What is female anorgasmia?

Anorgasmia is defined as persistent or recurrent absence or delay in orgasm after a phase of normal sexual arousal in terms of intensity and duration depending on the age and sexual experience of the person. It occurs in 15-30% of the general population and is much more common in women.

One of the most widespread beliefs regarding the female orgasm is that it should be achieved through penetration, when most of it is not. Many women believe that they have one when everything really works perfectly well on a physiological level.

Types of anorgasmia

Anorgasmia can be:

• Primary: when an orgasm has not previously been achieved.
• Secondary: when the alteration appears after a stage of normality.
• Situational: when orgasm can be achieved in specific circumstances or with certain people.
• Generalized: the woman is unable to achieve orgasm under any circumstances.

Causes of anorgasmia

Anorgasmia is usually multicausal, that is, it is not due to a single reason but to the interaction of several. The main causes are:

• Negative beliefs about sexuality that produce fear or anxiety.
• Myths and taboos that come from cultural or religious aspects.
• Low self-esteem.
• Lack of information about one's sexuality or inadequate stimulation by the partner.
• Feelings of guilt
• Stress.
• Lack of social skills (for example, relationship problems) or relationship problems (for example, lack of communication).
• Fear of losing control of someone or getting carried away.
• Body distortions or embarrassment to show one's own body.
• Previous traumatic events.
• Interaction with certain medications. Some antidepressants, benzodiazepines or hypertensive drugs can cause orgasmic delay, due to hormonal changes or lack of lubrication.
• Some neurological or metabolic diseases can also cause anorgasmia, as well as alterations of the or some chronic diseases such as heart disease, liver or kidney dysfunction, etc.

Is there a treatment for anorgasmia?

The treatment of female anorgasmia is focused on the, since medically there are no drugs to treat it.

Some key aspects that the sex therapy are:

• Psychoeducation: fundamental aspects of sexual and affective health are worked on, providing adequate information and dismantling erroneous beliefs that condition the problem.
• Treatment of negative feelings towards oneself or towards one's partner that they may be blocking.
• Autoeroticism: awaken bodily sensations from visual exploration, tactile exploration, techniques related to guided imagery ...
• Techniques in pairs: , sensual and genital eroticization in phases, training for penetration from focal therapeutic techniques ...
• When anorgasmia is due to physical factors Like hypotonia of the pelvic floor, hypopressives, biofeedback or postural techniques are also very useful.

 Most orgasms are not penetrative

An important study (Reinisch, 1991) concluded that between 50 and 75% of women through penetration they did not have orgasm but they could get it in other ways. In the remaining 25-50% who did achieve orgasm, it was not possible to determine whether it was really due to indirect stimulation of the clitoris, either because the position stimulated the external part or internal stimulation of the clitoral roots.

Clitoris It is not only the hood located on the external genitalia of the woman, but also has roots in the internal genitalia.

Orgasm should be a consequence, not a goal

Anorgasmia causes psychological distress accused and difficulties in interpersonal relationships. Usually one of the reasons that the problem persists is the anticipatory anxiety generated by the sexual encounter, the fear of not being able to reach orgasm. This means that the necessary conditions for sexual enjoyment cannot be given, which revolve around relaxation, trust, the openness to enjoy every little sensation ...

Orgasm should be understood as a consequence and not as a goal, that is, the approach should be merely to enjoy and that orgasm is an impact of this enjoyment, and not the fundamental sense of it.

• Normally anorgasmia is multicausal, that is, it is not due to a single reason but to the interaction of several.
• Usually, one of the reasons that the problem persists is the anticipatory anxiety generated by the sexual encounter, the fear of not being able to reach orgasm.
• The treatment of female anorgasmia is focused on sexual psychotherapy, since medically there are no drugs to treat it.