What is Anorgasmia?

What is Anorgasmia?

Anorgasmia is a condition in which a man or woman isn’t able to reach orgasm or experiences delayed orgasm despite sexual stimulation and excitement. A number of factors may contribute to a state of anorgasmia, which may be psychological or physiological in character, and cause problems in achieving orgasm. The inability to orgasm often affects self-esteem and relationships of the person concerned.
Statistics reveal that about two-thirds of all women find problems in consistently achieving orgasm during intercourse due to hormonal problems, age, and psychological factors. When anorgasmia becomes a common problem, it affects self-esteem and relationships between partners.

Causes of Anorgasmia

Psychological issues are considered the prime cause of anorgasmia. There may be other factors that could contribute to this problem and make it difficult for a man or woman to achieve orgasm. More common with females, anorgasmia affects men as well. Some men or women may find it difficult to climax due to abuse, performance anxiety, negative attitude toward sex, body image issues, history of relationship problems, failure to communicate about sex with partner, or stress. There are certain medications that could impact a person’s ability to orgasm.
Aging, chronic conditions like diabetes, gynecological issues, past sexual trauma, guilt over enjoying sex, lack of sexual experience, depression or anxiety, and alcohol abuse are other common causes that could affect one’s ability to orgasm.

Symptoms of Anorgasmia

There are different kinds of anorgasmia, each characterized by specific symptoms.

• Primary anorgasmia refers to a rare condition that includes people who have never experienced an orgasm.
• Secondary anorgasmia is a condition that includes people who used to experience orgasm in the past, whether through masturbation or intercourse, but are unable to climax now. It could be due to a vaginal infection, dryness, or inflammation, painful intercourse, or unpleasant sexual experience.
• Situational anorgasmia is the inability to achieve orgasm with specific kinds of stimulation. Most common among women, situational anorgasmia makes it difficult for them to reach the plateau stage of arousal in certain circumstances. For example, some women can achieve orgasm with masturbation or manual stimulation, but not during intercourse with a man.

Treatment for Anorgasmia

Some people just need more genital stimulation to make a woman climax. For some others with psychological reasons, counseling can help solve the problem to a great extent. Sex therapy sessions teach couples the mechanisms of sexual arousal and differences in the sexual response cycles of both genders.
With sex therapy, females who often find it hard to communicate their sexual desire with their partner learn ways to speak about it and work through their feelings about sex. This helps women learn how they can take charge in guiding their partners during intercourse to reach a state of orgasm.
Some therapeutic techniques can help people dealing with female inhibited orgasm. Kegel exercises and other sensate focus exercises can be used to treat the orgasm problem. Another alternative to treat anorgasmia is directed masturbation, which involves educating a woman about body awareness and how she can achieve orgasm.