Sexperts have warned that an often overlooked but debilitating condition is causing millions to miss out on sexual pleasure.
Failing to orgasm — or anorgasmia –— is particularly common in women, affecting up to 25 per cent of the female population.
However, specialists often do not know the cause.
‘It’s actually a pretty common concern,’ Dr Talia Crawford, an Ohio based gynaecologist, told The Cleveland Clinic.
‘And even people who can and do orgasm aren’t necessarily getting the experience you read about in books or see on screen.’
Experts say the problem can be split into three different categories.
Primary anorgasmia is when the person has never experienced orgasm, while secondary anorgasmia means the sufferer used to climax but has lost the ability to.
Meanwhile, situational anorgasmia is when you may be able to have an orgasm using self pleasure, but not with a partner.
Recent studies suggest that somewhere between 16-25 per cent of women suffer from anorgasmia
Experts suggest that the primary reason most women experience this difficulty is due to a lack of stimulation to their gential erogenous zones.
‘Without direct clitoral stimulation, many women don’t climax during vaginal intercourse,’ said Dr Crawford.
She suggested that partners try to stimulate other areas of the body that feel pleasure when touched — such as the nipples, armpits, ears, toes and scalp.
A lack of stimulation is not the only reason some may not be experience orgasms.
Environmental factors like sexual anxiety or a lack of communication with your partner can be important factors.
Underlying health conditions and medication can have an impact too.
Antidepressants — selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) — blood pressure medications and chemotherapy are all examples of medications that can dampen desire and reduce arousal.
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‘It can lead to what people call low libido and that can lead to issues with orgasm,’ sex expert Lauren French told ABC.
‘Same with men who are on antidepressants struggle to orgasm.
‘Conditions that affect hormones, like thyroid conditions can also potentially have a role.’
Experts say that there are steps you can take to reach climax.
Lauren French recommends starting with self pleasure to help understand what you enjoy ‘physically’.
‘What are the sensations you like? What are the touches you like? But also, let’s get mental arousal involved? What turns you on?’ she said.
‘If you’ve never experienced an orgasm, it might require an hour of stimulation to produce results the first time,’ Dr Crawford added.
‘Try to think about sex as not so much a means to an end, but as an opportunity to learn about your body, your partner and different kinds of intimacy.’
Men’s Sex Coach Cam Fraser said ‘It could be a psychological issue in the sense that this person doesn’t feel safe, or they don’t feel like they are in a comfortable enough space to be able to orgasm.’
