And how do LGB adults rate their orgasms in a relational context?

Abstract

Background: Subjective orgasm experience (SOE) refers to the perception, assessment, and/or sensation of orgasm on a psychological level, with the particularity that the study of SOE in nonheterosexual populations is currently very scarce.

Aim: The study sought to analyze differences in SOE dimensions, comparing the intensity of each adjective of the Orgasm Rating Scale (ORS) and creating a ranking of the adjectives that better represent it in LGB men and women.

Methods: In a sample of 1475 adults organized into 4 groups according to the type of sexual relationships reported, comparisons were made using multivariate analysis of variance and chi-square tests.

Outcomes: Differences were obtained in the intensity of all the SOE dimensions, and in 23 of the 25 ORS adjectives.

Results: Lesbians and bisexual women reported higher intensity in SOE compared with bisexual and gay men.

Clinical implications: Because the ORS has been established as a good tool for detecting orgasmic difficulties in nonheterosexual populations, this study could provide LGBT affirmative psychotherapy with evidence on how these individuals evaluate their orgasms in a relational context.

Strengths and limitations: This study extends prior limited knowledge about how LGB people evaluate their orgasmic experiences in the context of sexual relationships. Despite this, the study poses limitations such as nonprobability sampling or the inclusion of exclusively cisgender and young individuals, making it difficult to generalize the results.

Conclusion: Although significant differences were found between LGB men and women, all groups agree on the adjectives they use to describe the subjective experience of orgasm in the context of sexual relationships; therefore, evidence is provided about how LGB people evaluate their orgasmic experiences in this context.

Keywords: LGB; Orgasm Rating Scale; bisexuals; gays; lesbians; subjective orgasm experience.