Accidental Orgasms: Why And How They Happen

You've likely come across the fact that some women have never had an orgasm — roughly 10 percent of women, in fact. A lot of them are simply trying too hard and can't relax enough to climax, though it's entirely possible to have better orgasms through masturbation.

Then, at the opposite end of the spectrum, there are women who climax without any sexual activity at all.

Yowza! You might be wondering how to get in on that yourself. But not so fast — there's plenty to unpack when it comes to accidental orgasms.

Did She Or Didn't She?

There's a well-known video of women who appear to be climaxing while riding a slingshot-style amusement park ride. But were they really? They might have just been having ordinary ride-induced fun, or they may have been putting on a show to promote the ride for the park. Either way, we'll never know for certain whether the slingshot delivers orgasms. What we do know is that spontaneous orgasms are real.

Spontaneous Orgasms

Some women climax in completely nonsexual settings simply by sitting on something that vibrates and stimulates the clitoris. It's no surprise that vibrators are the backbone of the sex toy market. Women who orgasm this way are often already feeling aroused and tend to reach climax easily in general.

Coregasms

One of the more common nonsexual places women report orgasms is the gym, mid-workout. The journal Sexual and Relationship Therapy published survey results from women who said they'd experienced an orgasm — a "coregasm" — while exercising.

Curious which workouts tend to do it? Abdominal exercises are a good place to start.

Rope climbing and pole climbing are two other exercises known to bring them on.

Yogasms

For some women, yoga is the trigger — they call the result a "yogasm." One woman told The Daily Beast she climaxed during class while seated in lotus pose. She was breathing slowly and lifting her pelvic region, and when her instructor pressed against her back, matched her breathing, lifted her ribs and pushed her thighs down, well … yogasm.

The surest route to a yoga-induced orgasm is strengthening the muscles surrounding the genitals. Think of it as Kegel exercises fused with yogic breathing — it's known as "mula bandha." It works because engaging that muscle down there (the PC muscle) causes the tissue around the G-spot to swell, which can tip you into orgasm. Here's a helpful guide with photos on G-spot stimulation.

When you think about it, yoga triggering orgasms makes complete sense. Plenty of yoga traditions trace back to Tantra, which centers on spiritual sex. Tantra's aim is to channel sexual energy out of the genitals and throughout the entire body, which can produce a full-body orgasm.

Sweet Dreams

Just as men have wet dreams, women can orgasm in their sleep. During dreaming and REM sleep, whatever's playing out in the dream (erotic or not) can flood the genital region with blood — the same thing that happens when you're awake and aroused. Occasionally that tips over into an actual orgasm. Some women sleep right through it, none the wiser, while others wake up — a far nicer way to stir than a blaring alarm.

Thinking About Sex

Simply thinking about sex can be enough to trigger an orgasm. Some women pair controlled breathing with erotic thoughts to get themselves there, a practice known as "thinking off." The breathwork involved produces an altered state of consciousness, not unlike deep meditation.

Even when thinking about sex doesn't push you all the way to orgasm, it can leave you aroused and primed to climax with a partner or on your own through masturbation. A research team at Rutgers found that women get turned on simply by imagining their breasts and genitals being stimulated.

Other Activities That Trigger An Accidental Orgasm

Sometimes enough friction against the clitoris is all it takes to set off a spontaneous or accidental orgasm during perfectly ordinary activities:

• Riding a bumpy train
• Horseback riding
• Riding a motorcycle
• Riding a bicycle
• Wearing tight clothing

Some women welcome these hands-free orgasms and find them quite pleasurable; others don't. While friction is usually what sets them off — one reason you might enjoy the sockets position — they can also stem from heightened stress and anxiety. Women tend to describe these surprise climaxes as anything from oddly pleasant to downright nerve-wracking.

As a rule, these orgasms aren't as powerful as the ones you'd have during intercourse, but they're still generally enjoyable.

Here's a thought: the "opposite" of an accidental orgasm might well be a ruined one. Learn more about ruined orgasms.

Not All Fun And Games

There's a decidedly un-fun side to accidental orgasms, known as persistent genital arousal syndrome, persistent sexual arousal syndrome, or persistent genital arousal disorder. For simplicity, we'll just call them "accidental orgasms."

Some women genuinely suffer from accidental orgasms — and "suffer" really is the right word, because for them it's more discomfort than pleasure. The idea can be hard to wrap your head around, since orgasms usually signal pleasure and fulfillment. Yet some women get no relief or satisfaction from theirs and feel as though their lives are spiraling out of control.

Women who have frequent accidental orgasms sometimes can't even sit down or ride in a car without climaxing. Having one in the car alone with your lover is one thing; having one while your kids or parents are riding along is unwanted and mortifying.

Accidental orgasms tend to affect women with especially sensitive breasts and genitals. Yet the orgasms they have often bring little relief. According to Boston University School of Medicine, an accidental orgasm doesn't follow the usual orgasmic arc of desire, arousal, orgasm, satisfaction, and resolution.

Instead, women who get accidental orgasms live in a near-constant state of arousal. Any relief they feel after climaxing is fleeting, since they quickly slip back into that aroused state — making it hard to focus on anything else.

Many women dealing with persistent arousal feel an overpowering urge to masturbate. But even after climaxing, the arousal lingers. They can think of little beyond their vagina, and the relentless arousal can hijack their lives and genuinely torment them.

Some husbands and boyfriends are glad to help ease the constant pressure, while others simply don't grasp what's happening and wish their partner would appreciate a bit of foreplay. Men whose partners are perpetually aroused miss out on the satisfaction of turning them on in the first place. That can strain a relationship, particularly if your man needs a hand getting aroused himself.

Here's what some women go through with arousal disorder:

• A lingering fullness in the genital area
• Nonstop throbbing between the legs
• A relentless need to orgasm
• A sense of being out of control
• No interest in sex, since orgasms just happen on their own
• Nights lost to masturbating again and again
• A craving for release that never fully arrives

Experience Differs

Every woman's experience is different. Some feel perpetually on the verge of cumming and desperate for release. They end up changing their underwear several times a day because of the wetness — which can feel like a waste of good lingerie. They sense they have no control over their own sexuality, and even after they do cum, the arousal persists. Over time, reaching orgasm takes longer and longer.

With persistent genital arousal disorder, an accidental orgasm happens when a woman does nothing to seek relief. Eventually the body climaxes on its own — sometimes in wildly inconvenient places.

The arousal that comes with persistent genital arousal disorder is frequently painful, marked by burning, swelling, and throbbing. Some women try numbing the area with ice packs, which can bring temporary relief. Others turn to support groups once they're worn down by being constantly misunderstood.

Fun Or Annoying

Some women are simply more prone to spontaneous orgasms than others. They can be a pleasant, fun surprise — or an annoying intrusion. If you're among the small group experiencing unwanted accidental orgasms, talk to your gynecologist about persistent genital arousal disorder and consider joining a support group.

If you'd like to explore hands-free orgasms, you've now got plenty of ideas to experiment with. If the occasional accidental orgasm sounds appealing, practice your visualization and breathing techniques and start doing the right exercises I covered above. Whether or not you actually have a hands-free orgasm, you'll end up far more in tune with your body.

February 9, 2021