As a certified sexologist, it’s the question I get asked over and over by clients: How can I orgasm better and more frequently – and how can I make sure my partner does too?
They’re often shocked when I respond by asking what type of orgasm they’re chasing.
Because what many people don’t know is that there are multiple different types of climax. In fact, studies suggest that, throughout your life, you can experience as many as two dozen different kinds.
At its core, an orgasm is a natural physiological response triggered by external stimuli, which causes chemicals like dopamine (the ‘feel-good’ hormone) and oxytocin (the ‘love hormone’) to flood the brain.
As a certified sexologist, it’s the question I get asked over and over by clients: How can I orgasm better?
That might sound complicated – but the result is simple: an unmatchable feeling of euphoria.
The benefits of an orgasm don’t end there. They can relieve stress, improve sleep, and — of course — can help build intimacy with a partner.
Orgasms all fall under two main categories: sexual and non-sexual.
Sexual orgasms, or those triggered by genital stimulation, are what most people associate with sexual pleasure. Whether during sex with a partner or through self-pleasure, these orgasms are typically the result of deliberate arousal.
Non-sexual orgasms, on the other hand, often occur unexpectedly, with no intention of climax in mind. These can arise during activities like exercise, sleep, or even emotional experiences — sometimes catching people off guard in the process.
While men and women can experience both types of climax, there’s one major difference: female orgasms are far more mysterious than male ones.
Despite years of research, scientists still struggle to fully understand the complexities of female sexual pleasure, which is influenced by a variety of physical, emotional, and psychological factors.
For men, orgasms tend to be more predictable, often linked directly to genital stimulation. For women, the experience can vary greatly – meaning there’s still much to uncover about how and why they occur.
But for now, here are the 15 types of orgasm you’re most likely to experience in your lifetime, according to experts…
Here are the 15 orgasms we’re most likely to experience in our lifetime, according to experts…
1. Clitoral
This is considered one of the easiest and most common forms of orgasm for women – thanks to the clitoris’s abundance of nerve endings, totaling more than 10,000, which is roughly twice as many pleasure points than the penis has. It can be achieved through any rhythmic stimulation to the area.
2. Vaginal
The vaginal orgasm is elusive and highly coveted, reached by internal stimulation. Studies have found that only 20 percent of women are able to achieve this type of euphoria – often in combination with a clitoral orgasm. Interestingly, it is more likely when having intercourse with a long-term partner.
3. Cervical
The cervix, located at the top of a woman’s vaginal canal, might seem like an unusual pleasure point. Yet studies have found that when it is stimulated, it lights up areas of the brain separate from those during vaginal and clitoral orgasms – resulting in a different kind of release. Women who’ve experienced cervical orgasms have described them as ‘much deeper, almost in the uterus.’
4. G-spot
Scientists and medical experts have long debated whether the much-discussed ‘G-spot’ actually exists, due to a lack of anatomical data. It is thought by many to be in the first third of the front vaginal wall. Though its precise location has yet to be proven, a 2021 analysis of 31 studies suggested that most women have benefited from its stimulation.
5. Female ejaculation
Often referred to as its cruder name – ‘squirting’ – this is the involuntary release of clear fluid (thought to be a mixture of urine and secretions from the Skene’s glands) when reaching a moment of intense physical arousal. Some medical experts have dismissed the phenomenon as a myth conjured up in the world of porn – but one 2019 study found that between 10 and 54 percent of women have experienced it.
6. Prostate
A few inches inside the rectum is a particularly senstive area – the prostate – which is often referred to as the ‘male G-spot’ (or ‘P-spot’) for its orgasmic ability. When massaged, the ejaculatory ducts (responsible for carrying a combination of semen and prostatic fluid from the testes to the urethra) become stimulated and produce a euphoric effect like a penile orgasm.
7. Anal
Sexual stimulation in and around the anus can result in pelvic muscle contractions that result in a powerful orgasm. This phenomenon is often referred to by women as ‘longer lasting’ than vaginal or clitoral orgasms, though all genders can experience anal orgasms throughout their lifetimes.
8. Nipple
Nipples can serve as a major area of sexual gratification thanks to their many nerve endings. Although it might be easier to reach orgasm when stimulated simultaneously with another pleasure source, ‘nipplegasms’ are possible on their own. They are similar to genital ones as they light up the same parts of the brain.
9. Blended
When multiple pleasure sources (say, the clitoris and nipples) are stimulated and result in climax at the same time, you experience a ‘blended’ orgasm. Since touching various erogenous zones can stimulate different areas of the brain, this type of orgasm has the potential to feel more intense than other forms.
10. Multiple
This is when orgasms occur back-to-back. Fewer than 10 percent of men in their 20s and less than 7 percent in their 30s have the potential to experience this type of orgasmic release. However, it is easier to achieve for women. This is likely due to the resting period men often need between climaxing.
11. Erogenous
Similar to nipplegasms, erogenous orgasms occur when areas other than the genitals are stimulated. A 2013 paper discovered the most common pleasure points are the mouth and lips, the nape and back of the neck, the inner thigh and the pubic hairline.
12. Energetic
‘Energetic orgasms’ are technically non-sexual and are caused by a flush of sexual energy throughout the entire body. They tend to last longer than conventional orgasm. One analysis focused on the brain activation of 11 women who imagined themselves receiving sexual gratification. The result was brain activation in the same regions as those that light up during erogenous stimulation.
13. Exercise
Similar to muscle contractions during genital climax, a ‘coregasm’ or exercise orgasm usually occurs after engaging the core in a range of exercises like climbing ropes, abdominal routines and yoga, though exactly why or how it happens isn’t well established. One study found 9 percent of people have experienced this phenomenon at least once in their lifetimes, typically between the ages of 16 and 22. But fret not if you’re way beyond those years; since this type of orgasm requires no sexual stimulation, it could be encountered unexpectedly at any point.
Similar to muscle contractions during genital climax, a ‘coregasm’ or exercise orgasm usually occurs after engaging the core in a range of exercises like climbing ropes, abdominal routines and yoga.
14. Breastfeeding
Despite breastfeeding’s less-than-sexual nature, it can still be regarded as a highly pleasurable act. One study published in European Gynecology & Obstetrics found that women had reported experiencing an exciting sensation while feeding their newborns, though it was rarely described as ‘sexual’. For those who did feel more aroused, they described it as a ‘high, like when you’re in foreplay’.
15. Sleep
More colloquially known as ‘wet dreams’, sleep orgasms are like energetic climaxes in that they don’t require physical touch to occur. Often, they are the result of hormones and don’t require any stimulation – although vivid dreaming can help. Most individuals who experience sleep orgasms are adolescent males, although all genders at any age can experience them.
