Here at BUST we’ve discussed how movies and porn give us some unrealistic expectations about orgasms, but once you separate them from the myths around them, orgasms are obviously amazing — and in more ways than you might think.
It’s time to take a look at some of the positive and amazing things about our orgasms and what they are capable of. Here’s our countdown of the 10 top orgasm facts you need to know:
10. Condoms Don’t Affect Orgasms:
Safe sex is sexy! Women are equally likely to have orgasms with condoms as they would without. The next time a guy tells you that it feels better without a condom, just remind him that a little foreplay goes a long way for both of you.
9. Orgasms Get Better with Age:
Despite society often telling us only men have sex after 50, intercourse continues and even gets better with age. According to Dr. Debby Herbenick, PhD and author of Because It Feels Good, “Orgasm becomes easier with age.” For example, while 61 percent of women ages 18 to 24 experienced orgasm the last time they had sex, 65 percent of women in their 30’s did and about 70 percent of women in their 40’s and 50’s did.
…Aka “The Doozy” and we think you might need a tissue for this one. There are three regions of the genital area that are stimulated during sex: the vagina, the cervix, and the clitoris. Each is connected to their own set of nerves. Each stimulated on its own can help produce an orgasm. However, if two or three of these areas are stimulated at once it can create what is called a “blended orgasm.” It is said that the pleasure caused from it can make you cry. Tears of joy that is.
In her recent TED Talk, author Mary Roach laid down some major info about the big O. One interesting fact is individuals who are brain dead and are attached to life support can still experience an orgasm. Stimulating a nerve along the spinal cord can trigger an orgasm that physically appears as two arms crossing over themselves in a very Dracula-like pose.
6. Yogasms:
Yoga connoisseurs are claiming that during their yoga session, they can experience an orgasm without any direct contact with their genitals. Science can back this up. Jeffre TallTrees, PhD and sex therapist, explained, “When women engage their PC [pubococcygeus] muscles, the tissue around the g-spot swells, which can lead to climax.” Keep an eye out for the person getting a little too into the Eagle Pose in your next class.
That is the world record for longest female masturbation setting. It gives us a cramp just thinking about it, but for those looking for a challenge this Valentine’s Day season, here is a little inspiration.
As proven from yogasms, it is actually not necessary to stimulate your genitals in order to climax. There have been cases of a woman who can orgasm just by thinking about it and another who can orgasm just by brushing her teeth!
3. Pair Bonding:
The female orgasm in a committed relationship can actually make that couple stronger. Professor Elizabeth Lloyd, who works for Indiana University, has been studying the biological purpose of the female orgasm. In her studies she found that it promotes “pair bonding” which means a couple is more likely to pursue things such as parenting. It also helps a woman choose her mate.
According to the book, I Love Female Orgasm: An Extraordinary Orgasm Guide by Dorian Solot and Marshall Miller, that is how many times it is possible for women to experience an orgasm in an hour. Yeah, we’re pretty jealous too.
Not only does the orgasm get better with age, it can also increase the livelihood of your partner. Men who reach orgasm at least three times a week are more likely to live longer. The same is true for women, who are more likely to live longer and happier lives if they are sexually fulfilled.
This post was originally published on February 9, 2015