Urethral Expulsions During Sensual
Arousal and Bladder Catheterization in Seven Human Females
Chapter 3
RESEARCH ISSUES
FEMALE ORGASM
For the last 50 years modern science has generally accepted first Kinsey’s and then Masters and Johnson’s premise that the clitoris alone was responsible for triggering female orgasm with the pudendal nerve as the sensory pathway. They saw the creation of an “orgasmic platform” which underwent myatonic build-up which was then released during orgasm.43 However, in 1981, Perry and Whipple presented a theory of a second form of orgasm. This “uterine” orgasm “includes the Gräfenberg spot (presumed to be the female prostate) as its major source of stimulation, the pelvic nerve as its major pathway and the musculature of the uterus (in females), the bladder, the urethra, the prostate gland and the proximal portion of the pubococcygeus muscle as its major myatonic manifestation.”44
Singer and Singer go on to describe a blended orgasm which “combines elements of the previous two kinds. ...it is characterized by contractions of the orgasmic platform, but the orgasm is subjectively regarded as deeper than a vulval orgasm.”45
What all of this highlights is how subjective and personal a woman’s experience of orgasm is, and how much there is yet to know about the intricacies of female orgasm, including the emotional and intellectual components. This point was made repeatedly in the comments in the questionnaires of the female subjects (see Appendix A).
In The G Spot and Other Recent Discoveries About Human Sexuality, the authors saw women’s experience of orgasm as not one way or another, correct or incorrect, but as a continuum of experience. They argue that there can be a blending of different types of orgasmic experience unique to the individual.46 One woman who is a participant in the current study has categorized and kept notes on 126 different types of orgasm to date and she is constantly finding new and more subtle variations.
URINARY STRESS INCONTINENCE
Urinary stress incontinence is considered to be a dysfunction of the bladder outlet that leads to the involuntary leakage of urine as intra-abdominal pressure is raised above urethral resistance during such activities as bearing down, coughing, sneezing, bending, or lifting heavy objects. The volume of urine leakage is generally modest at each occurrence and, in uncomplicated cases, post void residual volume is low. Urinary stress incontinence is usually a result of weakness of the muscles of the pelvic floor and/or a weakening of bladder neck supports.47
Urinary stress incontinence during sexual arousal is a poorly understood problem. There have been relatively few studies involving urinary stress incontinence and sexuality. In those there were disagreements whether the diagnosis was, in fact, urinary stress incontinence or related bladder control issues, such as detrusor instability.48
One thing that this researcher has rediscovered during this research project is the reality that much of the world views controversies such as this in an either/or framework. In this instance, one view adopted by the medical science has been that all urethral expulsions during sensual and/or sexual activity were a result of urinary stress incontinence. Another viewpoint, held by women who expel fluid during sensual/sexual arousal and their partners, was that this is a natural expulsion of fluid that does not appear to be urine and might involve a process similar to prostatic ejaculation in males. In reality, both may be the case. A 1985 study done by the New York City Beth Israel Medical Center Department of Urology concluded that, “female ejaculation may have other explanations. These include: (1) an episode of stress incontinence, (2) secretion leakage of variable amounts of fluid from Skene’s glands caused by sexual arousal or orgasm, and (3) mixed expulsion of urine and Skenean secretion.”49
Previous research has clearly shown that the lack of strength of a woman’s pelvic muscles has a correlation to incidents of urinary stress incontinence. Tested on a Perineometer, women diagnosed with urinary stress incontinence usually test in the range of from 0 to 10 mm/Hg.50
Research by Perry and Whipple has shown that female ejaculators “have significantly stronger pubococcygeal muscle contractions and significantly stronger uterine contractions than non-ejaculators.”51 In that study, utilizing the Electronic Perineometer, non-ejaculators had an average reading of 6.71 microvolts, while the ejaculators averaged 11.84 microvolts.52
THE WOMEN SUBJECTS
The problem with conducting this experiment previously has been the unavailability of test subjects who could generate the questioned fluid in a clinical environment. This researcher's access to highly trained women who were capable of achieving the desired result under scrutiny created the opportunity for this unique experiment. All these women are very comfortable with their bodies as well as their sexuality. They also teach other women body awareness along with how to experience more sexual and sensual pleasure including G {Goddess (their terminology)} spot stimulation. They were not chosen to be statistically representative of all women but instead were chosen because, if a urethral expulsion during sensual arousal was possible, these women were the most likely to be able to produce it in a scientific environment.
The age range of the seven female subjects is 41 to 71 with the average age being 49.14 and a median age of 45. They reported having expelled fluid during sensual/sexual activity for an average of seven and two thirds years.
Most of the women subjects reported a preference in type of stimulation to orgasm, multiple orgasm and/or expulsion of fluid. In order, the preferences were: digital, then oral and, finally a combination of those two choices. In terms of penile contact, the majority reported that it only “sometimes” contributes to stimulation to orgasm, multiple orgasm and/or expulsion of fluid.
Five of the seven women subjects reported doing exercises to develop their vaginal muscles and all of those reported increased sexual responsiveness as a result. All reported contracting and/or pushing out with their vaginal muscles during sensual/sexual arousal and/or orgasm. All but one reported pushing out. The effects of this type of training are evident in the videotape record of the experiment.
Results of a pre arousal perineometer test on the current study subjects demonstrated that their average pelvic muscle strength was 26.67 mm/Hg. This was not only significantly higher than the reported average of women in general53 but particularly contrasted with women diagnosed with urinary stress incontinence.54
The experiences of the female subjects in this study provided interesting insights into ways that their body awareness has expanded their personal experience of their sexuality. Following the kind of suggestions made in The G Spot for women to exercise their pubococcygeal muscles, learn breathing techniques and push out rather than contract their muscles at orgasm, the subjects in this study reported that the intensity and duration of their orgasms have increased (see Appendix A).
43. Whipple and Komisaruk, 1991, pg. 230
44. Perry and Whipple, 1981, pg.32
45. Singer and Singer, in Handbook of Sex Therapy, pg. 179
46. Ladas, et al, The G Spot and Other Recent Discoveries About
Human Sexuality, pg. 152.
47. Tanagho and McAninch, Smith's General Urology, pg. 538
48. Khan, pg. 281
49. Khan, pg. 281.
50. Kegel, 1956, pg. 497
51. Perry and Whipple, 1981, pg. 23
52. Ibid., pg. 23
53. Levitt, et al, pg. 429
54. Kegel, 1956, pg. 497