By Pamela Cruz. Peninsula 360 Press [P360P].
The writer, sexologist and researcher Valérie Tasso once said that "you don't have an orgasm, you learn to have one, or rather, you learn to allow yourself to have one," but what about those lucky enough to have more than one after experiencing great pleasure?
Multiple orgasms occur when a person climaxes more than once during a period of sexual activity. They are more common in women, but not all women reach them.
Most women have the ability to have multiple orgasms, but research suggests that only 15 percent can actually experience them, said the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM).
The organization said multiple orgasms have not been extensively studied, and much of what we know comes from patients' personal histories.
There are also different definitions, he said. For example, some experts believe they occur one after the other, with little "downtime" in between. However, women should stay aroused in between.
Others believe that multiple orgasms can occur with more time in between. By this definition, a woman may climax once, rest for a while, and then climax again minutes later.
According to the paper, women often find that their second or third orgasm is less intense than their first. But this does not mean that they are less pleasurable.
Por some women, multiple orgasms may have nothing to do with sex.
Women with persistent genital arousal disorder (PGAD) may feel sexually aroused for hours or days without any sexual stimulation. They may have several spontaneous orgasms that they cannot control in a short period of time.
It is often thought that men are unable to have multiple orgasms because of their refractory period, which is the recovery phase that occurs after they have experienced ejaculation and loss of erection.
After ejaculation, a man's body goes through a period of rest during which he does not become sexually aroused again. Some men's refractory periods are brief - just a few minutes. But for others, the recovery time can last 12 to 24 hours, or even longer.
Even so, some men say they can have multiple orgasms.
According to the ISSM, much of the information in the medical literature is based on the subjective experiences of men.
A 2016 review article explains that for men, multiple orgasms occur within 20 minutes, but the ability to have them declines after age 30.
The article notes that multiple orgasms in men are more likely when they avoid ejaculation for a while, use psychostimulant drugs, change partners in a group sex setting, or use sex toys.
"Men and women shouldn't worry if they don't have multiple orgasms. Sexual experiences can still be very satisfying without them. However, if couples want to try to have orgasms or enhance their current orgasms, they should be open about their sexual likes and dislikes and consider trying a variety of sexual activities. They should also be patient and relaxed. Sometimes it takes practice to achieve multiple orgasms," she suggests.
Some experts, she said, also recommend focusing less on multiple orgasms as the end goal and more on the path to them.
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