When you have an orgasm, your body goes through a lot of changes. Your heart rate speeds up, your skin might feel (and look) flushed and your genitals fill with blood.
During this peak of sexual arousal, your brain releases a hefty dose of feel-good chemicals such as dopamine and the bonding hormone oxytocin.
Increased Heart Rate and Blood Pressure
While a girl is having an orgasm, her heart rate skyrockets, she may experience full-body sexual blushing (which is why her nipples feel so hot), and her blood pressure rises. This is due to a slew of chemicals being released, including oxytocin and dopamine, that trigger the brain’s reward system.
Her clitoris and vagina also engorge with blood. This is what causes the sensation of tingling. The nipples and other parts of the body become more sensitive to touch, too, especially when an orgasm is coming.
Girls can reach an orgasm through many activities, including physical genital stimulation, reading erotica, watching porn, and touching even non-genital skin. The exact way in which a girl reaches her orgasm is unique to each individual, though, and can change as she gets older. For example, some girls need more than others to get to climax.
Tingling and Sensitivity
Once the arousal begins to kick in, you’ll start to feel tingling all over your body. The feeling is even more pronounced when you’re close to orgasm. This is because blood flow to your genitals increases, which can make them more sensitive and cause the clitoris and labia (the inner and outer lips of your vulva) to swell.
During orgasm, muscles in your vagina, uterus and anus may contract. This might cause some fluid to release from your genitals or lead to ejaculation (release of semen). You’ll also have an orgasm in the G-spot, which is a small area of skin at the base of your anus that can feel bumpy and a little bit like a walnut.
During orgasm, your brain releases massive amounts of hormones and neurotransmitters. These include oxytocin, known as the “love hormone,” and dopamine, which is connected to your reward center. This chemical cocktail causes the intense pleasure you’ll experience during orgasm.
Your Clitoris Swells
A woman’s clitoris, also known as the G-spot or Grafenberg spot (or even “the big O”), can get pretty erect during sexual arousal. During orgasm, it swells up and fills with blood, making your inner labia appear puffy and engorged. Some women will also expel a fluid, or squirt, during orgasm.
Besides the clitoris, there are other erogenous zones in your vagina, like the A-spot or anterior fornix, which is located on the front wall of the vagina just below the cervix. Stimulating this area can also lead to orgasms.
When you orgasm, the muscles throughout your body that were tightened during sexual arousal relax. This is when your body releases those feel-good chemicals we talked about earlier.
Your Inner Labia Separates
When she’s aroused, her clitoris swells and becomes puffy. Her vulva also becomes more symmetrical. It’s normal for one inner lip to be longer than the other or thicker than the other, and it may be more pronounced when she’s orgasming.
Her g-spot — known as the Grafenberg spot or “A spot” — on the top front of her vagina is another erogenous zone that can trigger orgasms. This area of the vulva is bumpy and feels a bit like a walnut.
Labia have dozens of natural variations, and it’s okay for them to be small or large, visible or hidden, lopsided or symmetrical. However, if you have a bump that is painful, itching or burning, you should talk to a clinician. This could be a sign of labial adhesions, which is when your inner labia stick together and don’t open completely to allow urine to pass.
Your Pelvic Floor Contractions
For women, orgasms can occur through many different types of stimulation. It could be physical genital stimulation, watching porn or reading erotica, hearing arousing music or touching even non-genital parts of her body.
During orgasm, muscles throughout her pelvic floor contract and spasm involuntary. The contractions are a result of the walls of her anus, vagina and pubococcygeus muscles tightening, making it feel like the whole area is being squeezed. This pulsing can last anywhere from three seconds to two minutes.
The more toned her pelvic floor muscles are, the stronger her orgasms will be. A good way to strengthen these muscles is to do Kegel exercises. Try to squeeze the muscles for five seconds and then relax them for five. Repeat this a few times. Also, if you have a hard time squeezing them, make sure to do a few extra sets of ten.
Your Skin is Sensitive
You probably didn’t learn much about female orgasms in health class, but they are a totally normal part of the sexual experience. During orgasms, blood flows to the genitals, which can make the skin feel flushed and red. This extra blood flow also helps deliver more oxygen and nutrients to the genital area, which can improve the appearance of your skin.
During an orgasm, the tiny organ called the clitoris, located at the top of the vulva, may swell and enlarge. This gland has a high concentration of nerve endings and is covered by a sheath of skin called the clitoral hood. As you reach climax, the hood pulls back and your inner labia separate, revealing more of this sensitive part of your body.
During an orgasm, your body releases oxytocin, the “cuddle hormone,” which can boost bonding and affection. This could explain why many people who are in healthy relationships report feeling a rush of love when they orgasm.
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