The Social Meaning And Practices Of Orgasm Flashcards
What is an orgasm?
(Physiological view)
Physiological response to sexual stimulation
Involves muscular contractions
Involves high blood pressure, rapid breathing and visible flush in skin
Usually results in ejaculation of semen for those w/ a penis
Is an orgasm sexual?
(Social constructionist view)
This depends…
Orgasm = is a social construct
This requires a sexual script to be understood as sexual
Sexual scripts organize “_______/_______” relations
Social/power
What is a purposely delayed orgasm called?
Coitus reservatus
This may be done b/c it may give a female partner more time and more chance of reaching an orgasm
This may be done also to avoid pregnancy
In the 19th century the “spilling” of semen was thought to led to the loss of a mans energy or strength
= so they avoided orgasm
What is penile withdrawal during sex called?
Coitus interruptus
This may be done as a less reliable form of contraception than modern methods such as the birth control pill
What are 6 varieties of orgasm experiences?
- Purposely delayed orgasm (M) - coitus reservatus
- Repeated or multiple orgasms
- Penile withdrawal during sex - coitus interruptus
- Dry orgasm or with ejaculation (M&F)
- Simple or complex sensations - trans experiences
- Alone, with toys, with aids with others
What is the social meaning of orgasm according to Weeks?
“The capacities of the body and psyche are given meaning in social relations”
- Weeks, 2023, p.9
Orgasm can be related to “sexual dysfunction”…
This reveals “__________” assumptions about sex and reflects gender “________”
Normative; constructs
What percentage of heterosexual women usually-always orgasm?
(Australia, US & Canada)
Australia (2006): 70%
US (2024): 65%
Canada (2022): 62%
What percentage of heterosexual men usually-always orgasm?
(Australia, US & Canada)
Australia (2006): 95%
US (2024): 95%
Canada (2022): 85%
What percentage of homosexual men/bisexual men usually-always orgasm?
(Australia, US & Canada)
Australia (2006): UNKNOWN %
US (2024): 89/88%
Canada (2022): UNKNOWN %
What percentage of homosexual/bisexual women usually-always orgasm?
(Australia, US & Canada)
Australia (2006): 76%
US (2024): 86/66%
Canada (2022): 75%
What explains this ‘orgasm gap’ from a gender essentialism point of view?
Why do men have more orgasms than women in heterosexual relationships?
It is harder to sexually arouse women
Men orgasm more easily
Women take longer to orgasm
Men enjoy sex more / are more sexual
Men just orgasm, women’s orgasms take “work”
What explains this ‘orgasm gap’ from a social construct point of view?
Problem is the understanding of heterosexual “regular” sex
Women’s arousal as “foreplay”
Penetration as the main event
Male ejaculation as the culmination / end of the encounter
Pressure for women to align with male timing / penile stimulation
What are the 3 implications of understanding sex in this way?
-
Gender differences are naturalized:
- men have/expect to orgasm during sex
- women believe having an orgasm is the purpose of sex for
men & necessary for pleasure
- women assumed to prioritize emotional / romantic
intimacy -
Women’s sexuality viewed through a deficit lens:
- women’s bodies appear harder to please
- practices that facilitate women’s orgasms were “extras”
- men/women think women need “extra time”
- sex ends with male orgasm -
Sexual activities pleasurable to women can be stigmatized:
- not part of “regular” sex - outside penetration script
- “Normal” orgasm should occur with penetration
- oral sex, vibrators, sex toys focusing on clitoral stimulation can be see as morally contentious
- gender hierarchy – sexual scripts support men’s pleasure
“___________” ‘natural’ sex script contributes to orgasm gap and “_______” that gap
Heteronormative; normalizes
Dominant meanings encourage “_______” to have lower orgasm expectations and “________” romantic/ emotional aspects of sex
Women; emphasize
“__________” penile-vaginal penetration leads to sex focused on “_____” pleasure
Normalizing; men’s
Sexual norms have changed for women, but not enough… there is still “______& ______” about “additional” practices to have orgasm
Shame & stigma
What are some things to practice/do to help close the heterosexual orgasm gap?
Re-write essentialist sexual scripts
Identify and rethink your own assumptions about “regular” sex
Learn about your own pleasure & what brings orgasm
Challenge shame narratives
Consider when to have sex in a relationship
Communicate with your partner(s)
Learn more about your partner’s pleasure
Essentialist beliefs put forward the idea that orgasms are “________” more “________” to men
Also that women’s bodies are “__________” more difficult to please
When do these beliefs come into question?
Naturally; important
Anatomically
These ideas come into question when…
= women who engage in same- sex sexual encounters disclose that they orgasm regularly
= women achieve orgasm through masturbation regularly
In TV and movies the ‘main event’ in sex is often portrayed on “______-_____” intercourse
Penile-vaginal
Sexual activities that focus on clitorial stimulation- like oral sex- portray this as “________” and not the “main event”
Foreplay
In one study, many of the women described feeling “______” about engaging in sexual practices that they perceive to be exclusively about their own sexual pleasure, even if those practices are what bring them to orgasm
Badly
These were not only described as ‘separate from normal sex’ but also morally contentious
= again these ideas “reinforce’ the idea of ‘regular sex’
In a study of the Inis Beag people, how was sex/orgasms percieved by them?
Were very shy about (even partial) nudity, about urination and defecation, and about heterosexual social interaction
Although it was hard for the researchers to get details about people’s sexual habits, they concluded that “inter-
course takes place with underclothes not removed; and orgasm, for the man, is achieved quickly, almost immediately after which he falls asleep”
Women’s orgasms appeared to be unknown
Other physiological processes such as menstruation and menopause were traumatic for women because local traditions had no explanation for them
In sexually repressive cultures it is even possible for people to still orgasm…
How can this happen?
They can masturbate to orgasm, or to have spontaneous orgasm while asleep or awake, without experiencing what is happening as sexual – they may experience it as emotional or as religious passion, or as some kind of “fit” or weird feeling”
How can an orgasm be purely a physiological event without any sexual meaning?
Orgasms can even happen to children before they know about sex
= in recent decades parents have taken small children to the doctor because of “fits” or “attacks,” only to have the behavior explained as masturbatory orgasm
Orgasm as a purely physiological event can occur
without the person having any awareness of it as sexual
There is no direct correlation between physiological events and social ones – and sexual events are deeply social, even
those that happen when we are alone
Women who have frequent orgasms tend to “_____” sex more, “_____” sex more often and report they are “________” with their sex lives
Enjoy; have; satisfied
Although women are more likely than men to have trouble having orgasms at all, women who easily have orgasms seem to have a better chance of having “_______” ones,
Multiple
Men who want to experience “_______” orgasms in a single sexual session of sex need to have a quick “_________” period so that they can reach orgasm and regain their erection several times
This is easier for “______” men
Alternatively, they may be able to train themselves to do this, by learning to have an orgasm “________” ejaculation
Multiple; recovery
Younger
Without
20th century research showed that some women do ejaculate, and this fluid is different from “______” as it contains a chemical that also occurs in male prostatic fluid
Urine
The subjective variations in orgasmic sensation are influenced by hormones as well as by cultural expectations
What is an example of this?
People taking gender- affirming hormone therapy find that their sexual sensations and responses change over time
Ex. trans woman may report “a change in orgasms,” from simple and short “boygasms” to complex and extended “girlgasms”
Ex. trans men are likely to report more frequent
masturbation and greater ability to achieve orgasm after testosterone treatment, typically with a change toward shorter and more powerful orgasmic feeling
