Frankly, we don’t talk about female pleasure enough and as a result, there’s still a lot we don’t know about our own orgasms. And today, new research has found that women actually have three different types of orgasms: the avalanche, the volcano, and the wave.
Conducted by a professor of neuroscience at Charles University in Prague, James Pfaus, the study found that your pelvic floor muscles move in three varying ways that change the way the sensation is experienced.
How did he find this out? By asking 54 women to masturbate at home over several sessions with a Bluetooth vibrator called the Lioness (no relation to our recent Euro victory), which is designed to detect with what force the pelvic floor contracts during orgasm by using two sensors on its sides.
‘We are doing a long-term study of women using the Lioness to see how these different patterns are experienced subjectively as orgasms, as levels of pleasure, where the stimulation that induces them largely comes from,’ Pfaus said of the study.
From this data, the Lioness can analyse the rhythm of the pelvic floor’s movements to determine whether the women were having an avalanche, volcano, or wave. Intrigued by what that actually means? Let’s break the different types of orgasm down…
The Avalanche
An avalanche orgasm is when your pelvic floor has higher tension which then decreases during orgasm. Essentially, a steep rise and a big crash back down. During the study, this was the second most common type of orgasm with 17 women experiencing an avalanche during the study.
The Volcano
A volcano orgasm is when your pelvic floor has a steady low tension before ‘exploding’ at the end. Essentially, a big eruption. During the study, this was the least common type of orgasm with 11 women experience a volcano during the study.
The Wave
A wave orgasm is when waves of tension and release are experienced through the pelvic floor muscles. Essentially, ebbing and flowing pleasure. During the study, this was the most common type of orgasm with 26 women experiencing a wave during the study.
What does this research mean?
Pfaus hope that the Lioness could be used ‘like a Fitbit’ to help women who are getting treatment for orgasm disorders, or just for those who want to know more about their own pleasure: ‘It is essentially a pelvic floor biofeedback instrument that, because of its shape and intended purpose, can be used to give women instant feedback on the pelvic floor movements that accompany orgasm,’ he said.
And this new research into women’s orgasms has many people questioning why studies like this haven’t been regularly conducted before, thanks to medical misogyny: ‘Women’s bodies are actually capable of amazing things and should be carefully explored,’ wrote one Twitter user.