Summary: Women who are more attuned to internal bodily signals, such as heartbeats and touch, experience orgasms more frequently and with greater satisfaction. This inward focus, known as interoception, is linked to both solo and partnered sexual encounters.
Researchers emphasize the importance of understanding normal orgasmic processes, rather than solely focusing on dysfunction, to enhance well-being and relationship satisfaction. The findings highlight the role of bodily awareness in fostering sexual satisfaction, offering valuable insights for women and their partners.
Key Facts:
- Interoception Connection: Higher interoception levels are linked to increased orgasm frequency and satisfaction.
- Solo vs. Partnered: Women reported approximately 20% higher orgasm frequency during solo sexual activity compared to partnered experiences.
- Satisfaction Insight: Trusting and focusing on internal sensations fosters greater sexual satisfaction for both solo and partnered encounters.
Source: University of Essex
The secret of the female orgasm may have been revealed by scientists in a pioneering study.
Researchers led by the University of Essex found that women climax more frequently if they have high levels of an inward-looking sense known as interoception.
Dr Megan Klabunde, from the Department of Psychology, discovered women who noticed and attend to internal bodily signals– like heartbeats, breathing, and sensual touch sensations – have more frequent orgasms.
Dr Klabunde says this is one of the first times healthy female orgasms have been studied and they are important for women’s well-being and boost relationship satisfaction.
Improving lives
It is hoped the results can help women improve the lives of women – and their partners – around the world.
Dr Klabunde said: “Our study empirically demonstrates that women need to get out of their heads and into their bodies in order to have more frequent and satisfying orgasms.
“Orgasms are more frequent and satisfying when a woman is able to focus on how her body is feeling.
“This study is important because most research looking at orgasms in women have focused on their dysfunction.
“Focusing only on orgasmic dysfunction in women is a problem because there is very little research demonstrating the normal process of orgasm for women, let alone demonstrating ways for women to enrich their orgasms.
“Better understanding the process to orgasm for women could lead to their increased well-being in addition to boosting relationship satisfaction for women and their partners.”
Interoception levels
The study with 360 women completed questionnaires about their sexual experiences and interoception levels.
Researchers asked about both solo and partnered encounters and found women achieved orgasm approximately 20% more frequently on their own and found similar rates for orgasm satisfaction.
Dr Klabunde’s research team also found high levels of interoception were linked to how satisfying orgasms are.
Dr Klabunde said: “The ability for women to focus their attention on their internal bodily sensations, and trust these sensations, was also associated with increased orgasm satisfaction.
“Therefore, it is important for women and their partners to trust the woman’s internal bodily experiences during sexual encounters.
“This is critical for fostering orgasmic satisfaction for both solo but also especially for partnered sexual contexts.”
The paper – Interoceptive Awareness and Female Orgasm Frequency and Satisfaction – was published in a special edition of Brain Sciences on Interoception and Women’s Health.
Dr Klabunde worked with psychology undergraduate student Emily Dixon on the research.
About this psychology and sexuality research news
Author: Ben Hall
Source: University of Essex
Contact: Ben Hall – University of Essex
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
“Interoceptive Awareness and Female Orgasm Frequency and Satisfaction” by Megan Klabunde et al. Brain Sciences
Abstract
Interoceptive Awareness and Female Orgasm Frequency and Satisfaction
Background: The female orgasm is a highly understudied phenomenon that is linked to both wellbeing and relationship satisfaction in women. Although orgasm has been associated with interoception—the sense of the physiological condition of the body—very few studies have directly examined the influence that interoception has on orgasm.
Objectives: This study investigates how the subjective experience of one’s interoceptive capacities (called interoceptive awareness) is associated with self-reported orgasm frequency and satisfaction in people who identify as women.
Methods: In a dataset of 318 women, orgasm frequency and satisfaction were both rated significantly higher for solitary as compared to partnered sexual experiences.
Results: Analysis of how dimensions of interoceptive awareness correlated with orgasm frequency and satisfaction showed that (1) ‘Noticing’ predicted orgasm frequency (but not satisfaction) across both solitary and partnered interactions, (2) ‘Attention Regulation’ predicted greater frequency and satisfaction of solitary orgasm (but not partnered interactions), and (3) ‘Body Trusting’ predicted orgasm satisfaction (but not frequency) across both solitary and partnered contexts.
Conclusions: Findings underscore the importance of moving beyond orgasmic dysfunction research by investigating how interoception is associated with healthy—and potentially even optimal—orgasmic functioning in women.
