Girls who can't orgasm can blame it on their genes

Jun 8 2005

Scientists have discovered that an inability in some women to acheive an orgasm may have a genetic cause.

In a study by researchers at St Thomas' Hospital in London it was found that just like heart disease, anxiety and depression, there is a genetic basis to the female orgasm.

The scientists discovered in a study of 1,397 pairs of female twins that between 34 percent and 45 percent of the variation in ability to orgasm can be explained by an underlying genetic variation.

Tim Spector, of the Twin Research Unit at St Thomas says the biological underlying influence cannot be attributed purely to upbringing, religion or race.

Other studies have attributed differences in the ability to achieve orgasm to cultural, religious and psychological factors.

According to Spector, between 12-15 percent of women don't have orgasms compared to about 2 percent of men. Males are also quicker at 2.5 minutes, while the average time it takes for a woman to reach orgasm is 12 minutes.

Spector questions why there this biological difference between the sexes, and says some of it is inherited which suggests that evolution has a role.

He suggests that reaching an orgasm could be a way for women to assess whether a man would make a good long-term partner.

According to some theories it may also increase fertility.

In his study of identical and non-identical twins, Spector and his team found huge variations when they surveyed them about sexual problems.

One in three women, or 32 percent, said they never or infrequently had an orgasm, while 14 percent said they always had an orgasm during intercourse.

The researchers say that more women were able to orgasm during masturbation, with 34 percent always reaching orgasm.

Spector says the frequency of orgasm was higher for identical twins with a partner and by themselves which suggests a clear genetic impact.

He feels that there is something biological which partly explains this large variation between women, and many genes could be involved.

If scientists were able to pinpoint which genes and how they function, it would create the potential for therapies to treat women who cannot reach orgasm.

Spector says orgasm is a very complex process which is poorly understood, anatomical and biological features and psychological factors may all play a part and because it is still a taboo subject little research has been done.