Sexual Arousal and Orgasm

Sexual Arousal and Orgasm

What happens to our bodies when we get turned on sexually? Answering this question is important for several reasons. First, it’s always a good idea to have an understanding of how your own body works, including the sexual parts. That way, you can be comfortable with the way your body responds as you get sexually excited and you will also have a better idea if something is wrong that you should see a doctor about. Second, while no two people are exactly the same in the way they respond sexually, knowing what happens to the male and female body during the process of sexual arousal and orgasm will give you some idea of how a sexual partner’s body responds when he or she is sexually excited. Having a basic understanding of your own body’s sexual response and your partner’s sexual response can be an important building block for a mutually satisfying sexual relationship.

Sexual arousal usually begins in the brain. That is, your brain responds to a sexy thought or image, or having a feeling of closeness or affection toward a partner, or the touch of a partner by sending signals to the rest of your body, especially the genital area. For both men and women, one of the major components of physical sexual arousal is increased blood flow to the genital area causing the clitoris to swell and harden in women and the penis to become erect in men. Also, for both women and men, the heart beats faster, blood pressure increases, and breathing becomes more rapid. So in some basic respects, the process of male and female sexual response is quite similar. But because males and females have different reproductive organs we need to look at how sexual arousal affects the genital area separately......more