Fact: Some women and men can have orgasms when they aren't having sex, or even trying to have an orgasm.
"We know that it happens, but we don't really know why," says Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., an associate professor at Indiana University and author of The Coregasm Workout. "People who have non-genital orgasms may be embarrassed to talk about them, but it's actually completely normal."
A non-genital orgasm can feel just as good as a genital orgasm.
"There have been studies where people who have non-genital orgasms use adjectives that describe how they feel compared to sexual orgasms," Herbenick says. "And they've found that, while everyone experiences orgasms differently, there are a lot of crossover adjectives between the two."
So what kinds of orgasms have you had?
Maybe you've orgasmed while working out?
A coregasm — which some women say is a less intense version of a genital orgasm — tends to occur during exercises that use the core muscles. Knee raises and leg raises on the captain's chair at the gym seem to do the trick, Herbenick says. "For men, pull-ups can sometimes be a trigger."
Perchance you found bliss during yoga?
Maybe you meditated to a climax?
Have you ever read something so beautiful that you exploded?
Have you orgasmed while eating a specific food?
Has anxiety pushed you to your peak?
Has a random, totally unsexy dream ever left you wondering why?
Have you had a bodily come-apart while peeing?
Has a brush to the foot brought you to your knees?
Have you found yourself at the brink of pleasure while breastfeeding?
Have sounds like these ever made your head tingle?
View this video on YouTube
Not everyone can experience ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response), which is commonly described as tingling sensation that starts on the scalp. The ASMR subreddit clarifies that ASMR is not sexual in nature — instead, it is "sounds that feel good." See if these sounds work for you!
And remember: There's nothing to be ashamed of.
