Women and orgasms: The 11 different types of female climax - and how to achieve them
While 30% of women say they orgasm every time they have sex, only 18% reach climax through penetration alone, according to a recent study in the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy. In other words, most women need clitoral stimulation to come.
All the more reason to seek out new ways to make that happen, we say. However, it’s not all about the big O, as relationship expert Petra Boynton explains.
“If you never experience orgasm – and, crucially, this does not trouble you – then nobody should be making you feel like you have a problem," she says. "If you experience pleasure, connect with your partner and feel satisfied, then it is not for anyone else to dictate that you should change that.”
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Equally, if you have never experienced an orgasm and would like to, the overarching advice seems to be to take matters into your own hands – quite literally.
“The single most important thing you can do,” says sexpert Tracey Cox, “is give yourself the same clitoral stimulation you use when pleasing yourself.”
1. Deep vaginal orgasm
The clitoris and G-spot aren't the only pleasure zones below the belt. There are additional erogenous zones inside the vagina that when touched the right way can lead to what's known as a ‘deep vaginal orgasm’.
First comes the A-spot, located on the high front wall of the vagina. Next is the O-spot (for orgasm), which can be found on the back wall of the vagina, almost behind the cervix.
The ligaments here contain nerves that are highly sensitive. If fingers, a sex toy or a penis fills the vagina enough at the high end of it and those nerves are stimulated, it can be very pleasurable and even cause the whole uterus to contract.
2. Clitoral orgasm
The ‘classic O’, if you will - and there’s a reason for this. "The clitoris is a tiny bliss button composed of millions of nerve endings similar to that of the penis," says obstetrician-gynaecologist Dr Sherry Ross.
“Having it touched, caressed or stroked via direct or indirect stimulation (i.e. through fabric, or by touching the labia surrounding the clitoris) prompts an increase in blood flow to the area, making the clitoris engorged and in need of release.”
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But did you know that whilst clitoral orgasms might be the most accessible kind, the way they’re achieved differ for every woman? If you’re having trouble reaching climax, consider looking into sex toys designed with clitoral orgasm in mind, such as a mini vibrator you or your partner can wear on your fingertips.
3. Sleep orgasm
There are sensual dreams and then, there are sleep orgasms. “Sleep orgasms usually start with a sexy dream, which causes increased blood flow to the genitals as well as major relaxation, which somehow allows the body to reach orgasm while a woman isn't even awake,” says Dr Ross.
Sounds a bit of a waste, but lovely all the same...
4. G-spot orgasm
“For most women, the G spot is located halfway between where the vagina opens and the cervix,” explains Charlotte Johnson sex and relationships expert at Mega Pleasure. “Try different positions with your partner or yourself and you’ll soon find the spot.”
Some women report finding a slightly bumpy or ridged area and for some, it feels spongy. Pressing this spot gently and stroking it lightly is what many women do to bring on a G-spot O.
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"When you're sexually aroused, the G-spot will fill with blood and swell up," says Dr Ross. “Touching it in a way that feels good with fingers, your partner's penis or a vibrator can trigger a shaken-to-the-core kind of climax.”
5. Nipple orgasm
“Your nipples have hundreds of nerves, making them a super erogenous zone and a lot of fun to explore,” says Johnson. Research has shown that some women can indeed experience a big O just by having their nipples caressed and kissed (no ‘below the belt’ action) – but how?
“It could be because when your nipples are stimulated, this sends sexual messages to the same area of the brain which is aroused by vaginal stimulation. Try twisting or stroking the nipples. Licking or sucking gently can also be a great way to bliss, or using a vibrating sex toy.”
6. Multi-orgasm
Why have one when you can have several? And the fabulous news is, that as women there is no limit to the number of orgasms we can experience because, unlike men, women don’t need ‘downtime’ between rounds.
Tantric expert Jennifer Surch, Founder of the Academy of Modern Tantra, explains how women can increase their chances of multiple orgasms by encouraging those ‘pleasure’ drugs of serotonin and dopamine to go off in the brain.
“It’s a combination of tantric breath techniques, combined with pelvic squeezing, rocking and mindfulness,” she says. ”For example, dynamic breaths [basically panting] flood your brain with oxygen, which encourages your heart rate to speed up, and the endorphins to be released. You get in that zone and you’re off!”
7. Shooting orgasm
Yes, female ejaculation does exist. "Sometimes when women are sexually aroused or stimulated there is an expulsion of fluid from the glands around the urethra or anterior surface of the vagina during or before orgasm, though it's still hotly contested where the fluid actually comes from," says Dr Ross.
“The fluid is typically clear and shouldn’t be confused with the cervical fluid that lubricates the vagina when you’re turned on.”
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Squirting when you orgasm is totally normal and around 10% of women experience this. Touching the G-spot is typically the kind of touch that results in ejaculation, but caressing the area surrounding the urethra has also been known to result in a soak-the-sheets climax.
8. Skin orgasm
“The biggest pleasure receptor we have on our body is our skin, and we are wrapped in it,” says Surch. “This means that by stimulating it with different techniques you can get an all over orgasm: goose-bumps, hairs on end; a whole repertoire of deliciousness.”
Surch suggests a box of tricks to get you there, such as a long feather, afro comb and even a pastry brush! Before graduating to this more intense scenario: “Pass your hands so lightly over your partner’s body that they can hardly feel the touch,” suggests Surch.
“Then, apply whispers of warm breath all over, chanting affirmations into the cells of the skin, such as, ‘You are beautiful’. Use the feather to caress the skin and the afro comb to go up the base of the spine and into the scalp.
"The pastry brush can be used to stroke the very tops of the thighs, just inside and under the bum cheeks, up your spine and all the way up to the neck. You get all these hundreds of pleasure receptors standing to attention which feels incredible.”
9. Exercise orgasm
Great news: workout-induced orgasms, or ‘coregasms’, are real. A study from Indiana University found that 370 of 530 women surveyed had experienced orgasm or sexual pleasure while working out, usually from core-based exercises.
The reason for this is that one of the ways to induce an orgasm is to tense the pelvic and core muscles, which in turn makes them stronger. The stronger your pelvic and core muscles, the more likely you are to experience sexual pleasure when engaging them during exercise, so it’s a win-win situation.
10. Cervical orgasm
if you’re able to relax enough during penetrative sex, your partner can get deep enough to stimulate the cervix, which can lead to the cervical orgasm – apparently one of the most intense, earth-shattering orgasms you can have.
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Holistic sex and relationship expert Kim Anami says, ‘It’s best to warm up with some other sexual positions first, and then ease into cervical penetration (i.e. getting deep enough to literally rub against the cervix.)
“The trick is to bring yourself close to orgasm, then ditch shallow strokes for deeper, cervix stimulation. Rather than a clitoral orgasm, which is a slow build, it is described as a wave of peaks one after the other.”
11. Transcendental orgasm
“We call this ‘transcendental’ because it is an out of body experience,” explains Surch. “Heightened sensations take your consciousness to another dimension.” Sounds cosmic, but how is it achieved?
“By being in the traditional tantric sex position, which is woman on top,” she says. “Then by rocking gently and squeezing your pelvic floor muscles you ‘engage’ your shakti (female sexual energy).
“Have your mouth so close to your partner’s that you are breathing in each other’s air," she continues. "This way, you’re breathing in more carbon dioxide than oxygen and this causes the ‘high’ feeling. The heart rate and blood flow speeds up, you secrete more adrenaline so the pleasure endorphins kick in… When you come together you experience this tingling energy surge that sends orgasmic waves all over the body.”
Best get practising!
