Female Orgasm Secrets
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History of the Female Orgasm
The female orgasm has long been deemed secondary to the male orgasm. Perhaps this is because the female orgasm is not needed in order for procreation to occur. In simpler terms, a woman can get pregnant after unprotected sex with a man even if she did not experience an orgasm during intercourse.
Over time, many theories regarding its purpose have been debated, making the history of the female orgasm a turbulent one.
Sex Kitten in the Victorian Era?
If you were to be noted as a woman of virtue in the Victorian era, then
you had better not talk – or even think – about sex. Even
after a woman was married, she was to think of sex as merely a means of
reproduction. Female masturbation was not only considered shameful, but
it was also widely believed to be linked to hysteria, cancer, heart disease,
and even death. The thought of a woman masturbating was so heinous that
at times, clitoridectomies were performed, a surgical procedure in which
the woman’s clitoris was removed. In this era, men made the rules
concerning sex, so the idea of a female orgasm was left out.
Freudian
Theory of Sexuality
Up to Freud’s time, the history of the female orgasm was largely
ignored, and the standard for sexuality was set by men. Sigmund Freud’s
theories did not do very much to detract from that concept. Although Freud
did believe that women should achieve orgasm during intercourse, which
was admittedly a significant change in attitude, he nevertheless stated
that it should only be achieved by traditional intercourse. Moreover,
he stipulated that the only orgasm a woman should experience is a vaginal
one, and claimed that any female who experienced an orgasm though clitoral
stimulation was to be considered immature and masculine.
Alfred Kinsey’s Conclusions
A simple search online for “history of the female orgasm”
will yield you the name Alfred Kinsey, a sex researcher who took on this
ever-evolving topic and came up with several interesting theories. Kinsey
released his book “Sexual Behavior of the Human Male” in 1948,
and subsequently “Sexual Behavior of the Human Female” in
1953. Both books sold millions of copies and were translated into several
languages. His readers were shocked to learn about the sexual response
of women, the details of which he outlined in his research. The previous
notions on women’s sexuality were limited to the ideas that women
engaged in intercourse either for procreation, or simply to please their
male partners. The statistics that Kinsey put forth concerning pre-marital
petting and extra-marital affairs amongst women were truly eye-opening
for many. It proved that women did indeed have sexual urges and could
enjoy sex on the same level as a man. Due to his research and analysis
of women’s sexual behavior, the history of the female orgasm started
to gain momentum.
The Sexual Revolution Spices Things Up
Alfred Kinsey opened up a can of worms, which many maintain contributed
to the relaxed sexual attitude of the 1960s and 1970s, a period that was
coined the Sexual Revolution. This is indeed a notable period in the history
of the female orgasm. Not only did it become okay for females to experience
orgasm during sex, but it was also encouraged and strived for. With the
introduction of the birth control pill, women were finally able to separate
sexual gratification from procreation. This was also the time of the infamous
Roe versus Wade battle, whereby abortion was legalized, thus giving women
a certain freedom over their bodies. Female sexuality was becoming an
earth-shattering issue.
We Have Come a Long Way, Baby
From the first methods of birth control to pornography geared toward women,
females and their inclination and ability to orgasm have come a long way.
With the more recent discovery of the G-spot, women are better informed
on how sexual pleasure can be achieved, and can easily direct their partners
during intercourse, which is a far cry from the ideas of Freud and the
Victorian Era. Located near the front of the vaginal wall, the area cannot
be self-stimulated as easily as the clitoris, which brought ample attention
back to the elusive vaginal orgasm. Open the pages of any women’s
magazine (and some men’s) nowadays and you will find numerous tips
describing the perfect positions and techniques to stimulate this area
of the female genitalia.
Exploring the history of the female orgasm confirms that the female’s sexual pleasure has mystified the world for generations. Scientists, biologists, psychologists, and even a zoologist like Alfred Kinsey, have debated it for years. We have certainly acquired more insight on the subject, which is sure to improve sexual candor between men and women.
Written by Candis Hale
Candis provides online content for the Female
Orgasm Secrets website (www.femaleorgasmsecrets.com).
