Addressing the sensitive topic of anorgasmia, or a woman’s general difficulty experiencing pleasure, is not easy. Reading the many comments on news reports about this topic, one realizes how much criticism is raised, regardless. The purpose of this chapter, however, is not to clarify the many dark sides of this topic, but rather to explore the hypothesis of the involvement of the control mechanism in the broader and more complex dynamics of female orgasmic pleasure. Many women, during a gynecological examination, report having never experienced an orgasm. However, there are no specific tests to determine the cause, and many believe it’s all a mental issue.
According to a 1999 American study, 43% of American women have trouble achieving orgasm. Some researchers have therefore raised a provocative question: if nearly half of women don’t experience it, should anorgasmia be considered a disease?
The term anorgasmia refers to the lack of an orgasmic response, despite adequate sexual stimulation, desire, and arousal. Reaching the peak of sexual pleasure is not always possible for various reasons, and the causes are often multiple. In these cases, we speak of anorgasmia, a term that indicates the difficulty or impossibility of achieving orgasm.
In a 1978 essay by G. Zwang, anorgasmia is distinguished into two different types:
Permanent total anorgasmia: This is the inability to achieve orgasm through deliberate physiological maneuvers, regardless of the erogenous zone stimulated by the partner or the woman herself. Thus defined, the condition appears rare, since many women who self-identify as anorgasmic claim to be unaware of autoerotic experimentation.
Capricious anorgasmia: This is a much more common syndrome. As in men with capricious erections, sexual response may be disrupted depending on circumstances, the partner, or other variables. This syndrome is common in women who have never experienced an orgasm. They are orgasmic in calm situations, but anorgasmic in circumstances that make them feel anxious, even if only vaguely.
This woman may therefore achieve orgasm through masturbation when alone, but not when in the company of a partner. Or she may have orgasms with her husband, with whom she feels absolutely secure, but may be anorgasmic with a lover she idealizes and whose abandonment she fears. Some women who are occasionally anorgasmic can reach orgasm after a period of prolonged and intense stimulation. Some reach orgasm only with the use of a vibrator and oral stimulation (H.S. Kaplan).