and higher still for those in their 40s and 50s (approximately 70 percent).

5. Some women squirt during orgasm. Others dribble. And some gush. Female ejaculation is a contentious issue, but it is a real sexual experience reported by women throughout history.

But like all sexual experiences, ejaculation is personal and subjective. Some women love it and others consider it a nuisance. If you want to try it out, play with your G-Spot while pressing on your abdomen. If you like the sensations, but don’t ejaculate, lay back and enjoy the ride without worrying about squirting. And if you don’t like the way it feels, that’s perfectly okay too. Whatever your fancy, female ejaculation is anything but a sideshow trick, so don’t feel any pressure to experience or embrace it unless you feel naturally inclined to do so.

Until next time, have fun experimenting and always practice safer sex.