Female Orgasms 101

Sigmund Freud first suggested that there were two types of female orgasms: clitoral and vaginal (or G-spot).  He believed that the clitoris was best used for masturbation, while the vagina or G-spot could be stimulated best by sexual intercourse.  Or course this theory made a lot of feminists angry, for making the vagina (what they saw as a source for male sexual pleasure alone) more important than the clitoris, the place where they believed that women could only experience pleasure from.  Contrary to Freud, Alfred Kinsey believed that there was only one type of orgasm women could experience which was clitoral. Dr. Betty Dodson is also a big proponent of clitoral orgasms, and doesn’t believe all the hype about the G-spot.  Although she doesn’t discount the existence of the G-spot and female ejaculate like Kinsey, she doesn’t believe that all women can experience G-spot pleasure, or should even try.

However, most sexologists (including Dodson) these days agree that the clitoris is a much larger structure than believed and is only the “tip of the iceberg” so to speak.  Many believe that the G-spot is an extension of (or part of) the clitoris and that G-spot orgasms are in fact clitoral orgasms felt deeper inside.   Most now believe that there are three types of orgasm: clitoral, vaginal (g-spot) and a combination of the two.  Then of course, there are multiple orgasms, which women can experience one right after another.

Pioneer sexologist and former porn star Annie Sprinkle argues that there are seven types of female orgasms and believes that orgasms are like grains of sand, in that no two are alike.  In her DVD, “Annie Sprinkle’s Amazing World of Orgasm,” she and other sexual experts maintain that there are, in fact, multiple (if not hundreds) of ways to experience orgasm.  Annie’s Seven Types of Orgasms include: Clitoral Orgasms, Inter-vaginal Orgasms, Combination Orgasms, Dreamgasms, Microgasms, Breath and Energy Orgasms, and Megagasms.  In her “Sluts & Goddesses” DVD, Annie experiences a five minute long Megagasm which she describes as “an intense full body experience, a deeply emotional experience, and for some a deeply spiritual experience… [which] generally lasts an extended length of time, from thirty seconds to in some cases up to an hour or two.”  Most likely this type of orgasm is a form of multiple continuous orgasms as she continued to be stimulated after the first orgasm for five minutes straight.  The important thing to remember about the female orgasm and orgasms in general is not to limit yourself and that there are limitless possibilities and ways of viewing orgasms.

Though there are many different definitions of female orgasms and not all sexologists agree, what works for you is most important, no matter how others define their own experience.  For the sake of argument, we will discuss the three main types of orgasm that is most generally agreed upon: Clitoral, G-spot or Vaginal and Combination Orgasms.

Clitoral Orgasms

A clitoral orgasm is brought on by the stimulation of the clitoris either directly or indirectly (around the clitoris).  Some women enjoy intense, direct stimulation of the clitoris, while others find it uncomfortable or even painful.  The clitoris can be stimulated in a variety of ways including by the use of a vibrating sex toy, fingers, a lover’s tongue, the pressure spray of water from a facet,  as well as indirectly through vaginal penetration.  Clitoral orgasms are usually the first type of orgasm that women experience as they begin to explore themselves sexually through masturbation.

Clitoral orgasms are often described as the tension/release type of orgasm in which the clitoris is stimulated, sexual and muscle tension builds up, which then peaks in orgasm and the release of that energy.  Clitoral orgasms can occur in a localized area (the clitoris alone) or the wave of orgasmic sensations and pleasure can spread from the groin, into the belly and through the entire body.  Clitoral orgasms can also be extended from 20 seconds to several minutes, although more than one minute is rare.

Most women (70%) do not experience orgasm through vaginal stimulation alone.  Many women require clitoral stimulation to reach orgasm.  That rate is changing however as more women begin to discover their G-spot and how to stimulate it.

Vaginal (G-spot) Orgasms

Inter-vaginal, G-spot, or cervical orgasms are all vaginal orgasms.  Any orgasm that occurs when the inner vaginal wall is stimulated is a vaginal orgasm.  The G-spot is located 1-2 inches inside the vagina on the front wall and the stimulation of this area is what accounts of vaginal orgasms.  G-spot orgasms can occur with or without female ejaculation.

Some women describe vaginal or G-spot orgasms as deep, intense, full-body orgasms.  Many women who have experienced G-spot orgasms say these orgasms come after a number of little orgasms, when the sexual peak of the plateau stage continues to build.  For some women, G-spot orgasms can be more powerful that any other type and can be described by some as rolling waves of total sexual release.  When experienced with female ejaculation, G-spot orgasms can be very intense and both emotionally and physically draining. Deborah Sundal, author of Female Ejaculation and the G-spot believes that G-spot orgasms and female ejaculation can also be healing and help remove past traumas.

G-spot orgasms are obtained with the sexual stimulation of the vaginal wall.  Stimulation can be achieved through vaginal penetration by G-spot vibrators or dildos, sexual intercourse with a partner, using fingers, through fisting, as well as indirectly through the anus during anal sex or play.

It is true that the G-spot, G-spot orgasms and female ejaculation has been seriously hyped in the media and medical/sexual community.  However, to discount that G-spot orgasms exist is to deny what many women do and have experienced.  For more about the G-spot read my article: Yes Virginia there is a G-spot.

Combination Orgasms

Clitoral orgasms usually come on faster because that area is more accessible, while G-spot orgasms are more intense because they reverberate from inside your body.  Combination or blended orgasms are produced through a combination of various stimulation, both clitoral and vaginal (and sometimes anally) simultaneously.  Betty Dodson, the mother of masturbation who has been teaching orgasm techniques to women in hands-on workshops for over 30 years, says that these types of orgasms are easier achieved if you combine clitoral and vaginal stimulation with PC muscle contractions, pelvic thrusting, and breathing out loud.

Dual clitoral and vaginal stimulation can be achieved through dual-action vibrators (or Rabbits), or with two separate toys ( a clitoral vibe and a firm G-spot  dildo), through sexual intercourse and by stimulating the clitoris with your fingers, and many other ways.  Simultaneous clitoris and G-spot stimulation combine the unique sensations of both clitoral and G-spot orgasms into a mind-blowing orgasm that results in a longer, deeper experience.  Some women report that the combination orgasms are the most powerful of all three types.

Multiple Orgasms

Multiple orgasms are a series of orgasms occurring within a short time frame, usually one right after the other, like pop corn popping. If a woman is continually stimulated after reaching orgasm, her heightened state of arousal can invite orgasm after orgasm. While some women state that multiple orgasms occur during sexual intercourse, the majority say that they experience multiple orgasms with clitoral stimulation during masturbation.  Some women experience multiple orgasms through the combined stimulation of clitoris and vagina.

Although it is inconclusive, some researchers believe that some women are incapable of multiple orgasms.  Until recently however, some people believed that there was no such thing as a G-spot and that some women didn’t have one.  Since then, sexologists have found that every woman has a G-spot, but some women do not enjoy the feel of it being stimulated.  While some women can’t orgasm for various reasons, it is most likely that every woman is capable of orgasm and multi-orgasms, but has not discovered how, or has obstacles including medical conditions that are preventing them from experiencing or enjoying them.