Perineal rehabilitation: orgasms more effective than Kegel exercises

Are we about to be prescribed orgasms by prescription to recover after childbirth? If the idea is fun on paper, and unlikely, it is now based on a scientific experiment. According to Indian academics from the TSS Shripad Hegde Kadave Institute of Medical Sciences, orgasms would be very suitable for strengthening the muscles of the pelvic floor during postpartum, and would even obtain better results than traditional Kegel exercises which rely on voluntary contraction and relaxation of the perineum. The study and its findings have been published in The Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Traditional method VS repeated orgasms

The scientists divided 55 women who had recently become mothers into two groups. The first group was instructed to perform daily Kegel exercises to strengthen their pelvic floor, and the second group was instructed to do these same exercises, but also to have regular orgasms. Whether they are reached alone or in pairs was not a parameter retained. These respected the rules since in 6 months of study, the women of the second group each accumulated an average of 56 orgasms (by comparison the women of the first group reported “only” 7 orgasms on average for each) . To test the effectiveness of each method, each woman then measured the strength of her perineum each month, and at the same time answered a questionnaire on sexual satisfaction.

Results ? Both groups experienced improved pelvic floor function and sexual satisfaction over the course of the study. But the group having orgasms saw greater gains in perineal contraction and relaxation, both at the start of the study and at 6 months. Scored out of 3, this score reached 1.7 to 2.55 for them, while it peaked between 0.81 and 2.23 for women who only performed the exercises. The sexual satisfaction survey rated out of 30, ranked aspects such as desire, arousal, lubrication, orgasm and satisfaction. Women who were prescribed regular orgasms scored an average of 22.17, while those on Kegels alone scored just 19.11.

To exercise from the first weeks of postpartum?

Lead author Professor Gajanana Bhat, an expert in urology and sexual health, hailed the results, as “they prove that orgasms can help women recover pelvic floor function after childbirth. We are the first to use this natural orgasm process to improve postpartum pelvic floor muscle strength and sexual function.” did he declare.

“As the first and only study to address this issue, we were able to prove that sexually induced orgasms, if initiated early in the postpartum period, could prove beneficial to the quality of life of these women. “

Be careful, however, not to make these orgasms a must. Health organizations say there is no “time limit” before having sex after having a baby. But for penetrative vaginal sex, it’s important that it doesn’t hurt because the vagina can be sore or scarred for some time after giving birth, the study says. If penetration hurts, couples are advised to engage in other forms of sexual activity.

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