The Big O, coming, le petit mort, climaxing, however you want to call it, orgasms. Not only do they come in many different names, there are also different types of orgasms. 

So what exactly is an orgasm? Orgasms are sometimes defined as the fourth stage of a sexual encounter (anticipation, excitement, plateau, orgasm, resolution).  One definition is that an orgasm is a pleasurable release of sexual tension.

Orgasming is often marked by a series of physical sensations, including:

• involuntary release of muscle tension
• series of muscular contractions
• verbal and auditory emissions of pleasure
• increased heart and breathing rate

However, there is not a singular and widely agreed-upon definition of orgasm, namely because this experience differents from person to person and depends on how the climax is reached.

Clitoral orgasm

These orgasms are experienced on the surface of the body, like an intense tingly feeling that reaches out from your clitoris, all over the body. 

Vaginal orgasm

This is where it gets interesting. Vaginal orgasms are also caused clitorally; the clitoris is way bigger than what you see on the surface, the majority of this organ is located inside your body and can also be stimulated from the inside. These orgasms are deeper and result in pulsations of the vaginal canal walls. When the G-spot is stimulated, female ejaculation can be caused. 

Anal orgasm

An anal orgasm is achieved by stimulation of high-density nerve spots in the anus. However, in this case also, the clitoris is partially responsible for this sensation; the legs of the clitoris extend all the way back into the the anus. Furthermore, there are shared nerves from the anterior wall of the rectum to the vagina so sexual arousal can also occur from anal stimulation. 

Combined orgasm

This type of orgasm is reached when the vagina and the clitoris are stimulated simultaneously. It tends to result in a more explosive orgasm; experienced inside and on the surface of the body, also described as full body trembles and tremors. 

Erogenous orgasm

When stimulating other, highly sensitive parts of the body, this can result in a pleasurable release when touched, kissed or played with. These areas differ from person to person, it can be the nipples or ears, the neck or lower back or something totally different depending on whatever feels extra good for you. 

Convulsing orgasm

A twitching or fluttering sensation of the pelvic floor occurs when having a convulsing orgasm and is caused by the pelvic floor muscles convulsing over and over again really quickly. This type of orgasm is reached after a long buildup, for example by edging; postponing the orgasm a few times so that when you finally give into the orgasm it is much more intense. 

In the end, the principle of reaching an orgasm is more or less the same despite what kind of orgasm you are going for: directed, continuous stimulation in one area. You might not have experienced all of these orgasms yet or even any at all. Most important in your sexual exploration is that you take the time to get to know your body and what it does and doesn't like before even being able to reach any kind of orgasm. 

No Nut November is an internet hype surrounding abstinence, with mostly male participants abstaining from masturbating or having an orgasm in the month of November. You can't cum for a whole month.

This is a loaded subject within sexology. It doesn't fit with the idea that you should be free with sex. It is healthy to have the freedom to have sex if you want to. Needing to stop with having sex or masturbation versus being addicted to one or either of them can be related to a difficult relationship with sex. Both are a form of compulsive behaviour. 

In addition, the positive effects of abstinence have not been demonstrated. On the contrary, the positive effects of regular sexual arousal and orgasms have been shown for body, mind and relationships.

Perhaps the positive effects that people report from No Nut November come from breaking ingrained behavioural patterns. Compare it to going on holiday: then you experience everything differently and often more intensely than when you are back at home (that delicious wine from that winegrower suddenly no longer tastes as special as in the sun on a terrace on vacation). Or the positive feeling that taking a different route to work can give you.

Basically it comes down to the fact that it is not known what No Fap or No Nut November does to you. What we do know is that it is healthy not to engage in sex compulsively. Compulsive sex or masturbation isn't nice, but compulsively trying to restrain yourself isn't necessary either.

If you wish to savour the moment when you are having sex or masturbating more or intensify the overall experience then there might be some other things to try: 

Prolonging foreplay

Foreplay is a crucial part in getting properly aroused but often overlooked or even completely ignored. Teasing yourself or your partner by simply touching different erogenous zones without going all the way immediately could help build the sexual tension and result in a more intense experience during intercourse or masturbation. 

Edging

When you enter the stage of having sex with yourself or your partner, edging, peaking or surfing is a sexual technique that involves controlling an orgasm. It involves maintaining a high level of sexual arousal for an extended period of time without reaching a climax. This way, when you eventually give in to having an orgasm the overall experience is much more intense. 

One product that might help prolong your experience is the Delay Gel from Aia*. This gel feels refreshing and the slightly cooling effect can help delay the climax and make you last longer. The product absorbs quickly into the skin and has a caring effect.

Pornography is a male-dominated industry that primarily targets male audiences. Scenes in movies often focus on men's pleasure and depict women as objects of male lust and desire. 

That makes a new finding somewhat ironic. According to a large study conducted over three years by Nicolas Sommet, a senior researcher at the LIVES Centre of the University of Lausanne, and Jacques Berent, a researcher and lecturer in social psychology at the University of Geneva, pornography leads to decreased sexual performance for men and increased sexual performance for women.

Reviewing the data, the researchers found that the more men reported watching pornography (on a vague, eight-point scale from “never” to “very often”), the lower they rated their sexual competence and their sexual functioning, as determined by factors like desire, arousal, and ability to reach orgasm. In addition, their female partners also reported decreased sexual satisfaction as men's porn use increased.

The situation was markedly reversed for women. Women who watched more pornography reported greater sexual competence and functioning compared to women who watched less.

There are a few explanations for these contrasting effects:

• For starters men actually compare themselves with the actors shown in the movies and women don't. 
• Men and women may be watching different types of pornography; prior research suggested that men actually watch hardcore and fetish-related porn, whereas women watch more soft-porn and women friendly (porna) movies.
• Men also tend to watch porn more often than women; 'very often' for men could mean every day, while for women it might mean watching pornography one or two times a week. 
• And at last, society tends to encourage teen boys and young men to explore their sexuality and have many sexual relationships whereas women are expected to act indifferent towards men in relation to sex. For women porn could help break these taboos, raising their self-confidence and teaching them to prioritise their own sexual pleasure. 

 Not a fan of watching porn? There are many alternatives: audio and written stories are also widely available. Get in the mood or get inspired ;)

The severe shortage of baby food in the United States has not yet been solved, but American consumers already face a new problem: in many states, tampons have been hard to find for weeks; a series of supply chain issues has left tampon shelves virtually empty.

Dana Marlowe, the founder of I Support the Girls, which provides bras and menstrual hygiene for people experiencing homelessness, confirmed this phenomenon within her organisation with a big drop in tampon donations. 

Marlowe received about half as many tampons the first six months of this year compared to the same time last year. 

The American magazine Time published an article two weeks ago about the deficit, which has been increasing in recent months. The leading tampon manufacturer in the United States, Procter & Gamble, initially blamed the problem on commercials starring comedienne Amy Schumer. Because of those commercials, the popularity of their brand Tampax increased considerably.

However, that does not explain why other tampon brands are often sold out, Time wrote. It is now clear that Procter & Gamble, which makes half of all tampons sold in the US, is struggling with major supply chain problems.

Expensive cotton, no staff

The company recently informed shareholders that it is difficult to obtain materials to make tampons. These include cotton, rayon (viscose) and plastic for packaging - raw materials that almost all have to come from Asia and Europe. Shipping these raw materials is currently expensive and time-consuming due to a shortage of sea containers and port employees. In the US itself, there is also a major shortage of truck drivers to supply stores.

Edgewell, another major tampon manufacturer in the US, says in US media that it has a staff shortage at the factory that makes ob tampons. More workers are not readily available: Under US law, tampons are a medical product and therefore only specifically trained employees are allowed to work in the factory.

Drugstore chains CVS and Walgreens confirmed to the New York Times earlier this month that they have tampon shortages in their stores. Procter & Gamble told the newspaper that the shortages are only "temporary", but could not say how long women will stand in front of almost empty shelves. Some media report that customers are now hoarding tampons.

Due to the scarcity and the increasing prices for raw materials, tampons in the US are now about 10 percent more expensive than a year ago, says market researcher NielsenIQ. US Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan has written a letter calling on manufacturers not to charge extortionate prices for tampons and to solve the shortages as soon as possible.

Desperate times call for (not so) desperate measures

Thankfully there are safe alternatives to tampon such as: pads, menstrual cups and period underwear, you might actually want to replace your tampons for good with these alternatives. Here's why: 

• In the United States, tampons are categorised as “medical devices” by the government. This means that the ingredients of this product don't need to be listed anywhere on the product or fully disclosed by the brands that sell them.
• The ingredients can be quite harmful; the bestselling tampons in the drug stores are made of chemicals, pesticides and other toxins. 
• You catch the risk of an infection when you don't use the tampon properly; your vagina is like a sponge, it will absorb pretty much anything that you put in there, if you end up leaving your tampon up there for too long you it can result into yeast infections, bacterial vaginosis, TSS or another type of infection. 
• And to top it off, periods have a huge impact on the environment. It is because of the products (often cotton-based which takes a lot of water to grow) and because of how we dispose them; these popular commercial products are often disposables and for single use, so imagine the amount of waste this involves. 

Do your own research, but take into consideration some of these alternatives; not only will is it safer to use, it will also spare you some money and do the environment good. 

Vagina + dabbing = vabbing. This latest trend has been taking over TikTok and people swear by it when it comes to attracting a partner. 

But wat is it? When vabbing, you insert your finger into your vagina and 'dab' it onto your wrists and behind your ears. Now you might be wondering why someone would consider doing that, to explain this we need to look at the phenomenon called: pheromones.

Pheromones are chemical substances that are released outside of the body in fluids like urine and sweat. Pheromones are in a way a form of communication; it has the ability to attract other individuals for different reasons. 

Due to research, it is confirmed that pheromones do exist in animals, however it is very uncertain if they actually exist in humans. Studies in the 1970s did publish findings that so-called pheromones were involved in “period-syncing” — the idea that people who live together or spend a lot of time together start to menstruate at the same time.

Another theory is based around two closely related steroids — androstenone and androstadienone — they’re thought to have pheromonal effects, according to certain researchers. Both steroids have been found to be of positive influence on a female's mood: Androstadienone may also boost sexual desire and arousal in certain context for women. 

Pheromones are an incredibly interesting field. But right now, the evidence is too weak to state that humans have them. However, there’s a chance that rubbing vaginal secretions can entice someone who’s already intrigued by your natural scent.

If in any case you want to try vabbing to find out it it works for you, make sure to take the following points into account:

• Make sure you are free of any STD's or other vaginal infections.
• Wash your hands before, and after vabbing. 

And if all fails, perfume is always a nice touch ;)