August 8th is International Female Orgasm Day. The date was decreed to raise awareness about women’s sexuality, a subject that is still taboo in several countries. There are several versions about the origin of the International Day of the Female Orgasm. Some point out that the date emerged in 2001 thanks to an initiative that took place in the city of Esperantina, Brazil.
That year, the councilman of the Esperantina municipality, José Arimateia Dantas Lacerda, promoted celebrating the day of female orgasm on May 9th in the city through a bill. The municipal chamber approved the mandate to highlight women’s orgasm as a stress relief factor. Over time, several countries joined and the date went from May 9th to August 8th.
In other versions it is explained that the International Day of the Female Orgasm arose in 2006, when Dantas Lacerda became interested in a study carried out at the Federal University of Piauí, in Brazil, on the female orgasm. That research, which was conducted through a survey, concluded that only 28% of women experienced orgasm in a sexual relationship.
The councilman considered that the results demonstrated a serious public health problem and decided to promote a law that promoted the population’s efforts so that women achieve orgasm as a matter of public health. With the decree, he sought that women have the right to externalize the subject without taboos.
What does not change in any of the versions is the purpose of the date, since the International Day of the Female Orgasm was created to defend sexual pleasure in women.
The female orgasm without taboos
The female orgasm is reached when the muscles of the pelvic floor and the vaginal area contract as a result of arousal. Women reach orgasm through the clitoris, the only organ in the human body whose sole function is to provide pleasure. This organ has twice as many nerve endings as the penis: 8 thousand. During sexual intercourse, the clitoris can be extended and feel the stimulation caused to the vaginal walls by penetration. However, such stimulation is not always enough to cause orgasm in women.
Therefore, during the International Day of the Female Orgasm, the importance of masturbation in women is also highlighted. Through this practice they can get to know their body to identify what can lead them to experience an orgasm. In addition, during masturbation, oxytocin is released, which lowers stress levels, helps relaxation, calms pain and strengthens the pelvic floor, among other benefits.
Benefits of orgasm
During orgasm, the body releases endorphins, one of several substances made by the body to relieve pain and give a feeling of well-being. Orgasms also strengthen the immune system and relieve menstrual cramps.
Among other benefits, it is known that with orgasm in the body dopamine is also released, a neurotransmitter that is present in various areas of the brain and that is especially important for the motor function of the organism. This neurotransmitter transmits signals between neurons. It not only controls mental and emotional responses, but also motor reactions.
