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Let’s Talk About Sex: Orgasm vs Ejaculation
This topic is going to be super straight forward, y’all….
- Orgasm refers to the subjective experience of pleasure associated with ejaculation.
- Ejaculation is the process of pushing the seminal fluids out of the verumontanum (“balloon”) inside the prostate through the urethra and out of the penis.
Usually these are experienced at the same time, however they are two different physiological processes.
Basically, ejaculation happens between your legs, and orgasm happens between your ears.
Human Sexual Response Cycle (Kaplan, 1974; Masters & Johnson, 1966)
- Desire
- Excitement (Arousal)
- Plateau
- Orgasm/Ejaculation
- Satisfaction
The Journey to Ejaculation
- Erection (brain, nervous system, vascular system leads to penile rigidity….this process is controlled by the parasympathetic nervous system…think “Point”)
- Emission
- Collection and transport of fluids that make up semen in preparation for ejaculation. Sperm travels from your testicles through the vas deferens, which meet at the prostate gland with the exiting your bladder to form your urethra tube. The urethra tube runs through the prostate gland and out through the penis. When we get an erection, the exit of the bladder closes (which it is why it is hard to pee in the morning when you have a hard on), your testicles are drawn up against your body, and semen collects in the verumontanum or the “balloon”, which is a balloonlike chamber inside the prostate gland. When someone gets so stimulated to the point of ejaculation, the verumontanum fills with semen to three times its size. The pressure triggers the ejaculatory inevitability sensation and then the reflex of ejaculation. Once we reach this point, there is no turning back, someone could walk in your room with gun’s ablazing, you are still going to shoot your load.
- Ejaculation
- Ejaculation does completely happen between your legs, your brain is involved too. When a critical level of nerve input from the verumontanum reaches the spinal cord, that triggers the ejaculatory response. The pelvic floor muscles play a role here too in contracting which helps in the pushing out of the semen. (This process is controlled by the sympathetic nervous system….think: s for shoot) Pro-tip: if you want to delay ejaculation, learn some relaxation pelvic floor exercises to use during sex.
What’s going on between our ears when we orgasm?
- During sex, the logical part of our brain (the lateral orbitofrontal cortex) shuts down. This is the part of the brain that is responsible for reason, decision making, and value judgements. Also, likely why we might not always make the best choices when we are having sex. We are less likely to experience a decrease of fear and anxiety during this time.
- Oxytocin and vasopresin, the “cuddle hormones” are building up, and are released out of the hypothalamus at the point of orgasm with a rush of dopamine, the “the feel good hormone”.
- As we are revving up closer to orgasm, the mix of endorphins, oxytocin, and vasopressin, help to make us less sensitive to pain during sex (note to all you kink-folks out there). So, the same areas in our brain that process pleasure ALSO PROCESS PAIN THERE!
- After we orgasm, the body releases serotonin, the happy hormones, which can also stimulate a sense to take a nap.
Questions:
- What are some common problems men face during sex?
- What are some other questions you guys want to ask me?
Final take-aways: Erection is not needed for orgasm; ejaculation is not required for orgasm; ejaculation and orgasm are not required for a positive sexual experience.
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