While they’re definitely possible for men though, they’re not that common: A 2016 published review1 found less than 10% of men in their 20s and fewer than 7% of men over 30 reported having experienced multiple orgasms, neuroscientist and certified sex therapist Nan Wise, Ph.D., MSW, tells mbg. “And apparently, male multiple orgasms come in two flavors: ‘sporadic’ multiple orgasms with a few or more minutes in between, and ‘condensed’ multiple orgasms, in which there are bursts of two to four orgasms within a few seconds to a few minutes,” she adds. Wise’s sex-science mentors, Beverly Whipple and Barry Komisaruk, also published a case study2 in 1998 on a gentleman who had six orgasms during a 36-minute period in the lab. Although orgasm and ejaculation often tend to “come” together (pun intended), they’re actually independent physiological events, Wise notes. “Orgasm is the intense experience of transient pleasure often felt as an altered state of consciousness and accompanied by physiological changes, such as elevated heart rate, pupillary dilation, and contractions of muscles,” she says. They can occur with or without ejaculation. “On the other hand, ejaculation is a more straightforward physiological process controlled by the autonomic nervous system with tons of activity of both sensory and motor components,” including the release of semen from the penis. That means you can essentially train yourself to have orgasms without ejaculating and thus have as many non-ejaculatory orgasms as you want in a given sex session. “Practice masturbation, and don’t fall off the cliff (ejaculate),” says Wenzel. She suggests bringing yourself to almost the point of climaxing then stopping, then repeat about five to six times. Solo sex also teaches you your point of no return. “Recognize ejaculatory inevitability before and not after. If on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being climaxing, stop at 9.5,” she adds. (Here’s our full guide to edging.) Practicing edging will help you learn to pay attention to your arousal phases and know what’s going on with your body at any given time. Wise notes that men who report being able to experience multiple orgasms “have discovered this after a rigorous yoga practice, in which they learn how to operate their autonomic nervous systems.” “Remember, neurons that fire together wire together,” says Wise. “When a neuron, or cell in the nervous system, becomes activated along with other neurons, the connections between them are strengthened. As neurons are repeatedly activated together, these pathways strengthen, which is actually the basis of all learning.” For example, Wise suggests gazing into your partner’s eyes to foster feelings of connection and intimacy that can build up your sexual energy. Tapping into surges of pleasure that aren’t all related to stimulating your penis is key to experiencing orgasms without ejaculation. So whether you’re the partner of a person with a penis or a man who wants to expand your own capacity for sexual pleasure, remember that practice makes perfect. Eventually you can master the art of multiple orgasms for men. Mandriota has traveled to a clothing-optional resort in Jamaica, attended sex camp, visited cannabis cafes, tried a liquid vibrator, and spilled her personal dating experiences (read: struggles) on the internet, all in the name of journalism. When she’s not writing, she devotes her time to her passion project Highly Untamed, scoping out the best taco spots, training Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and adventuring around seeking inspiration for new stories. Follow Mandriota on Instagram and Twitter or visit her website to read more.
