This may sound like a dumb question, but why do orgasims feel so good? Are there any physical benefits from each orgasim? What is actually happening just prior to both a male and female orgasim? Will not having orgasims have a detrimental effect on the human body?
I’ve heard (this is speculation) that the physical reasons are obviously procreation. Obviously, for the male, it’s the expulsion of semen. For women, orgasms actually make the cervix and uterus more open and available for sperm entrance. At least, this is what I was told. If I’m wrong, let me know. 
First of all, it’s orgasm - no “i”.
According to Lee Marvin’s character Ben in Paint Your Wagon:
Don’t you know you could go blind!
I now yield the floor to anyone who would like to answer this question seriously.
Well, this may sound dumb, but one of the physical benefits of having an orgasm is that you want to repeat the experience. This helps to ensure that people have sex, which ensures (to some extent) the propogation of the species. If it hurt there’d probably not be a bunch of people around. Think of it as positive reinforcement.
The physical attributes of both male and female orgasm are believed to also help to aid in fertility. The concept of the female orgasm increasing the chances of pregnancy are a fairly new concept. I’ll see if I can find a link here somewhere…
I would guess that they feel good in order to ensure that we want to keep on having them, unlike say, heart attacks.
Benefits? No idea.
What’s happening prior? See Masters & Johnson.
Detrimantal effects of being left hanging? Maybe not physically, but it most certainly has a negative effect on a persons disposition. And if you’re the reason someone is being deprived, your body could easily end up being single again.
This one sounds interesting:
Note that the sample population is not really sufficient to draw a valid conclusion. Therefore we should do more orgasm research immediately. Now if we could only find enough volunteers…
I once read an erotic story on-line where the characters experienced multiple organisms.
I could never finish the story. I’d start giggling as I imagined “her organism exploding all over her.” I always imagined exploding lemmings for some reason.
I think Cecil just answered a question about some of the negative physical effects of not having orgasms. I’m pretty sure it was under the title of blue balls. If only i could get the damned search to work on my computer.
Wheeee!
I love this board.
Any reason to have an orgasm is good enough. 
My friend’s father is a GP, and he totally agrees with the above article on having good sex, rather than accurately-timed sex, to increase chances of conception.
The stress factor is also very much related to this. But if you saw that Human Body programme - it was quite amazing how the woman’s orgasm made her cervix “dip” down into the pool of semen in her vagina. (They used fibre-optic cameras).
There was a fairly controversial series on one of the educational chanels about two years ago, where they actually filmed intercourse. One of the ickier, but more interesting segments was the “penis cam”. Yes, they actually strapped a micro-camera to the man’s penis, and and filmed the consequences of both male and femal orgasm.
The position was missionary, and after the male orgasm, there was a pool of semen at the apex of the vagina. When the woman experienced orgams, her muscle contratctions actually tipped her cervix down into the pool of ejaculate repeatedly.
Oops, sorry, istara, I didn’t see that you’d beat me to it until I’d hit ‘submit’.
I saw this too - and it looks like the most convincing argument to me!! Amazing!
It seems to me this was covered by Desmond Morris ages ago in The Naked Ape and The Human Zoo. Basically, orgasms feel good so that we will continue to have sex for a.)insuring procreation and b.) pair-bonding (insuring that couples stay together for the long human child-rearing period), and c.) so they can say “Hi, Opal!”
I think Istaras, etc. theories are more recent - although that said, I seem to recall that the clip mentioned was in that Desmond Morris programme that had the ‘100 naked people’ introduction.