Sex 101: Understanding the Female Sexual Response

Women are multi-orgasmic. The female sexual response cycle is unimpeded by a required refractory period that prevents successive orgasms in the male.

Principal understanding of the physiology of the human sexual response emanates from observational research studies by William H. Masters, M.D. and Virginia E. Johnson. The researchers tested 382 women and 312 men in more than 10,000 episodes of sexual activity. They also studied more than 7,500 cycles (one cycle is an individual episode of sexual activity) of female sexual response during intercourse. They were the first researchers to put forth a four stage model that described and explained these natural physiologic changes. The four stages are excitation, plateau, orgasm, and resolution.

The LVR program was developed by listening and caring about the needs of women in this area of sexual gratification. The Laser Rejuvenation Institute Center for Sexual Health integrated the historical research of Masters and Johnson into the ultimate individual design of each of the laser surgical procedures. Women of the world inspired all of the surgical designs in these pioneering procedures that enhance their sexual experiences.

Women’s Sex Response Cycles

The traditional model of human sexual response implies that sexual thinking and fantasizing initiates arousal, followed by orgasm and a phase of “resolution.” However, women identify many reasons they are sexual over and beyond inherent sexual drive or “hunger.” Women tell of wanting to increase emotional closeness, commitment, sharing, tenderness, and tolerance, and to show the partner that he or she has been missed (emotionally or physically). Such intimacy-based reasons motivate the woman to find a way to become sexually aroused.

This arousal is not spontaneous but triggered by deliberately sought sexual stimuli including the behavior between (potential) partners, conversation, music, written or visual eroticism, or direct physical stimulation. A model of women’s sexual response has been proposed, which reflects the key roles of emotional intimacy and sexual stimuli, and is depicted in Figure 1 alongside the traditional model of Masters, Johnson, and Kaplan.

Once arousal is accessed, it will foster sexual desire to continue the experience for sexual reasons, in addition to the intimacy reasons. It will also allow previously unwelcome stimuli, specifically to genitalia and breast, to now be enjoyed.

“G-Shot orgasms fill your entire body”

Early on in relationships, or midcycle, or after a partner has been absent emotionally or physically, or with no particular pattern, women may sense “spontaneous desire.” There is need to experience sexual arousal through partnered sex, self-stimulation, or fantasy for the pleasure and well-being that it generates. The blended cycles as shown in Figure 2 can be envisaged. The frequency of women’s autoerotic practices is low compared to men’s but is highly variable. Despite extremely rare sexual thoughts, women can be entirely responsive.

Most women do not have a strong or accurate appreciation of the degree of congestion within their vulval erectile tissue. Sensations of “throbbing” or “pulsing” may be entirely absent despite healthy sexual experiences. Indeed, women commonly are only aware of a small component of their erectile tissue, the shaft and head of the clitoris and unaware of the extensive bulbar and periurethral structures. Indirect awareness of erectile tissue engorgement stems from a woman’s increased sexual sensations from direct genital stimulation, causing an urge to receive more of the same.

All laser vaginal rejuvenation procedures and designer laser vaginoplasty procedures can be performed in conjunction with other cosmetic surgeries. The most common procedures, including liposuction, breast augmentation and rhinoplasty can be simultaneously performed by our leading board-certified facial and board-certified plastic surgeons.