Multiple Orgasms in Women: New Research

Multiple orgasms are consecutive orgasms. They're far more frequent in women than in men. However, what does science say on the subject? We talk about the most recent findings.

Written and verified by the psychologist Laura Ruiz Mitjana.

Last update: 04 February, 2023

What proportion of women can achieve multiple orgasms? How are they achieved? How does sex have an influence when it comes to reaching these kinds of orgasms?

Below, we talk about some new scientific findings related to multiple orgasms in women.

Orgasm

Orgasm is defined as ‘the highest or most satisfying point of sexual arousal in the erogenous or sexual zones’. It’s the point reached after maximum sexual arousal.

When both men and women experience an orgasm, sexual tension rises to its highest point. All that sexual tension is released from the body and genitals. The consequence in the brain is a biochemical release of hormones and neurotransmitters related to pleasure and well-being.

Multiple orgasms

As its name suggests, multiple orgasms (or multi-orgasms) occur when many orgasms are experienced in a row. According to a study conducted by Dunn (1989), women tend to experience them more than men since women don’t tend to have a refractory period.

Therefore, women may experience a subsequent orgasm after the first, and so on (up to a point). Generally, subsequent orgasms are more intense and pleasurable, as a consequence of accumulated genital stimulation.

Two erogenous zones, extremely sensitive after climax, are the clitoris and the nipples. For this reason, additional sexual stimulation after the first (or subsequent) orgasm may initially be rather painful in these areas.

Research on multiple orgasms

As we mentioned earlier, multiple orgasms in women are more frequent than in men. The current scientific literature suggests that multiple orgasms, in general, although not particularly frequent, aren’t that rare either.

The first study conducted on this type of orgasm was in 1929. It was based on interviews with more than 2,200 women. Many of them claimed to have experienced multiple orgasms. Later, in 1953, Alfred Kinsey, a researcher at Indiana University, stated that 14 percent of several thousand women he interviewed claimed to have had multiple orgasms.

In another study, Florida State University (USA) researchers surveyed 805 college students and found that 43 percent of them had experienced multiple orgasms.

Finally, studies during the last 30 years have reported that 25 percent of the women studied experienced multiple orgasms. As you can see, these three figures are rather different. However, one thing is clear. These types of orgasms exist and are experienced by more women than we might have thought. But, what does the latest research say on the subject?

A new study on multiple orgasms in women

The most recent study of multiple orgasms in women was conducted by researchers at McGill University and the University of Montreal (Canada) They placed advertisements on sex and psychology websites and recruited women over the age of 18 who’d experienced multiple orgasms and were willing to be surveyed.

The researchers started by defining an orgasm. They identified it as serial muscle contractions of the pelvic floor, while multiple orgasms consisted of two or more sets of these contractions. They surveyed 419 women between the ages of 18 and 69 (with a mean age of 33 years) and came to various conclusions.

Conclusions

Some of the most relevant conclusions of the study on multiple orgasms were as follows. We should mention that, as well as focusing on multiple orgasms, the survey also considered single orgasms and the enjoyment of sex in general.

• 74 percent of women claimed to have experienced their first multiple orgasms during masturbation.
• It took women between six and 14 minutes to have their first solo orgasm, and 30 to 60 minutes to have one with a partner.
• The greater the sexual repertoire, the more likely they were to experience multiple orgasms.
• Multiple orgasms are less likely to occur with only vaginal intercourse.
• Women who claim to have multiple orgasms almost always enjoy a wide repertoire of sexual and affective behaviors. For example, kissing, hugging, using sex toys, etc.
• 64 percent of women claimed to have experienced their most recent multiple orgasms with their partners, thanks to a combination of genital hand massage and cunnilingus (particularly from the latter).
• The average age at which women have their first (single) orgasm is 19, while it’s around 20 for multiple orgasms.
• A third of the women in the study understood multiple orgasms as two orgasms in a row. The other two-thirds thought that multiple orgasms were between three and more than one hundred in a row.
• Women who had more than two orgasms in a row tended to have between five (12 percent of them) and ten (also 12 percent).

Other conclusions

The study also concluded that the majority of women, more specifically 58 percent, between orgasms, maintained continuous stimulation in their vulva or clitoris, either by themselves or their partner.

On the other hand, one in five preferred to stop any stimulation for approximately one minute between orgasms. One in eight stopped for two or three minutes. Finally, a few study participants reported breaks between orgasms of five minutes or more.