Female Orgasm Secrets

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).