What is an Orgasm?

Orgasim is a transient peak sensation of intense pleasure that is accompanied by a number of physiological body changes. In men, orgasm is normally accompanied by ejaculation, which makes the event easily identifiable. In women, however, the achievement of orgasm appears to be less facile than for males and recognizing that it has occurred is often difficult for some women. Objective indicators that orgasm has occurred have been sought for many years. Kinsey proposed "the abrupt cessation of the ofttimes strenuous movements and extreme tensions of the previous sexual activity and the peace of the resulting state" as the most obvious evidence that orgasm had occurred in women. Masters and Johnson described the onset of orgasm as a "sensation of suspension or stoppage." In order to serve as a clear marker of orgasm, however, the indicator must involve a bodily change that is unique to orgasm. This necessarily rules out simple measures like peaks of blood pressure, heart and respiratory rates, or even a woman's own vocalizations because such events can occur during high levels of sexual arousal that fail to culminate in orgasm.Remarkably, most of the so-called objective indicators of female orgasm rely on the original, nearly 40-year-old observations and descriptions of Masters and Johnson. They include physiological changes that indicate impending orgasm (prospective), occur during actual orgasm (current), and/or indicate that an orgasm has occurred (retrospective). With regard to prospective changes, during sexual arousal the labia become engorged with blood, increase in size, and undergo vivid color changes. The color changes (light pink to deep red) are presumably due to the changing hemodynamics of the tissue in relation to increased blood flow, tissue congestion, and tissue metabolism (oxygen consumption), indicating the balance between oxygenated (red/pink) and deoxygenated or reduced hemoglobin (blue). Following orgasm, the color of the labia rapidly changes (within 10-15 s) from deep red to light pink. There has been little detailed study of the minora labia apart from the suggested mechanism by which they become lubricated and their increased temperature during sexual arousal has been used as an objective indicator of arousal prior to and after orgasm.Contractions of the vagina, uterus, and anal sphincter have been proposed as current indicators of orgasm.