You’ve probably read about different “types” of orgasm. Perhaps you have personally felt that your orgasms feel different depending on the type of stimulation. Or maybe you’ve never had an orgasm, or have experienced them only rarely, but you’ve heard about orgasm types and have been curious about them. Often people divide orgasms into the categories of vaginal orgasm, clitoral orgasm, uterine orgasm, and blended orgasm, though some people use different terms or add on additional categories.9
Findings from scientific research suggest that the clitoris is likely involved in most if not all of women’s orgasms—even if the glans clitoris itself isn’t directly stimulated.9 Remember that “clitoral complex” and how vaginal penetration can stimulate the clitoris, too? That just goes to show you how complicated this can get very quickly. What may look like one type of orgasm (for example, an orgasm from vaginal intercourse) may be an orgasm that involves the clitoris—
not just the vagina. So is that a vaginal orgasm, a clitoral orgasm, a G-spot orgasm (if it was stimulation of that one part of the vagina that pushed a woman
over her orgasmic edge), or something else? Good question—we don’t know!
Scientists are still trying to understand the female orgasm including the many ways that people try to categorize it.
What we do know is that there are various nerve pathways linked to orgasm.
In women, there are at least four nerve pathways that convey sensory information from certain genital and reproductive organs to the brain. The pudendal nerve conveys sensory information from the clitoris to the brain, so this is the pathway for clitoral stimulation that may result in an orgasm. The pelvic nerve conveys sensory information from a woman’s cervix and vagina up to her brain, whereas the hypogastric nerve serves the uterus and cervix. More recently identified as part of sexual response is the vagus nerve, which carries sensory information from the cervix and uterus to the brain, bypassing the spinal cord. (For more information about each of these nerve pathways, check out Komisaruk, Beyer-Flores, and Whipple’s 2006 book, The Science of Orgasm.10) I wish there was more information out there to counteract the porno view that women can have orgasms—instantly—from vaginal penetration. It annoys me to no end that some women think they’re ill if they can’t do this, and a lot of guys seem to believe it to be the case as well.
—JEN, 23, Canada
V-CRAFT: PLEASURE PANTIES
Perhaps you’ve seen reflexology socks or gloves? They are socks or gloves that are adorned with a “map” of the various pressure points and other points of stimulation so that a person can wear them and either stimulate their own feet or hands or have a friend or partner do it for them, according to the map.
Years ago, when Debby was first acting in The Vagina Monologues and getting into vulva and vagina art, she came up with an idea for DIY vulva panties—also called “pleasure panties.” Here’s how you can make your own.
What You Will Need
l pair of white or lightly colored cotton underwear (full or partial bottom, not a thong or G-string)
permanent markers in different colors (the kind that you can use to draw on clothing that won’t bleed or wash off in the laundry)
a friend or partner (helpful but not necessary) What to Do
While wearing the underwear, ask your partner to help you outline the parts of your vulva on the side of the panties facing him or her. Your friend/partner might draw a circle or oval where your glans clitoris is. Your inner and outer labia can also be traced. Remember, too, to include your mons, vaginal entrance, perineum, and, if you so desire, your anal opening, too (it can be a little tricky to get all the way there for some, but spreading one’s legs can make for easier access).
You might want to ask your partner to use different colors for various parts. You can then take your panties off and use the outline to write words on the panties. You can be precise, if you want, and label the parts of your vulva and anus (e.g., “clitoris,” etc.). Or, instead, you can write how you like to be touched—for example, you can write, “Softly here,” or “More attention here, please!” Alternatively, you can use design schemes, such as a red “X” to mark the spot(s) where you like to be touched (or the parts to avoid touching directly).
Some Tips
Some markers may ink through the panties, meaning you may end up getting ink on your vulva. Some women don’t mind this. Others—
particularly those with sensitive skin—might wish to avoid this. To reduce the likelihood of inking through to your genital parts, wear two or three layers of underwear while you make your pleasure panties.
Although collaborating with a partner can make this easier, having a friend or partner on hand is not necessary; you can make pleasure panties by yourself. Wearing them and looking in a mirror at the same time can be helpful.
Have fun! Be creative about what you want to map out. Perhaps you’d like to map out the order of how you’d like to be touched, such as writing a number one on the first place you’d like your partner to touch you before proceeding to the part labeled two.
Making pleasure panties with a partner can be a great way to spruce up your sex life. It creates space for you to talk about your vulva parts
and what kind of stimulation you do or don’t like. In turn, it creates opportunities for your partner to learn about your preferences for touching, licking, and various types of sex play. It can also be a very sexy way to initiate foreplay and to add a playful—dare we say, crafty
—dimension to sex.
Knowing about these nerve pathways may help you to understand how women can have a wide range of experiences related to orgasm. Vaginal intercourse may end up stimulating the vagina as well as the clitoris and cervix, which may mean that any of the previously listed nerve pathways—and maybe others, too—carry information to the brain in a way that results in orgasm. While not all women experience orgasm, the vast majority of women are capable of experiencing orgasm, though it may take time, patience, and practice to do so.
Also, not all women want to experience orgasm (perhaps especially if they are prone to orgasm-related migraines or other painful experiences) or care to, even if they’ve had them before and enjoyed them. But for those who do want to experience orgasm, this growing area of research may be helpful.
We don’t fully understand how orgasms occur—specifically, how a woman goes from Point A (some type of sexual stimulation) to Point B (experiencing an orgasm), although this is an area that scientists are trying to better understand.
What we do know is that, although the exact process of female orgasm is yet to be discovered, we don’t have to wait for science to catch up in order to experience the joys of sexual pleasure and/or orgasm.