By Airial Clatney
The difference between male orgasm and ejaculation seems simple right? Orgasm occurs in the brain, while ejaculation is physical response that occurs in the prostate and urethra. Turns out that they don’t always happen together. We’ve been socialized from an early age to assume that they happen together, and that orgasm results in ejaculation. But, it’s really not that simple, because orgasms involve the peripheral nervous system (PNS) and involves involuntary muscular and anal sphincter contractions localized mostly in the groin area.
In one study, brain scans were observed during orgasm, and they looked energetic and epileptic, and were compared to an ‘electrical storm [in the brain]’, that is often followed by ejaculation about 1-3 seconds later. The interesting thing that most people don’t know however, is that you can have a male orgasm without ejaculating, and many male-bodied individuals who have experienced this, report it as being not entirely pleasurable. However, when you consider that there is no loss of erection if you orgasm without ejaculation, having this trick in your toolbox would increase a male bodied individual’s sexual stamina and allow for the experience of multiple orgasms.
Citations:
Dunn, M. E., & Trost, J. E. (1989). Male multiple orgasms: A descriptive study. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 18(5), 377-387.
Hartman, W. E., & Fithian, M. A. (1974). Treatment of sexual dysfunction. American Journal of Family Therapy, 2(1), 68-80.