The male refractory period consists of a time period following orgasm that must pass before experiencing another orgasm. An orgasm is a series of muscular contractions of the pelvic floor muscles occurring at the peak of sexual arousal (Crooks and Baur, 2008). Only men have a refractory period, whereas women who can have multiple orgasms. Speculation about why men have a refractory period has to do with some kind of neurological inhibitory mechanism that is kicked in after ejaculation.
This essay will discuss the male refractory period and why this happens along with my own opinion on why men’s and women’s sexual response vary from one another. This waiting period is when the body restores its energy before it can once again become aroused. There are different explanations to why males experience this; one speculation is directed towards a neurological inhibitory mechanism activated by ejaculation. Researchers believed that certain chemical pathways between the midbrain and the hypothalamus were the root to this inhibition problem.
To test this, they used rats as their subject and destroyed a pathway in the brainstem, known as the ventral medial lemniscus. In another group, they surgically eliminated three additional areas in the rats. Results concluded that the elimination of the ventral medial lemniscus had a dramatic effect on refractory periods (175). The male refractory period is one of the most significant differences in sexual responses between sexes.
I think the reason why males have this cycle and why women can experience multiple orgasms comes down to reproduction and our genetic makeup. The biological objective of an erection is injecting sperm into an ovulating woman in order to reproduce. Therefore, once ejaculation they need time to build up there sperm count to achieve a greater fertility rate. I also believe women can have multiple orgasms because it makes the muscles contract throughout the body, especially in the vagina and uterus.
Thus, helping the sperm reach the uterus and into the fallopian tubes. However, everything comes down to biological engineering. In conclusion, everyone’s sexual response is different. Some women have orgasms and others don’t. Research has shown that an area in the brain is the reason behind not being able to climax within a short period of time like women can. I believethese differences exist because of reproduction success.
