Orgasm

= Orgasm =

Conceptual Analysis
The female orgasm has created debate in evolutionary biology since people decided to evaluate its existence. There is no adaptive purpose that we know of for the female orgasm and this baffles researchers..There is also debate on where exactly the origin of the female orgasm is in the vagina. Why can females have multiple orgasms during one act of intercourse? The expression of the female orgasm is seen as independent from intercourse, namely, because it has nothing to do with reproduction directly. The female orgasm is a baffling concept that excites and defies evolutionary logic.

Definition
The female orgasm is a bodily response that has baffled researchers for centuries. It is agreed upon by evolutionary researchers that the female orgasm involves a sensory motor reflex, including spasms of the genital and pelvic muscles. A famous sex researcher, Alfred Kinsey, describes the female orgasm as “an explosive discharge or neuromuscular tension and the peak of sexual response.”(Lloyd 2005) John Bancroft, the most recent director of the Kinsey institute, defines the female orgasm as “the combination of waves of very pleasurable sensation and mounting tensions, culminating in a frantic sensation and release of tension.” (Lloyd 2005) In more technical terms the female orgasm is defined as “the sensory part of the reflex includes input from various muscles and tissues in the genito-pelvic area while the motor part involves the reflex contractions of muscle groups in the genito-pelvic region.” (Lloyd 2005).

A vivid example of the use of the Term in Context
According to Lloyds article there are five pelvic muscle groups involved in the female orgasm, of course there are disagreements about which part of the vagina are the most essential to orgasm The muscles surrounding the vaginal opening are important because the induce the drainage of erectile tissues. During sexual excitement these tissues become engorged. The second muscle group involved in the female orgasm supports the perineum. "The perineum is the tissues surrounding and holding together the pelvic organs." (Lloyd 2005) The pubococcygenus muscle and a collection of other muscles are important for the motor aspect of the orgasmic reflex. The pubococcygenus muscle is located from the pubic bone to the tail bone. This included the set of muscles surrounding the lower part of the vagina, which are important to orgasm. Lloyd introduces the concept of the orgasmic platform. "The orgasmic platform consists mainly of tissues that are engorged with blood during sexual excitement and which are drained of blood through the spasms of the muscle group.” (Lloyd 2005)The fourth and fifth pelvic muscle groups involved in the female orgasm are the uterus and the muscles surrounding the length of the vagina. However, a complication in this model is that many women have more then one orgasm before reaching the resolution phase (climax). This theory, according to masters and Johnson, states that “women return to the plateau phase of excitement following each orgasm. They do not progress into resolution until after their final orgasm.” (Lloyd 2005)

Associated Theories
Evolutionary biologists cannot find an adaptive purpose for the female orgasm though some still believe there is one. Other evolutionary theorists opted for the idea that the female orgasm evolved by sexual selection. Instead of evolving for reproductive purposes, the human female orgasm is theorized to facilitate bonding as well as long term relationships between the sexes. Evolutionary researchers theorize that there is an advantage to the human female orgasmic capacity. The female orgasm may induce women to mate with a variety of males rather then a monogamous relationship. This promotes male-sperm competition. There is an evolutionary assumption that the human female orgasm is in some way tied to reproductive success, but there is no evidence that links female orgasm to increased birth rates, fertility, and/or reproductive success. Due to the lack of evidence, the female orgasm may not be an adaptation at all.

Image


A diagram of the clitoris

(www.womentowomen.com)

A Brief History of the use of the term/ Origin
In 1865 Isaac Baker Brown, Chairman of the British medical society recommended removing the clitoris as treatment for psychological illnesses of the time period such as “epilepsy hysteria, homosexuality, and other forms of female folly.” (Tuana 2004) In opposition some medical schools of that time period were in favor of stimulating the clitoris. Because of its link to the female orgasm, According to Freudian theory, the clitoris is just a miniature penis. The clitoris, according to Freud, is an amputated organ little girls used as a form of compensation. He felt they must compensate until they discover their true sexuality revealed, of course, by male penetration. In Freudian theory, it was only after renouncing clitoridian orgasm as “infantile and immature”, (Tuana 2004) that a girl could become a women. “Those in early centuries who did ascribe to the existence of the female seed often argued the importance of female pleasure as the vehicle for its release. As an example, it was thought that the infertility of prostitute was due to their lack of pleasure during intercourse.” (Tuana 2004) In a nutshell, fertility was equated to the female orgasm.

Controversies, Misuses, and Common Misunderstandings
One of the main controversies in the female orgasm is its origin. There is a major disagreement among multiple researchers on exactly which muscles and tissues are involved in the motor and sensory aspects of the orgasmic reflex. A lot of studies believe clitoral stimulation is most important to inducing the female orgasm. But this does not stop others from suggesting additional locations. For example, it is also theorized that the stimulation of the cervix and the deep tissues surrounding the vagina and uterus are very important sources of stimulation. A main debate of the human female orgasm is whether the nature of the female orgasm is vaginal or clitoridian. However, as stated earlier, Freud’s theory that there were two types of orgasm, (vaginally adult and immature clitoridian) caused many orgasm debates in the twentieth century. Many other researchers such as Singer and Singer (1975) still argue for two types of orgasm. Except, they believe the vulva and the uterus are involved.

What I found very interesting is that “intercourse, apparently, does not provide enough sustained stimulation of the clitoral area to induce female orgasm.”(Tuana 2004) If it were an adaptive trait heterosexual intercourse would always induce an orgasm in the human female equating to reproductive success. Many human female orgasms occur during masturbation. However, when it comes to intercourse and masturbation, there is one commonality in research on the female orgasm. “The clitoris plays a crucial role in inducing sexual excitement.”(Tuana 2004) Its possible that the purpose of the clitoris is to induce sexual excitement facilitating reproductive sex or rather, intercourse. If this is the case then the clitoris, the leading known inducer of the female orgasm, could have been under selective pressure to cause sexual excitement increasing female sexual interest.

Another controversy is whether or not there is an adaptive purpose for the female orgasm. According to the evidence there is not one. Women’s sexual pleasure is now considered inessential to reproduction. But it is possible that it could be a by-product of sexual selection because its most probably useful in promoting the desire for intercourse. A males sexual pleasure is essential for reproduction. This is one of the many reasons why the female orgasm is controversial within evolutionary theory.

Three Citations
1) Tuana, N. (2004) Coming to Understand: Orgasm and the Epistemology of Ignorance, Feminist Science Studies, Vol.19, No.1. pp. 194-232

2) Lloyd, E.A. (2004) The Case of the Female Orgasm: Bias in the Science of Evolution. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA. pp. 1-32

3) Symons (1979) Copulation as a Female Service, The Evolution of Human Sexuality. pp. 253-285

4) www.womentowomen.com

Author
Rebecca Waintrup