Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Original Article
  • Published:

Personal factors that contribute to or impair women’s ability to achieve orgasm

International Journal of Impotence Research volume 26, pages 177–181 (2014)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

This work aims to identify factors that contribute and those that impair the ability to experience orgasm during sexual activity. It compared women (n=96) aged 18–61 (M=38.5 years) in a stable relationship that, after a normal arousal phase, do not have an orgasm (OD) with those that do (OA) regarding sociodemographic data, sexual frequency, talking about sex with their physician, talking about sex with their partner, sexual education, masturbation, sexual desire, sexual satisfaction, depression and anxiety. We found differences between the OD and OA groups with regard to level of education (P=0.022), sex education during childhood and/or adolescence (P<0.001), masturbation (P=0.017), sexual satisfaction (P<0.001), anxiety (P<0.001) and sexual desire (P<0.001). The final model of logistic regression for orgasm problems included the variables ‘masturbation’, ‘high school’, ‘sexual desire’ and ‘anxiety’. Orgasm difficulties are influenced by personal factors, such as anxiety and low sexual desire. Increased levels of anxiety also increase orgasmic difficulties. Women who masturbate and/or have completed high school are considerably more likely to reach orgasm during sexual activity.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1
Figure 2

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Meston CM, Seal BN, Hamilton LD . Problems with arousal and orgasm in women. In: Rowland DL, Incrocci L, eds Handbook of Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders. John Wiley & Sons: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2008 pp 188–219.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Fugl-Meyer KS, Oberg K, Lundberg PO, Lewin B, Fugl-Meyer A . On orgasm, sexual techniques, and erotic perceptions in 18- to 74-year-old Swedish women. J Sex Med 2006; 3: 56–68.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Mulhall J, King R, Glina S, Hvidsten K . Importance of and satisfaction with sex among men and women worldwide: results of the Global Better Sex Survey. J Sex Med 2008; 5: 788–795.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Laumann E, Paik A, Rosen R . Sexual dysfunction in the United States: prevalence and predictors. JAMA 1999; 281: 537–544.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Abdo CHN, Oliveira WM, Moreira ED, Fittipaldi JaS . Prevalence of sexual dysfunctions and correlated conditions in a sample of Brazilian women—results of the Brazilian study on sexual behavior (BSSB). Int J Impot Res 2004; 16: 160–166.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. DSM-IV 4th edn American Psychiatric Association: Washington DC, 2002.

  7. World Health Organization. ICD-10: International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th edn World Health Organization: Geneva, 1992.

  8. Mah K, Binik Y . The nature of human orgasm: a critical review of major trends. Clin Psychol Rev 2001; 21: 823–856.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Mah K, Binik Y . Orgasms in the mind or the body? psychosocial versus physiological correlates of orgasmic pleasure and satisfaction. J Sex Marital Ther 2005; 31: 2000.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Frohlich P, Meston C . Sexual functioning and self-reported depressive symptoms among college women. J Sex Res 2002; 39: 321–325.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Birnbaum GE . The meaning of heterosexual intercourse among women with female orgasmic disorder. Arch Sex Behav 2003; 32: 61–71.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Brody S, Costa R . Vaginal orgasm is associated with less use of immature psychological defense mechanisms. J Sex Med 2008; 1167–1176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Burri AV, Cherkas LM, Spector TD . Emotional intelligence and its association with orgasmic frequency in women. J Sex Med 2009; 6: 1930–1937.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Ojomu F, Thacher T, Obadofin M . Sexual problems among married Nigerian women. Int J Impot Res 2007; 19: 310–316.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Birnbaum G, Glaubman H, Mikulincer M . Women’s experience of heterosexual intercourse: Scale construction, factor structure, and relations to orgasmic disorder. J Sex Res 2001; 8: 191–204.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Graham C . The DSM diagnostic criteria for female orgasmic disorder. Arch Sex Behav 2010; 39: 256–270.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Dobkin RD, Leiblum SR, Rosen RC, Menza M, Marin H . Depression and sexual functioning in minority women: current status and future directions. J Sex Marital Ther 2006; 32: 23–36.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Sidi H, Puteh SEW, Abdullah N, Midin M . The prevalence of sexual dysfunction and potential risk factors that may impair sexual function in Malaysian women. J Sex Med 2007; 4: 311–321.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Beck A, Steer R, Brown G . Manual for the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Psychological Corporation: San Antonio, TX, USA, 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Beck A, Steer R . Beck Anxiety Inventory Manual. Psychological Corporation: San Antonio, TX, USA, 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Tozo I, Lima J, Rolim S, Gonçalves N, Auge A, Rossi L et al. Sexuality evaluation in women submitted to hysterectomy for the treatment of uterine leiomyoma. Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2009; 31: 503–507.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Ribeiro M, Nakamura M, Abdo C, Torloni M, Scanavino M, Mattar R . Pregnancy and gestational diabetes: a prejudicial combination to female sexual function. Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2011; 33: 219–224.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Manganiello A, Hoga L, Reberte L, Miranda C, Rocha C . Sexuality and quality of life of breast cancer patients post mastectomy. Eur J Oncol Nurs 2011; 15: 167–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Ferreira D, Nakamura M, Souza E, Mariani C, Ribeiro M, Santana T et al. Sexual function and quality of life of low-risk pregnant women. Rev Bras Ginecol Obstet 2012; 34: 409–413.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Abdo C . Development and validation of Female Sexual Quotient—a questionnaire to assess female sexual function. Rev Bras Med 2006; 63: 477–482, (In Portuguese).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Linting M, Meulman J, Groenen P, van der Koojj A . Nonlinear principal components analysis: Introduction and application. Psychol Methods 2007; 12: 336–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Lewis RW, Fugl-Meyer KS, Corona G, Hayes RD, Laumann EO, Moreira ED et al. Definitions/epidemiology/risk factors for sexual dysfunction. J Sex Med 2010; 7: 1598–1607.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Shaeer O, Shaeer K, Shaeer E . The Global Online Sexuality Survey (GOSS): female sexual dysfunction among Internet users in the reproductive age group in the Middle East. J Sex Med 2012; 9: 411–424.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Oberg K, Fugl-Meyer AR, Fugl-Meyer KS . On categorization and quantification of women’s sexual dysfunctions: an epidemiological approach. Int J Impot Res 2004; 16: 261–269.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Hawton K, Gath D, Day A . Sexual function in a community sample of middle-aged women with partners: effects of age, marital, socio-economic, psychiatric, gynecological, and menopausal factors. Arch Sex Behav 1994; 23: 375–395.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Najafabady MT, Salmani Z, Abedi P . Prevalence and related factors for anorgasmia among reproductive aged women in Hesarak, Iran. Clinics 2011; 66: 83–86.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Richters J, Grulich A, Visser R, Smith A, Rissel C . Sex in Australia: sexual difficulties in a representative sample of adults. Aust N Z J Public Health 2003; 27: 164–170.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Laumann E, Nicolosi A, Glasser D . Sexual problems among women and men aged 40–80 years: prevalence and correlates identified in the Global Study of Sexual Attitudes and Behaviors. Int J Impot Res 2004; 17: 39–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Abdo CH, Valadares ALR, Oliveira WM, Scanavino MT, Afif-Abdo J . Hypoactive sexual desire disorder in a population-based study of Brazilian women: associated factors classified according to their importance. Menopause 2010; 17: 1114–1121.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Woods NF, Mitchell ES, Julio KS . Sexual desire during the menopausal transition and Early Postmenopause: Observations from the Seattle Midlife Women’s Health Study. J Womens Health 2010; 19: 209–218.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Basson R . Women’s sexual function and dysfunction: current uncertainties, future directions. Int J Impot Res 2008; 20: 466–478.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Frank E, Anderson C, Rubinstein D . Frequency of sexual dysfunction in ‘normal’ couples. N Engl J Med 1978; 299: 111–115.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Bancroft J, Loftus J, Long JS . Distress about sex: a National Survey of Women in Heterosexual Relationships. Arch Sex Behav 2003; 32: 193–208.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Laurent SM, Simons AD . Sexual dysfunction in depression and anxiety: conceptualizing sexual dysfunction as part of an internalizing dimension. Clin Psychol Rev 2009; 29: 573–585.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Professor Edmund Chada Baracat for making the Gynecological Clinic available for our study. This work was partially supported by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES, Brazil).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department and Institute of Psychiatry, Program of Studies in Sexuality (ProSex), University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    B B de Lucena

  2. Department and Institute of Psychiatry, Program of Studies in Sexuality (ProSex), University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    C H N Abdo

Authors
  1. B B de Lucena
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C H N Abdo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to B B de Lucena.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

de Lucena, B., Abdo, C. Personal factors that contribute to or impair women’s ability to achieve orgasm. Int J Impot Res 26, 177–181 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijir.2014.8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ijir.2014.8

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links