A Complete Guide to Different Kinds of Orgasms

Summary

What Happens When a Person with a Vagina Has an Orgasm?
What Happens When a Person with a Penis has an Orgasm?
What's the Best Type of Orgasm for Someone with a Vagina?
What's the Best Orgasm for Someone with a Penis?
How Do You Unlock Your Best Orgasm?
Top 10 Toys to Help You Achieve Your Best Orgasm

If you think "having an orgasm" is a binary statement — you're having one, or you're not having one — think again! There are all sorts of different ways to cum, and other kinds of orgasms can make your body feel all sorts of amazing.

Of course, it's always okay to stick to what you know feels good, but if you and your partner are looking to spice up your sex life, a little extra knowledge about different ways to orgasm can't hurt!

What Happens When a Person with a Vagina Has an Orgasm?

When females become aroused, the body increases blood flow to the genitals. As her body becomes more aroused, her heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing increase. The orgasm itself causes muscles to spasm, especially in the vagina, culminating in intense feelings of pleasure before the orgasm fades and arousal diminishes.

Unlike males, females can often have multiple orgasms in a row without taking a break in between.

What Happens When a Person with a Penis has an Orgasm?

Male orgasms are more visible than female orgasms, but getting to that point is a complicated, multi-step process. For people with a penis, testosterone is the driving force behind arousal and — eventually — orgasm. As the body becomes aroused, blood rushes to the genitals, and the veins that usually drain blood out tighten, keeping blood in the penis and causing an erection.

male orgasm penis

As the body prepares for an orgasm, the heart rate increases and the male may experience involuntary muscle movements. This is when you may notice pre-cum — a clear fluid — begin to seep from the head of the penis. Biologically, this pre-ejaculatory fluid is designed to make the pH balance of a female body more hospitable so more sperm can survive.

Finally, semen enters the urethra. The man's body contracts, and liquid is pushed out of the prostate, carrying the semen out of the penis. After a series of these contractions, the orgasm diminishes.

About half of the erection immediately subsides, and the person enters a refractory period — a time interval where they can't have another erection. This period can last from 15 minutes in young men to 20 hours in older men, with the average refractory period lasting approximately 20 to 30 minutes.

How Many Different Kinds of Orgasms Can Someone With a Vagina Have (and How Do You Get There)?

The female body is capable of approximately 11 types of orgasm:

Clitoral Orgasm: Often felt all over the body, like a tingling sensation, a clitoral orgasm is caused by stimulating the clitoris, either with a hand or a vibrator.
Vaginal Orgasm: By stimulating the vaginal canal, you can cause the walls of the vagina to pulse, leaving you feeling shaky and breathless.
Deep Vaginal Orgasm: By stimulating the A-spot or O-spot near the cervix, you can cause your whole uterus to contract for an orgasm that you can feel deep inside.
G-Spot Orgasm: An intense orgasm can leave you feeling weak and shaky. This happens if you get a penis or toy to hit the particular spot about an inch into your vaginal canal toward the belly button.
Anal Orgasm: Start slow if you're working for an anal orgasm! Some females LOVE the sensation of a toy or penis in their anus, as long as plenty of lubrication's used. Instead of feeling convulsions in your vagina, you may feel them in your anus with this type of orgasm.
Cervical Orgasm: For some women, a cervical orgasm can cause an orgasm felt deep inside the body that is more intense than either a clitoral or vaginal orgasm. To get this orgasm, you need a long enough penis or toy to hit the outer part of the cervix, and you have to be fully aroused before you start (or it can be more OW! than Ooooh!).
Erogenous Zone Orgasm: If you've ever had an orgasm without touching below the waist, you've enjoyed an erogenous zone orgasm. These tend to be mild orgasms that can still leave you feeling shaky and satisfied. Lots of kissing, massaging, and rubbing is necessary for this type of orgasm.
Blended Orgasm: When multiple erogenous zones are stimulated simultaneously, you can have this type of orgasm, bringing intense pleasure. The easiest way to get a blended orgasm is by having penetrative, G-spot stimulating sex while also rubbing the clitoris.
Squirting Orgasm: An intensely pleasurable orgasm culminating in female ejaculation. Not everyone can have a squirting orgasm, but if you want to try for this type of orgasm, make sure you're well-hydrated and spend much time on foreplay.
Coregasm: An exercise-induced orgasm that is usually milder than other types of orgasm, still profoundly pleasurable. You can get this if you have good core strength and squeeze your core muscles tightly while exercising.
Sleep Orgasm: An orgasm caused by a profoundly erotic dream. Unfortunately, it's hard to force this one — it's the luck of the draw.

Keep in mind that these different orgasms aren't always separated so quickly. You may have several types of orgasm at once — a blended orgasm caused by stimulating the whole body — or you may have multiple types of orgasm back to back.

How Many Types of Orgasms Can Someone with a Penis Have (and How Do You Get There)?

The male body can experience approximately seven different types of orgasms:

Penis Orgasm: The most common type of orgasm from penis stimulation, culminating in ejaculation. Masturbation, hand jobs, and blow jobs are easy ways to achieve a penis orgasm.
Pelvic Orgasm: Caused by what's known as "edge play," where you bring yourself to the brink of orgasm multiple times before releasing. Pelvic orgasms can be highly intense and may cause you to go weak at the knees.
Prostate Orgasm: If you enjoy the idea of anal stimulation, this orgasm can be mind-numbing and ultimately take you out of your head. Have your partner use a penis, a toy, or even a finger to enter you from behind to stimulate the prostate. The prostate is located along the anal wall, toward the perineum.
Erogenous Zone Orgasm: If you can climax without any stimulation below the waist, that's an erogenous zone orgasm. While these orgasms are less intense than penis, pelvic, or prostate orgasms, they can be highly pleasurable and satisfying due to the attention that must be given to your body to make it happen.
Blended Orgasm: Caused by stimulating multiple erogenous zones simultaneously, this orgasm can make it feel like the skin all over your body is dancing.
Multiple Orgasms: When you have an orgasm, take a short break during your refractory period to rehydrate and then have a second orgasm. Sometimes the second orgasm is a "dry" orgasm, meaning it has no semen — that's perfectly normal!
Sleep Orgasm: Caused by arousal in your sleep, this type of orgasm can cause you to have a wet dream. Overtly sexual dreams cause not all sleep orgasms in male bodies, so don't worry if you wake up with wet sheets after a flying dream.

It's possible to have different kinds of orgasms simultaneously — for example, an orgasm caused by erogenous zone stimulation and penis stimulation — but, for males, having multiple orgasms back-to-back is pretty hard to do.

What's the Best Type of Orgasm for Someone with a Vagina?

A recent study showed that most females prefer blended orgasms caused by clitoral and vaginal stimulation. However, that same research also suggested that stimulating multiple parts of the body and taking time to lead up to orgasm is what females like.

What's the Best Orgasm for Someone with a Penis?

A combination of edging and prostate or perineum stimulation seems to work best for most males.

How Do You Unlock Your Best Orgasm?

Your best orgasm might not be the same as the best orgasm for another person. Knowing about multiple types of orgasms can help you become comfortable exploring your body and your partner's body, but in the end, only you know what feels good to you. That's why communication is the key to unlocking your best, most mind-numbing orgasm to date.