Orgasm: New advances in the science of sex

By Martin Kretzmann
Plebius Press

Recent research shows how the science of sex is set to transform the lives of people around the world. In line with theories of the evolutionary origins of romantic love, a study conducted by researchers at the University of New England found that orgasms lead to increased love in the brains of study participants. In other research, a doctor has reportedly created a device that is able to induce orgasms in females who have reported never having one before.

Dr. Stuart Meloy, creator of the 'orgasmatron' stumbled upon the finding accidentally while testing a device to help in pain reduction. "When we turned on the power in this case, [the participant] let out a moan and began hyperventilating," Meloy said on ABC's Good Morning America.

Another company is reporting having created a device, Slightest Touch, that is supposed to help induce orgasm by stimulating the ankles with an electric current. However, skeptics abound. Dr. Stephen Barrett, who runs QuackWatch disagrees that stimulating the ankles electrically can induce orgasms.

Barrett said to Wired News, "I can't imagine how that would have anything to do with stimulating the pudendal nerve. That's nuts. That's bullshit. You're not going to stimulate anything in the pelvis by stimulating the ankle."

Dr. Stuarts device, however, requires surgical implantation in the spine, where nerves are stimulated with an electrode. One study participant told ABC News that "Once we found the controls, what caused the stimulation to be greater … more pleasurable, that's when I saw the results. I did have orgasm, and there were a couple of times that I had multiple orgasms because of the stimulator."

But what of the relationship of the orgasm and love? According to O'Brien, orgasm occurs in the right hemisphere, whereas the euphoria associated with Bipolar Disorder occurs in the left hemisphere.

"Many people have to take mood stabilising drugs and they often interfere with orgasm. But we can't test them before marketing because we don't know what should be happening, therefore we can't tell if it's not happening," O'Brien told ABC Online. The suggestion is for drug companies to know the effects on orgasm when they market their drugs. It would be counter-productive to produce a drug, such as an antidepressant that reduces orgasm function, when orgasm can help improve our moods.

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