Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Archives of Sexual Behavior https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-019-01527-7 ORIGINAL PAPER When Orgasms Do Not Equal Pleasure: Accounts of “Bad” Orgasm Experiences During Consensual Sexual Encounters Sara B. Chadwick 1  · Miriam Francisco 2  · Sari M. van Anders 3,4 Received: 29 March 2019 / Revised: 16 July 2019 / Accepted: 24 July 2019 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2019 Abstract Orgasms during consensual sex are often assumed to be wholly positive experiences. This assumption overshadows the possibil- ity that orgasm experiences during consensual sex could be “bad” (i.e., negative and/or non-positive). In the present study, we employed an online survey to explore the possibility that orgasm experiences could be “bad” during consensual sex by asking participants of diverse gender and sexual identities (N = 726, M age = 28.42 years, SD = 7.85) about a subset of potential bad orgasm experiences. Specifcally, we asked participants whether they have ever had an orgasm during coerced sex, compliant sex, and/or when they felt pressured to have an orgasm (i.e., orgasm pressure). We also asked participants who had such an experience to describe it, resulting in qualitative descriptions from 289 participants. Using mixed quantitative and qualitative analyses, we found compelling evidence that orgasm experiences can be “bad” during consensual sex. Specifcally, many partici- pants described their experiences in negative and/or non-positive ways despite orgasm occurrence, reported that their orgasms were less pleasurable compared to other experiences, and suggested that their orgasm experiences had negative impacts on their relationships, sexuality, and/or psychological health. Participants also suggested that social location shaped their bad orgasm experiences, citing gender and sexual identity, gender identity confict, race/ethnicity, and religion as important to their percep- tions of and responses to their experiences. Results directly challenge the assumption that orgasms during consensual sex are always and/or unilaterally positive experiences. Keywords Orgasm · Gender · Sexual pressure · Coercion · Compliance · Feminist science Introduction Orgasm is considered by many to be the most satisfying aspect of sex. It is similarly described by women and men as a rush of intense, explosive, and sexual pleasure, and it is often char- acterized as the ultimate peak and resolution of sexual activ- ity (Vance & Wagner, 1976). As such, orgasms are generally assumed to be wholly positive experiences that all individuals should achieve, or at least try to. Accordingly, a deluge of media messages encourages women and men to pursue better, more frequent, and more mind-blowing orgasmic experiences as a way to improve their sex lives, maintain relationship satisfac- tion, and promote overall well-being (Attwood, 2005; Barker, Gill, & Harvey, 2018; Frith, 2015; Lavie-Ajayi & Jofe, 2009; Opperman, Braun, Clarke, & Rogers, 2014). Orgasm’s association with positive, successful sex is cer- tainly connected to notions of physical pleasure; but, decades of scientifc and medical research have also promoted positive portrayals of orgasm through assessments of orgasm in rela- tion to psychological, physical, and spiritual health. For exam- ple, Freud’s (1905) assertion that women’s vaginal orgasms represent sexual maturity (and that clitoral orgasms represent immaturity) promoted the notion that women’s vaginal orgasm occurrence aligned with psychological health. Orgasm absence in general, and absence of vaginal orgasm specifcally, indicated psychological disorder (Freud, 1905). In contrast, Masters and Johnson’s (1966, 1970) work associated orgasm occurrence regardless of vaginal or clitoral, with normal physiological functioning for women and men. However, they did so by * Sari M. van Anders sva5@queensu.ca 1 Departments of Psychology and Women’s Studies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA 2 Department of English, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA 3 Departments of Psychology, Gender Studies, and Neuroscience, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada 4 Department of Psychology, Queen’s University, Humphrey Hall, 61 Arch Street, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada