According to the Kinsey Institute, women have orgasms roughly 60% of the time they have assisted intercourse (intercourse that includes clitoral stimulation). Everyone knows that orgasms feel good at the moment, but what effect do they have long term?
Orgasms can affect a woman’s physical, mental, and emotional health, but how? What are the benefits of orgasming?
Are you interested in learning about the health benefits of female orgasms? Keep reading to find the top benefits!
What is a Female Orgasm?
Before we can talk about the health benefits of female orgasms, we have to know what an orgasm is!
As a woman masturbates or has sex with a partner, tension builds up. When this tension reaches its climax and breaks, an orgasm occurs. An orgasm is characterized by the convulsions of the muscles in the vagina, uterus, and pelvic floor.
Orgasms release a slew of hormones throughout the body and can cause feelings of warmth.
Many women need clitoral stimulation to reach orgasm (instead of penetrative sex). Women are capable of having multiple orgasms in a relatively short amount of time in contrast to men who have longer refractory periods.
1. Improve Your Appearance
As we look at the health benefits of sex, we will start with the superficial. How does sex impact the way we look?
There are several ways that orgasms can improve your overall appearance and the health of your skin, hair, and nails.
Cortisol is a stress signal in your body. If you are in a state of stress, fear, trauma, etc., your body might have increased levels of cortisol. Cortisol can cause your body to break down faster, and it can decrease your body’s ability to bounce back from damage. It causes wrinkles, break-outs, and more (and that is the external damage).
Orgasms can decrease cortisol in your body. If you are someone who breaks out during times of stress, then orgasms can help keep your skin clear!
The estrogen released during orgasm has benefits for your skin as well. The estrogen triggers increased amounts of collagen, giving your skin more elasticity and a youthful appearance. In a world that is constantly trying to sell you products to help your skin, maybe all you need is an orgasm to give you that youthful glow.
Orgasms improve your body’s ability to metabolize nutrients. For some people, this can result in healthier hair and nails. Orgasms can even make your hair grow longer!
2. Help Your Emotional Health
According to a study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, people who have sex regularly are happier. Oxytocin (the happy hormone) is released during sex, and the flood of hormones released by the body during orgasm only serves to increase the positive effects.
People who are happier and more satisfied emotionally focus more on their well-being and have improved health overall. That increased self-care doesn’t have to manifest as bath bombs and manicures.
Happiness and self-care can be seen as making yourself more nutritious meals or taking more time to rest or getting more vitamin D from sunlight. Orgasms increase your happiness, which increases your interest in living a better, healthier life.
If you have dealt with body issues and low confidence in the past, then orgasms can help repair your relationship with your body. Focusing on the pleasure and happiness your body can provide, instead of on the ways you feel your body has failed you or is “not enough”, can improve your confidence and self-love.
3. Live Longer
A study done in South Wales showed that throughout 10 years, people that had at least two orgasms a week had a 50% lower mortality rate than people who had fewer than two orgasms a week.
While this study was focused on men, follow-up research shows that there is a positive association between women’s health and longevity and frequency of orgasms as well!
People who orgasm twice a week have higher amounts of the antibody immunoglobulin, which helps you to fight off infection and disease. Having a healthier immune system contributes to having an extended lifespan.
4. Strengthen the Pelvic Floor
The same muscles used during Kegel exercises are used during orgasm. This means that orgasm can strengthen your pelvic floor.
A strong pelvic floor can decrease your risk of serious injury during childbirth, increase your enjoyment of sex, and improve your bladder control as you age.
A weak pelvic floor can lead to bladder prolapse, uterine prolapse, diminished sexual response, pelvic floor dysfunction, and many other conditions.
5. Relieve Pain
Up to 20% of women suffer from menstrual cramping so severe that it interferes with their daily lives (according to the American Academy of Family Physicians).
Studies show that orgasms can help people to better deal with pain. Some women use orgasms to treat their period cramps, endometriosis, and PCOS. Women can use orgasms to help treat small pains like headaches.
Women can also use orgasms to help with inducing labor in parents who are experiencing an extended period of labor, and orgasms can also help people to cope with labor pains! People who do not want an epidural or pain medication during labor might use orgasms as alternative pain management.
6. Sleep Better
For many people, sleeping is a struggle. People buy special mattresses, meditation apps, supplements, and more to find a little more REM sleep. But for some researchers, orgasms may be the best (and cheapest) solution!
Orgasm (with a partner or through masturbation), releases a wide range of hormones that can all act together to help you fall asleep quicker.
Your pain receptors are weakened, so that backache that keeps you awake won’t bother you so much. Oxytocin is fighting your high cortisol levels caused by stress at work, helping to quiet your mind. Norepinephrine and serotonin help you to fall into REM sleep easier.
Instead of investing in a fancy mattress, you might want to invest in a new vibrator instead!
7. Improve Cardiovascular Health
There is evidence to suggest that women who have sex regularly are less likely to suffer from Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. As with most exercises, sex (and orgasms) get your heart rate up and increase blood flow all around your body.
Some evidence of increased blood flow around the body is swollen lips, flushed cheeks, larger breasts, and increased sensitivity in the vulva.
Most importantly, orgasms increase blood flow to your brain! This means that many parts of the brain are getting oxygen and nutrients all at once. On scans, a brain often lights up all over during orgasm due to the increase in blood flow and electrical activity.
8. Build Healthy Relationships
If you are in a committed relationship, then having sex and orgasms with your partner can have a profound impact on your connection with that person.
Oxytocin, also known as the cuddle hormone, is important for building trust and a strong bond. Your body releases this hormone during times of intimacy and physical touch, and it is released in high amounts during orgasm.
Having healthy relationships can have positive impacts on health. Touch and companionship can extend your lifespan by fighting off the detrimental effects of loneliness in old age.
Struggling to Orgasm
If you are struggling to orgasm, you might not be able to fully reap the benefits that orgasms can have on your life. Here are a few things to consider:
- Many women cannot orgasm from vaginal stimulation alone (try clitoral stimulation)
- Everyone has different preferences, so be sure to communicate with your partner about what you like in intimate moments
- Masturbation can help you to find what works and what doesn’t, leading to better sex with a partner
- If sex is painful, please go see a medical professional to discuss this
- Don’t be afraid to try new things, like orgasmic meditation (you can read more about it in this guide)
Everyone’s body is different, and everyone experiences orgasms differently. Finding out what works for you can help you to live your healthiest and happiest life.
What Do You Think of the Health Benefits of Female Orgasms?
From better hair to a longer life, it is hard not to see the many health benefits of female orgasms. For much of medical history, women’s health issues have been ignored, but in the past couple of decades, we have learned so much about women’s bodies and women’s pleasure.
Orgasms can help you physically, mentally, and emotionally—so have more of them!
Do you want to learn more about healthy living? Check out more articles about Health on our site!
