Pelvic Floor Function #1: Sexual
This layer puts the “fun” in functional.
The most superficial layer of pelvic floor muscles is constructed of relatively small muscles that create a triangle around the openings of the vagina and urethra. When they contract, they do a couple things.
First, they help with arousal. They are connected to a little piece of skin over the head of the clitoris called the clitoral hood. When they tighten, they pull this little hood over the sensitive head of the clitoris, contributing to arousal.
Fun fact: did you know that the clitoris is the only organ in the human body that is solely there for pleasure?! It has no other function. Just pleasure. It is analogous to the glans penis, or the head of the penis, but even that is dual functioned since the urethra passes through it. How’s that for some great anatomy?!
Another important fact: most women only have orgasms through clitoral stimulation. There seems to be long standing rumors that you are somehow lacking if you can’t have an orgasm through penetration alone—but if that’s you, you’re NORMAL! The G-spot is kind of an elusive thing that may or may not be real, but most arousal and orgasm do originate at the clitoris.
The second way this layer contributes to pleasure is to bring in blood flow to the genitals. A smooth rhythm of contraction and relaxation brings blood flow in and leads to engorgement. If you ever want a deep dive in to all that goes on in your body during arousal, check out Woman’s Anatomy of Arousalby Sheri Winston. She actually takes you on a tour of your anatomy that includes watching the skin color change at different stages of arousal due to increased blood flow to the labia.
Finally, the one that gets all the attention, is the Big O. During climax, the pelvic floor and uterus contract together to contribute to orgasm. Of course, it’s not just a muscular phenomenon, but they do play a major part. There is a little research that supports pelvic floor strengthening to increase orgasm, and a lot of “tools” to help you do that (for better or worse). It’s important to understand that an orgasm has a large psychological and emotional component as well, though. So kegels are not necessarily The Answer if you’re struggling in this area.
For the muscles to be able to contribute to optimal pleasure during sex, they need to be able to tighten—but they also need to be able to relax. If they are too tight during initial entry, there can be pain. If there are knots in the muscles, they can also cause pain during penetration, orgasm, or after sex, as well as pain with inserting fingers, tampons, and anything else.
There you have it: though they are small muscles, they have a mighty function. Stay tuned for the rest of this series on the Functions of the Pelvic Floor: Sphincters, Support, and Stability.
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