Are Breast Orgasms Even a Thing?
Have you ever had a breast orgasm?
A breast orgasm is definitely a thing, and it comes from nipple and breast stimulation alone—no genital touching whatsoever. If the answer is no, that’s totally OK, because these tend to be kinda rare. Just like squirting, this is something that not everybody can do, and it takes practice to get there.
The breasts can provide visual stimulation for a partner, but it would be a big waste of their potential not to touch them, too! Having your breasts touched or squeezed, or your nipples pinched or licked, can be hugely pleasurable experiences in their own right, apart from manual or penetrative sex. Even non-sexual breast massage has the potential to be really pleasurable.
A study from 2006 is pretty illuminating: 82% of women and 52% of men said that breast and nipple stimulation were major turn-ons. On top of that, 78% of women and 39% of men said that breast and nipple stimulation increased their arousal during sex. The point is, among people with breasts, very few people said that they didn’t enjoy some breast and nipple stimulation.
OK, so plenty of people like having their breasts and nipples played with—how many can actually orgasm from that stimulation alone? To consider that potential, we looked at an fMRI study conducted in 2011, which found that sensation from the nipples travels through the nerves to the same part of the brain known as the genital sensory cortex. That means that breast stimulation has some of the same potential as genital stimulation to lead to orgasm! This explains the sensation many women feel that their breasts are somehow directly connected by the nerves to their genitals.
Cis men’s and women’s chests are actually supplied with similar amounts of nerve endings, but in women these are spread throughout the entire breast, which increases the potential for sensitivity. Trans women taking hormones often report a dramatic increase in sensitivity in their breasts. Hormones definitely play a role in all cases, but this increased sensory area is one reason that more women than men report that stimulation in this area is so pleasurable. Women’s breasts can also become larger when aroused, increasing that potential yet again.
With breast orgasms, experimentation and patience are key—even among those able to have them, many say that it’s all about the journey, not the destination. Play around with different types of stimulation—feather-light touches, more assertive squeezes and pinches, even a vibrator—and see where that leads. Overthinking it and trying to force the orgasm won’t work. Arousal is also a very subjective thing, but many say that a make-out session helps to boost their arousal, and may make it more likely that a breast orgasm is in the cards.
Even if you don’t have a breast orgasm, all these are good reasons to pay more attention to the breasts during sex. Don’t think of it as an unobtainable goal—just think of breast and nipple play as another really fun way to experience sexual pleasure 🍐🍐
Images by Tom Wesselmann.
