When some women orgasm, they experience unusual physical and emotional responses such as laughing, crying, headaches, tingling, foot pain, nosebleeds and more. Known as peri-orgasmic phenomena, the responses are not related to the normal physiology of an orgasm.
A survey-based Northwestern University study is the first to break down how frequently and consistently women experience these responses, and when they’re more likely to occur (i.e. with a partner or during masturbation).
While the study found these responses are rare — only 2.3% of the sample — the findings are necessary to raise awareness and help reassure women these responses are within the realm of a normal sexual response, said lead study author Dr. Lauren Streicher, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
The findings also warrant further study to help women address their sexual health and well-being, she said.
“While there have been case reports of women laughing, crying or having unusual physical symptoms during orgasm, this is the first study to characterize what these phenomena are, and when they are most likely to occur,” said Streicher, who also is the creator of COME AGAIN, a new science-based guide to sexual function for both health care professionals and non-health care professionals. “Women need to know that if they have uncontrollable peals of laughter every time they orgasm (and nothing was funny), they are not alone.”
The findings were published in the Journal of Women’s Health.
A total of 3,800 women viewed a short video posted on social media that explained peri-orgasmic phenomena. They could then answer a six-question, anonymous survey about unusual physical or emotional symptoms/responses they experience when they have an orgasm.
Some of the key findings were:
- Of the 86 women (18 years old and up) who self-identified as experiencing peri-orgasmic phenomena, 61% reported experiencing physical symptoms, 88% reported experiencing emotional responses, more than half of respondents (52%) experienced more than one symptom and 21% experienced both physical and emotional symptoms.
- While most (69%) women experienced these symptoms only sometimes with orgasm, 17% experienced them consistently with orgasm.
- The majority of respondents (51%) experienced symptoms exclusively with partnered sexual activity, 9% during masturbation and 14% with use of a vibrator.
Breakdown of the physical symptoms among the 86 survey respondents:
- Headache (33%)
- Muscle weakness (24%)
- Foot pain/tingling (19%)
- Facial pain/itching/tingling (6%)
- Sneezing (4%)
- Yawning (3%)
- Ear pain/other ear sensation (2%)
- Nosebleed (2%)
Breakdown of the emotional symptoms among the 86 survey respondents:
- Crying (63%)
- Sadness or urge to cry with a positive sexual experience (43%)
- Laughing (43%)
- Hallucinations (4%)
Dr. James Simon, clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at The George Washington University, is a study co-author.
