Female orgasm physiologically harder?

[F. U. Shakespeare]

I've heard this said in various circles, that female orgasm is physiologically more difficult to achieve than male orgasm.

While there are women who are indeed unable to climax, there are also women who can have lots and lots of orgasms, more than any male, with little or no 'down' time.

What is the scientific consensus (if any) on this?

(Apologies if this has been covered before -- I tried several searches and found nothing related).

[jellytoes]

I'm no expert but I am a female and I have a healthy interest in all things sex-related so I'll try to help out.

Guys usually start sexual self-exploration looong before women do. Some women don't even get there. So you are usually more familiar with what makes you feel good and how to get that feeling.

Our equipment is harder to get to. Guys have the luxury of having their sex organs right out there for the taking. You can see, as well as feel, when you are aroused. While us girls need a mirror and strange positions. Also, some women can't have orgasms during sex because of where their clitoris is located. Other women can't have clitoral orgasms at all.

About the mulitiple orgasm women (and we do exist), I'd say it's half practice and half how you are wired. Women have quite a range of variation in sensation and physiology of their sexual organs.

Well, that's a start. I hope others can help you out more.
Good luck!

[ultrafilter]

Yeah, a search for orgasm on this board isn't going to work too well.

Anyway, sexual arousal is a very different beast in men and women. In men, it originates entirely from the part of the brain that deals with very basic needs, like food, sleep, and safety. In women, there's also some higher brain function associated with it, in a part of the brain that deals with language & memory (and maybe some emotions too).

It seems reasonable to conclude from this that female sexual response is much more complicated than male.

[vetbridge]

Originally Posted by ultrafilter

Yeah, a search for orgasm on this board isn't going to work too well.

...unless you have a very specific fetish. <<boo hiss>> And now for an on-topic WAG---

I think the relative difference in "ease of orgasm" could be related to relative importance for reproductive success. Without the male reaching orgasm, there will be no babies. OTOH the female's orgasm is kind of window dressing with respect to reproductive success.

[ultrafilter]

Originally Posted by vetbridge

I think the relative difference in "ease of orgasm" could be related to relative importance for reproductive success. Without the male reaching orgasm, there will be no babies. OTOH the female's orgasm is kind of window dressing with respect to reproductive success.

There's some recent evidence that the woman's orgasm helps move sperm towards the uterus. Not essential, but definitely helpful.

[cichlidiot]

I'm not sure there is a scientific consensus, at least I haven't found one either. I also have not found a cite on the first part of what I'm about to post. I think woman can orgasm as easily as men, clitorally. As far as vaginally, I would say for the most part, probably not.

I did find an interesting page relating to what ultrafilter posted, that's worth a look, particularly this part:

If the woman climaxes at any time up to a minute before the man, or does not have a orgasm at all, she retains relatively few sperm. If she climaxes at any time from a minute before the man to around 45 minutes after, she retains a relatively large number of sperm.

[Mathochist]

Wait, so if the woman orgasms somewhat in advance it's an ersatz birth-control?