There is a common misconception that the ability to orgasm is within a person’s control – dependent upon their confidence, sexual openness or ability to trust.
Furthermore, many people also suggest that it is the size of a penis or the sexual prowess of a partner that determines whether climax will be reached during intercourse. And so, people who struggle to orgasm often feel as if it is their own fault.
But, scientists have discovered that the male ability to orgasm depends on signals between the penis, brain and spinal cord – and that disruptions to those signals can affect erection and ejaculation – and that the female orgasm is largely dependent upon the migration of the clitoris during sex, as well as the angle of penile entry
For men, the signals between their brain, spinal cord and penis must be functioning properly.
And for women, the migration of their clitoris during sex dictates whether they can orgasm.
Study author Dr Jason Siegel, of Mayo Clinic, told Daily Mail Online: ‘This gives us a more scientific and anatomical basis for why people aren’t achieving orgasm than just the societal feelings of penis size or G-spot placement.’
A team of scientists from Mayo Clinic and the Indiana University School of Medicine analyzed previous studies about sexual- and neuro-anatomy to see if inherited factors play a role in orgasm.
Dr Siegel said: ‘When it comes to male anatomy, people really focus on penis size, but that seems to be more anecdotal.’
Instead, the scientists found that a man’s ability to orgasm is largely reliant upon his nervous system.
There must be a proper balance between the parasympathetic nervous system – which controls the body at rest – and the sympathetic nervous system, which controls the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response.
In other words, the performance of a man’s penis rests on a reflex loop, Dr Siegel explained.
At the top of the loop, sensory information is processed either in the spinal cord or brain, and then received by the penis.
And then, at the other end of the loop, the spinal cord or brain tells the penis what to do next.
The scientists found that the reflex loops stem from two branches.
On the one hand is the psychological branch – which is what happens when a male views pornography or is visually stimulated.
And the second branch is more physical – the direct stimulation of the penis.
Dr Siegel said: ‘Of the two that fail most, it’s usually the psychological type.’
Spinal cord injuries can affect the reflex loop – preventing men from receiving the signals that would allow them to otherwise achieve orgasm.
Similarly, psychological problems in the brain – such as neurochemical variations from depression – make it more difficult for that reflex to occur as well.
For men suffering from problems with erections, they should see a doctor to determine whether they are suffering from psychological or physical roadblocks, the scientists suggested.
The study, published in the journal Clinical Anatomy, also found that for women, the experience of orgasm is ‘far more complicated.’
Previous studies tried looking under a microscope in the vaginal wall to see if there’s a uniform position of nerve bundles, but the findings were largely ‘inconsistent.’
Dr Siegel said: ‘What’s more consistent is that the clitoris during sex tends to migrate up toward the vaginal wall.’
The closer the clitoris gets to the vaginal walls during sex, the more likely a woman is to achieve orgasmic success.
The researchers noted that MRIs of couples having sex, taken during a European study, found that different sexual positions can stimulate the vaginal walls in different ways.
For instance, male rear entrance – more commonly known as ‘doggy style’ – was not found to stimulate the vaginal wall as much as front entrance – from positions such as ‘missionary’ or ‘cowgirl’.
And, the most ideal angle of penis entry for vaginal wall stimulation was found to be 30 to 45 degrees.
‘If a woman is trying to achieve a vaginal orgasm, it seems like it tends to be more successful if the front wall of the vagina is more stimulated,’ Dr Siegel said.
The study didn’t delve into potential therapies for these anatomical differences – but instead sought to shed light on different components that can affect a patient’s ability to orgasm.
‘It gives us a more accurate picture of why people aren’t enjoying sexual intercourse in a way that we want,’ Dr Siegel said.
‘If we start identifying different reasons people aren’t achieving orgasms, that can give patients a little more hope that if they bring it up to their doctor, they can be diagnosed and helped.’
Source Mail UK