Are male and female orgasms one and the same
While the physiological changes during an orgasm are pretty much the same in both male and female, brain scans of men and women in the love act showed marked differences in the way each one achieves sexual pleasure.
Scientists in Netherlands found stark differences in the way men and women perceive sex. While men value the need for physical stimulation to achieve an orgasm, sexual satisfaction for women seemed to stem from being comfortable and relaxed, devoid of anxiety. Mood, comfort and closeness played a far greater role as compared to mere physical stimulation of the erogenous zones.
Brain scans of men and women during sexual activity portrayed reduced activity in the amygdala, the region that controls fear and anxiety.
In men, enhanced activity was observed in the secondary somatosensory cortex during sex, implying the high value attached to physical sensations. On the contrary, brain scans of women showed only a slight increase in activity in the primary somatosensory cortex. Explaining this, Gert Holstege, Neuroscientist at the University of Groningen said “In women the primary feeling is there, but not the marker that this is seen as a big deal. For males, touch itself is all-important. For females, it is not so important."
He added, "Men find it more important to be stimulated on the penis than women find it to be stimulated on the clitoris. We know from these images that each sex experiences stimulation differently."
