Why can't some women have an orgasm? This was a question a team of scientists was bound and determined to get to the bottom of -- and they did.

According to a study, a woman's ability to have an orgasm was influenced as much as 45 percent by her genes. Specialists say, however, the findings aren't set in stone.If a woman inherits dysfunctional sexual genes she isn't doomed for life -- it simply means that more work, or patience, is required.

Further, scientists explain the findings suggest there is an underlying biological basis to a woman's ability to achieve orgasm -- though, whether that basis is anatomical, physiological or psychological remains uncertain.

Double Trouble

Scientists compared questionnaire responses of some 4,000 female twins (about half were identical twins and half were non-identical); participants ranged in age from 19-83. Based on the questionnaire, one in three women reported never or hardly ever reaching orgasm during intercourse; 21 percent said they hardly, if ever, achieved climax during masturbation.

The proposal behind twin studies is that pairs of twins grow up in similar environments; and, since identical twins share more traits than non-identical ones, scientists made the leap, based on their findings, that genes could take precedence over environment when it comes to female orgasms.

Based on number-crunching comparisons between identical and non-identical twins, researchers determined:

• A 34 percent genetic variation in a female twin's ability to orgasm during sexual intercourse.

• Forty-five percent of the difficulty women have in climaxing during masturbation can be attributed to their genetic makeup.

• The similarity in orgasm experience was greater in identical twins than in non-identical ones.

Thus, the results prove that the wide dissimilarity in orgasmic dysfunction in females has a genetic basis and cannot be attributed solely to cultural influences.

The Solution

Like the specialist said, just because a woman has "bad" sexual genes, it doesn't mean all hope is lost. In fact, many approaches can help most women enhance their ability to achieve orgasm. For starters, feeling loved and secure in a relationship plays a big role. Other factors can include how women feel about themselves and about sex and what their first experiences with sex were.

RedNova June 8, 2005

New Scientist June 8, 2005

Biology Letters June 7, 2005

Gary Craig's Comment:

As Dr. Mercola tells you below, emotions are a major contributor to our sexual fulfillment. This is not limited to just achieving orgasm. Indeed, it applies to the entire spectrum of romantic freedom. As an example, Marilyn attended one of my workshops a few years ago and, during the workshop, she applied Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) for her sexual hesitancy and inhibitions. She was simply unresponsive in bed and couldn't maintain a romantic relationship because of it.

Some of the sexually related issues she successfully collapsed with EFT (all during the workshop) were:

1. Severe physical abuse (beatings) by her former husband,
2. the sudden death of a boyfriend (32 years ago) with whom she was deeply in love and
3. being incested by her brother at age 13.

These are, of course, deep and serious issues and can predictably affect orgasm and the whole sexual experience.

Nonetheless, they were completely resolved during this EFT workshop and her new sexual awareness was a delight to behold. I spoke with her at one of the breaks and she was beaming. She couldn't wait to get back to her boyfriend, Donald, in Idaho. I even remember saying humorously, "Your boyfriend owes me a Ferrari." Subsequently she wrote me the following in a letter, " ... ..came back to Idaho and Donald fully present in love making for the first time in my life!!! What a reward!!!! Yes, Gary, you are right.... Donald does owe you a Ferrari!!!"