Breaking the Stigma
Orgasm is one way we can connect deeply with our partners, but it is also a way to connect deeply with ourselves.
It’s taboo to speak about self-pleasure in the same way one might speak about partnered sex. Neither is more moral or more important than the other. Solo sex and partnered sex are different but both are valuable. While we often see orgasms portrayed in the media, we rarely see how they can change our bodies and minds for the better. Orgasms don’t just feel amazing, they have numerous health benefits, both mental and physical.
What Happens?
Physical Benefits:
- Better sleep (5)
- Lower stress level (6)
- Relief from the pain of menstrual cramps and headaches (7)
- Increased immunity (8)
Mental Benefits:
- Sharper focus (9)
- Better mood (10), and
- Better self-esteem (11)
It's Personal
Changing It Up
Feeling Stuck
The Big O
Sources
(1) Orgasm: What is an orgasm, types of orgasms & health benefits. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22969-orgasm
(2) Dopamine. (2009, August 12). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/dopamine
(3) Can you kiss and hug your way to better health? (n.d.). https://www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2018/february/affection
(4) Orgasm: What is an orgasm, types of orgasms & health benefits. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22969-orgasm
(5) The influence of vasopressin deficiency and acute desmopressin administration on melatonin secretion in patients with central diabetes insipidus. (n.d.). PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15053243/
(6) Psychological stress and the human immune system: A meta-analytic study of 30 years of inquiry. (n.d.). PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1361287/
(8) Haake P, Krueger TH, Goebel MU, Heberling KM, Hartmann U, Schedlowski M. Effects of sexual arousal on lymphocyte subset circulation and cytokine production in man. Neuroimmunomodulation. 2004;11(5):293-8. doi: 10.1159/000079409. PMID: 15316239.
(10) R. Bou Khalil,
(11) Weaver, R. (2011, November). The Mental Health Benefits of Sex. Her. https://www.empowher.com/mental-health/content/mental-health-benefits-sex