Oh, the orgasm, a happy state of transcendental bliss, somewhere between a sunrise and a volcanic eruption. The orgasm is a complicated thing, engaging all the systems of the body in a grand symphony of sensation, leaving you feeling relaxed, fulfilled and exhausted.
Having an orgasm can be a very personal experience, or an incredible, shared moment. Hopefully your share it with just your partner, rather than your entire floor who heard you moaning last Saturday night.
About a week and a half ago, we sent out a survey to learn about orgasms at Bowdoin, and we were able to collect some good, hard data. Two-hundred and seventy-two Bowdoin students responded to our survey, of which some 233 felt fairly certain that they had experienced an orgasm.
Some gender discrepancies surfaced, as 98.3 percent of male respondents reported that they had achieved orgasm, compared to 78.3 percent of Bowdoin women; 11.8 percent of Bowdoin women were unsure whether they had experienced an orgasm or not, and just under 10 percent were sure they had never experienced one. These numbers generally agree with national averages.
Further, 98.2 percent of men said they had had an orgasm from masturbation, while around 80 percent have climaxed from vaginal penetration or oral stimulation.
In comparison, 65.1 percent of women had climaxed from masturbation, 51.4 percent from oral sex, 48.6 percent from penetration, and 69.2 percent from clitoral stimulation. A minority of Bowdoin students, 3-4 percent, had experienced an orgasm from anal stimulation.
On average, Bowdoin women climax around 3.35 times each week, compared to 5.26 for men.
Bowdoin men respondents were more likely to be sexually active than women, with 70.3 percent declaring themselves sexually active compared to 60.5 percent of women.
Just under 40 percent of respondents reported being in monogamous relationships, which agrees with the number found by the Sex 101 sex survey.
Perhaps most surprisingly, we found a large difference between single women and women in monogamous relationships. Of single women, only 67 percent reported definitely having experienced an orgasm, with the remaining single respondents split evenly between not having an orgasm and being unsure.
In contrast, of those women in relationships, 94.7 percent had experienced an orgasm, and all of the rest were unsure.
Additionally, we found that men consider orgasms more important than women: 75.2 percent of men reported that achieving orgasm was extremely important, and 70.3 percent reported that having their partner achieve orgasm was extremely important. The corresponding numbers for women were 62.7 percent and 60.5 percent, respectively.
Men seemed to climax much more regularly during intercourse, with 51 percent reporting that they climaxed every time, compared with just 8.1 percent of women. A plurality of female respondents, 36 percent, reported that they achieved orgasm "frequently," though only 4.5 percent of respondents claimed to have experienced multiple orgasms.
What can we conclude from this? We can make a few observations. While being in a relationship makes a woman more likely to have experienced an orgasm, this does not necessarily mean that the trick to having one is to enter a relationship. It's possible that those women who have had an orgasm are the same who are the most likely to get in a relationship in the first place.
That said, your correspondents hope that over the course of a monogamous relationship, each partner will learn about the other's body, making it more likely for both parties to climax. The relatively large proportion of single Bowdoin women who have never experienced an orgasm suggests that perhaps the biggest step Bowdoin women can take in order to experience more orgasms will be to take matters into their own hands. The fact that Bowdoin women place less importance on achieving orgasm may also contribute to their reaching climax less frequently than men.
For most women, having an orgasm is not as straightforward as it is for most men. Beyond simple stimulation, it is important for most women to feel emotionally comfortable and safe. Whether that means feeling comfortable by yourself when you're flying solo or trusting your partner in the heat of the moment, the final key to orgasmic bliss is the ability to let go.
That said, it's probably more likely for the majority of women to have an orgasm with someone they know well (this can include yourself).
With all these numbers in mind, we leave you with one more thought: exam period is coming up, along with stress, panic and tensions.
Over the next few weeks, remember, that an orgasm is a healthy option for releasing stress. So, spend some quality time with yourself or with your significant other, and let off some steam.