Both male and female orgasms are similar in many ways. Although studies have shown that female orgasms tend to last much longer than men. Both men and women involve a rapid series of muscular contractions in the genital and anal areas. Women generally experience more intense contractions because the uterus can contract along with the vagina and the pelvic muscle. Pleasure centers in the brain are highly activated, while activity in the cerebral cortex, where conscious thought takes place momentarily precedes (Moaley). It is said that in females a mild orgasms may have 3 – 5 second contractions, and an intense orgasm may be 10- 15 seconds. The average mans orgasm last about 1 minute.
Hite (1976) distinguished between two types of orgasms. The first she termed multiple orgasm, which needed continuous, nonstop stimulation. The second is called sequential, involved a short pause in stimulation in order to elicit the subsequent orgasm. On the other hand, Kothari (1989) defined multiple orgasms as “a function of sustained arousal after each orgasmic episode that culminates again in orgasmic intensity by further stimulation.” Both authors have also commented that the physiological differences between single and multiple orgasms are unknown.
Orgasms attained through clitoral stimulation has been described as more localized within the pelvic area, more physically intense, and more physically satisfying, where as orgasms attained through intercourse is more diffuse or more psychologically intense, and more psychologically satisfying. (e.g.Butler, 1976; Clifford, 1978; Davidson and Darling; Hite 1976). Men have similarly reported that although masturbatory orgasm is more physically intense and limited to a small area than coital orgasm, the latter is more pleasurable and satisfying