Measuring sperm backflow following female orgasm: a new method

• Published in: Socioaffective neuroscience & psychology Vol. 6; no. 1; pp. 31927 - 13
• Main Authors: King, Robert, Dempsey, Maria, Valentine, Katherine A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01-01-2016; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Co-Action Publishing
• Subjects: Adaptation; Animal behavior; Evolution; Female Orgasm; Females; Fertility; Goldberg, Reuben Lucius (Rube) (1883-1970); Infertility; Insuck; Orgasm: Neurophysiological, Psychological, and Evolutionary s; Physiology; Prostate; Retention; Sperm; Sperm Retention; New York; Scotland; Edinburgh Scotland; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Evolution; Insuck; Female Orgasm; Sperm Retention; Fertility
• ISSN: 2000-9011; 2000-9011
• DOI: 10.3402/snp.v6.31927

Human female orgasm is a vexed question in the field while there is credible evidence of cryptic female choice that has many hallmarks of orgasm in other species. Our initial goal was to produce a proof of concept for allowing females to study an aspect of infertility in a home setting, specifically by aligning the study of human infertility and increased fertility with the study of other mammalian fertility. In the latter case - the realm of oxytocin-mediated sperm retention mechanisms seems to be at work in terms of ultimate function (differential sperm retention) while the proximate function (rapid transport or cervical tenting) remains unresolved.
A repeated measures design using an easily taught technique in a natural setting was used. Participants were a small (n=6), non-representative sample of females. The introduction of a sperm-simulant combined with an orgasm-producing technique using a vibrator/home massager and other easily supplied materials.
The sperm flowback (simulated) was measured using a technique that can be used in a home setting. There was a significant difference in simulant retention between the orgasm (M=4.08, SD=0.17) and non-orgasm (M=3.30, SD=0.22) conditions; t (5)=7.02, p=0.001. Cohen's d=3.97, effect size r=0.89. This indicates a medium to small effect size.
This method could allow females to test an aspect of sexual response that has been linked to lowered fertility in a home setting with minimal training. It needs to be replicated with a larger sample size.