Sex

Goal-Oriented Sex: If You Don’t Have An Orgasm, Is The Sex “Bad”?

Fairly recently on the site, one of our amazing writers, Shellie R. Warren penned a piece entitled, “So, 10 Women Sat Down And Told Me Why They Fake Orgasms...More Times Than Not.” The article sheds light on the fact that while we are very pro-orgasms at xoNecole, there are women out there who really feel the need to "fake it" during sex for one reason or another. When we shared this on our Instagram shortly thereafter, the general consensus in the comments seemed to be a lot of “sorry to this woman,” which is fair.

However, what intrigued me most about the feedback was the fact that so many commenters equated a lack of having an orgasm during sex to “bad sex.” Now, how the hell did those two things become one and the same?

Sex educator Portia Brown echoes that sentiment. In her teachings, she often informs people of how to replace goal-oriented sex with a more mindful approach to sex where pleasure is the center (or pleasure-oriented sex). And yes, ladies and gentlemen, making having an orgasm the goal of sex is a very limited way of looking at an act where mutual pleasure should be at the center.

Learn What Goal-Oriented Sex Is

“Goal-oriented sex is sex that centers orgasm(s) as the ultimate marker of success. Oftentimes people believe that sex cannot be ‘good’ unless it results in an orgasm. However, the truth is you can have very fulfilling sex that does not include an orgasm, and you can have unfulfilling sexual experiences that do include an orgasm.

“For women and people with vulvas, focusing on orgasming may result in orgasm becoming evasive. It serves us all more (regardless of gender or sex) to focus in on pleasure and feeling good.”

Unlearn The Concept Of Goal-Oriented Sex In Your Sex Life

“Start self-pleasuring and having sex without the intention of orgasming. See if you can spend 15-30 minutes engaging either with yourself or your partner without even worrying about [or] trying to orgasm. Focus solely on pleasure and how amazing you feel. Observe what comes up for you. I think you may find that sex has a lot more benefits than just orgasm.”

Practice Being Less In Your Head During Sex & More In The Moment

“All day long, our brains are making noise and distracting us, it is just what the brain does. If you find that you have a lot of distracting thoughts or if you feel you are ‘in your head’ during sex, check in with other parts of your life. Are you having the same struggles elsewhere? Try gently reminding yourself, ‘This is my brain doing its thing and making noise. My thoughts aren’t facts and my thoughts aren’t always relevant.’

"Breathe deeply and focus on your senses. With practice, focusing and being present becomes easier."

View Sex As A Co-Creative Experience Instead 

“We all have a ‘script’ that we follow when it comes to sex. This ‘script’ comes from media, porn, etc. When we co-create sex, we reject ‘the script’ and create our own experiences.

“We begin to discover the kind of sex we truly want to have with ourselves and our partners, which may mean:

  • Decentering penetrative sex;
  • Decentering orgasm;
  • Including toys, roleplay, other props;
  • Rejecting the concept of ‘foreplay’ and thinking of anything and everything as SEX.”

Understand That Nothing Is Wrong With You

"We live in a world where sex is all about the penis. The vulva and the clitoris are hardly ever centered in the way we are conditioned to have sex. Most of us do not have proper sex education and many of us are carrying sexual shame from our upbringings. There are a lot of things standing between you and your orgasm, so do not feel bad!

"Focus on exploring pleasure more (solo and with your partner), center honesty, and BREATHE! Breathing during sex is powerful and many of us have the habit of holding our breath and tensing up during sex."

Featured image by Getty Images

From Your Site Articles
Related Articles Around the Web
ALSO ON XONECOLE