1. Orgasms can begin before birth. As a reflex not under conscious control—like breathing or a heartbeat—orgasmic responses have been observed even in the womb. Israeli radiologist Israel Meisner once published ultrasound images showing a fetus grasping its own penis in a way that mimicked masturbation, with the movements clearly visible on the scan. This suggests that the capacity for orgasmic reflexes is present from the earliest stages of life.
2. Genital contact isn’t required. Orgasms can be triggered by a wide range of sensations, not just direct genital stimulation. For example, people with spinal cord injuries sometimes develop heightened sensitivity in areas above the injury. There are documented cases of orgasms triggered by touching a knee, and even one where a woman experienced orgasm while brushing her teeth. After extensive medical investigation, her doctor concluded that the unique combination of sensory and motor actions during brushing was responsible. The woman, deeply religious, interpreted the experience as demonic possession and stopped brushing her teeth, switching to mouth rinses instead.
3. Orgasms can occur after brain death. The sacral nerve root near the tailbone is a key trigger for orgasm. Electrical stimulation of this area can induce orgasmic responses—even in individuals whose brains have ceased functioning but whose bodies are kept alive by machines, such as during organ donation preparation. While the person is not conscious and cannot experience pleasure, the reflex can still be activated. Ethical concerns prevent such experiments from being conducted intentionally.
4. Orgasms may affect breath odor. Dutch sexologist Theodor Hendrik van de Velde, author of a popular 1930s marriage manual, claimed that for about an hour after intercourse, a woman’s breath could carry a faint scent of semen. He even asserted he could distinguish between the semen of younger and older men by its aroma, likening the latter to the scent of Spanish chestnut flowers—sometimes fresh and floral, sometimes pungent.
5. Orgasms can stop persistent hiccups. In 1999, an Israeli man suffered from a prolonged bout of hiccups that resisted all remedies. During sex with his wife, the hiccups suddenly stopped. The man reported this to his doctor, who published a paper titled “Sex as a Possible Remedy for Intractable Hiccups.” For single patients, the doctor recommended masturbation as a potential solution.
6. Orgasms were once thought essential for conception. Ancient physicians, including Hippocrates, believed orgasm was not just helpful but necessary for pregnancy. In the early 20th century, the “suction theory” claimed that muscle contractions during orgasm helped draw semen into the uterus, increasing the odds of conception. Van de Velde even recounted a story of an Austrian empress advised to have her vulva tickled before intercourse to aid conception. This theory was debunked in the 1950s by sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson, who used radiographic imaging to show that no such suction occurred during orgasm.
7. Orgasms boost pig fertility. The Danish National Committee for Pig Breeding found that sexually stimulating sows during artificial insemination increased their average litter size by 6%. The committee even produced detailed guidelines and a training video for farmers on how to stimulate sows for better results.
8. Female animals are inventive in seeking orgasm. The sow in the training video showed no obvious signs of arousal, but experts note that animals express sexual excitement differently than humans. Ear movements, for example, play a major role. Open-mouthed expressions during orgasm are unique to primates, such as macaques, and even then, female macaques display them only in certain situations—often during sexual activity with other females.
9. Studying orgasm in the lab is challenging. Undeterred by obstacles, Masters and Johnson developed an “artificial coitus device” to observe what happens inside a woman’s body during orgasm. This acrylic phallus, equipped with a camera and light source, was attached to a motor for thrusting. Brave volunteers participated in these pioneering experiments, providing invaluable data.
10. Orgasm research has led to strange discoveries and records. Sexologist Alfred Kinsey once set out to measure how far ejaculate could travel, as many in the 1940s believed that forceful ejaculation increased the chance of conception. Kinsey recruited 300 men to masturbate in his lab while he measured the results. Most men’s semen simply flowed out, but one participant set a record by ejaculating two and a half meters. The record-holder’s name was never recorded.
This article is based on Mary Roach’s book “Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex.”
Text by Georgy Zaitsev
Photo source: Getty Images
