Orgasm

• female: changes are mostly in the upper 1/3 of the vagina, strong contractions with .8 second intervals reoccurring 3-15 times per orgasm, uterus elevates and also contracts, clitoris shortens in half
• male: ejaculations with rhythmic contractions, most ejaculate all semen
• both: heartbeat and respiration peak

Resolution

• all changes return to normal
• How to attract women and girls

• accomplishment #2: M/J started the whole field of sex therapy: for orgasmic impairment, premature ejaculation, simultaneous orgasm, dyspeurenia (pain with intercourse), vulvadynia (exterior pain with intercourse), inhibited desire
• accomplishment #3: Wrote Methodological Advances for Observation of Sexual Function
• accomplishment #4: Founded a new vision for female sexuality: in the clitoral vs. vaginal orgasm debate, there was no way to tell what was stimulated; all orgasms involve the clitoris (very little nerve endings in the vagina); the more indirect stimulation, the slower the orgasm response; women are multi-orgasmic
• accomplishment #5: homosexuality (??)

M/J elicited many criticisms:

• 1. mechanistic – mostly masturbators were studied
  2. the first phase was excitement, but what gets you there? they explained arousal, but not desire; Helen Singer Kaplan was the first to explore desire
  3. internal states and sociological facts, such as socialization or traumatic sexual events, were simply not included
  4. model wasn’t listed as a “normal” sample- you had to have a history or masturbation, be somewhat exhibitionistic, and be orgasmic
  5. the studies assumed males and females are sexually the same in most ways
  6. participants were chosen for their ability to talk about it
  7. they ignored class differences
  8. volunteers went through training
  9. the study was goal-oriented (orgasm)
  10. they presumed sex is always a disappointment if orgasm doesn’t happen
  11. largest criticism: M/J created the “medicalization of sexuality”