Orgasm: 10 Surprising Facts

1. It is still possible in the womb

Orgasm is one of the reflexes we have no control over, such as breathing or heartbeat. This reflex accompanies us even in the womb.

Israeli radiologist Israel Meisner once published an article in the journal Ultrasound in Medicine entitled “Observations on intrauterine masturbation.” Meisner presented images of an infant’s hand grabbing the penis in a masturbatory motion. Actually, the ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus also recorded the movements. And they, too, were extremely reminiscent of the movements made during masturbation.

2. It does not require contact with the genitals

Orgasm can be the result of a vast number of influences. And contact with the genitals is not required at all. For example, people with spinal injuries often develop extreme tenderness in the area just above the level of the injury.

The literature describes an orgasm caused by touching the knee. And the most amazing case, cited by Mary Roach, is associated with a woman who experienced an orgasm while … brushing her teeth.

She went to the doctor, who tried everything from analyzing the composition of toothpastes to stimulating the patient’s gums, trying to find the cause of the phenomenon. But in the end, I came to the conclusion that it was a complex set of sensory-motor actions during the process of brushing teeth – it was he who caused such a striking reaction in a woman.

But even more striking is the further actions of the woman herself. She, being a deep believer, explained for herself what was happening as a possession by demons. And she stopped brushing her teeth, doing only rinsing her mouth.

3. It can happen to the dead too.

One of the main “triggers” of orgasm is the area in the coccyx area, where the sacral nerve root is located. If this point is stimulated, for example, by an electric current, it will almost certainly lead to orgasm.

It is noteworthy that spinal reflexes can be evoked even in the dead. More precisely, when brain death has already occurred, but life in the body is preserved due to the artificial respiration apparatus (this can be done, for example, to maintain the life of organs that are being prepared for transplantation).

Experts agree that in such a situation, stimulation of the sacral nerve root can cause an orgasm. Although the person himself is unlikely to enjoy it, comments Mary Roach. However, for ethical reasons, such experiments were not carried out.

4. It Can Cause Halitosis

Dutch sexologist Theodor Hendrik van de Velde, author of a textbook on family life popular in the 30s, argued in his book that for about an hour after intercourse, a woman’s breath can be distinguished by a slight smell of male seed.

Moreover, he also claimed that he was able to distinguish the seed of a young male, which “smells fresh and invigorating”, from the seed of a mature male, which smells “exactly like the flowers of the Spanish chestnut – at times a fresh floral aroma, and at times quite pungent.” “.

5. It Helps With Prolonged Hiccups

In 1999, an Israeli citizen had an extremely long bout of hiccups. It did not pass for many days, despite the fact that the man tried various means. But at some point, this man, without ceasing to hiccup, had sex with his wife. And suddenly – a miracle! – the hiccups are gone.

The man reported this to his doctor, who later published a related article under the heading “Sex as a possible remedy for intractable hiccups.” By the way, the doctor recommends that lonely patients suffering from prolonged hiccups try masturbation.

6. It has long been considered a prerequisite for conception

Even in the time of Hippocrates, doctors believed that orgasm not only promotes conception, but also acts as its necessary condition. And they never tired of reminding men of how important it is to please their spouses.

And at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, the “suction theory” was very popular. According to which muscle contractions during orgasm help “suck” the seed through the cervix and thus deliver it faster to the egg, which increases the chances of conception.

The already mentioned van de Velde cited a historical case in his book. The Austro-Hungarian Empress Maria Theresa could not conceive a child for a long time. And the court physician allegedly turned to her with the words: “I am of the opinion that the vulva of Your Most Merciful Imperial Majesty should be tickled a little before intercourse.”

Famous sexologists William Masters and Virginia Johnson refuted the “suction theory” in the 50s of the last century with the help of a visual experiment. Five female participants were given uterine caps with a liquid containing a radiopaque substance. The women then masturbated in front of the X-ray machine while Masters and Johnson watched to see if the “suction” was taking place. And nothing of the sort was found.

7. It increases the fertility of pigs

The Danish National Pig Committee found in a study that if a sow is stimulated sexually during artificial insemination, the average number of piglets she brings is increased by 6%.

As a result, the committee produced a set of recommendations for farmers, detailing exactly how to sexually stimulate the sow. Moreover, a special “training video course” has also been released.

8. Female animals are very resourceful in trying to achieve it.

The pig on the video course mentioned above, by the way, does not show any signs of excitement. However, experts explain this by the fact that animals demonstrate sexual arousal in a completely different way than humans.

For example, ear movements play a huge role. An open mouth and other similar facial expressions at the time of orgasm are characteristic only of primates. It is, say, demonstrated by male macaques. And females too – but not always, but only in situations where they perform sexual acts … with other females.

9. Not easy to study in the lab

But inquisitive scientists are never stopped by difficulties. All the same William Masters and Virginia Johnson developed at one time an “artificial intercourse apparatus” to find out what happens at the moment of orgasm inside a woman’s body.

In fact, it was an acrylic phallus with a camera and a light source, attached to a motor and making reciprocating movements. Desperate women who agreed to participate in the experiment had sex with him.

10. The study of orgasm leads to amazing discoveries and records.

And another famous sexologist Alfred Kinsey once set out to establish the average distance that an ejaculated seed overcomes. Curiosity was not idle: in the 40s, when everything was happening, many believed that the force with which the seed is erupted into the uterus also affects the likelihood of conception. Dr. Kinsey did not believe in this theory.

To expose her, he gathered 300 men in his laboratory and invited them to masturbate. Kinsey himself armed himself with a tape measure, and the whole process was filmed on a movie camera.

As a result, it turned out that in 75% of men, the seed did not erupt at all with some kind of supernatural power, but simply poured out. That didn’t stop them from having children. And along the way, it was possible to fix, perhaps, one of the most piquant world records. The seed of the man who installed it covered a distance of two and a half meters. Alas, history has not preserved the name of the record holder.

The material was prepared on the basis of Mary Roach’s book Sex for Science. Science for sex.