The refractory period: What to know, and can you shorten it?

The refractory period is the span of time after having an orgasm during which a person is not sexually responsive. The refractory period can have both ... HealthConditionsHealthConditionsAlzheimer's&DementiaAnxietyArthritisAsthma&AllergiesBreastCancerCancerCardiovascularHealthCOVID-19Dermatology&SkincareDiabetesEnvironment&SustainabilityExercise&FitnessEyeHealthHeadache&MigraineHealthEquityHIV&AIDSHumanBiologyInflammatoryBowelDiseaseLeukemiaLGBTQIA+Men'sHealthMentalHealthMultipleSclerosis(MS)NutritionParkinson'sDiseasePsoriasisSexualHealthWomen'sHealthDiscoverNewsLatestNewsOriginalSeriesMedicalMythsHonestNutritionThroughMyEyesNewNormalHealthPodcastsWhatisbehindvaccinehesitancy?TheamazingstoryofhepatitisC,fromdiscoverytocureNewdirectionsindementiaresearchCanpsychedelicsrewireadepressed,anxiousbrain?WhyclimatechangemattersforhumanhealthWhatdoesthelatestresearchsayaboutmultiplesclerosis?ToolsGeneralHealthDrugsA-ZHealthHubsHealthToolsBMICalculatorsandChartsBloodPressureChart:RangesandGuideBreastCancer:Self-ExaminationGuideSleepCalculatorHealthProductsAffordableTherapyOptionsBloodPressureMonitorsDiabeticSuppliesFitnessTrackersHomeGymsGreenCleaningProductsHowtoShopforCBDQuizzesRAMythsvsFactsType2Diabetes:ManagingBloodSugarAnkylosingSpondylitisPain:FactorFictionConnectAboutMedicalNewsTodayWhoWeAreOurEditorialProcessContentIntegrityConsciousLanguageNewslettersSignUpFollowUsMedicalNewsTodayHealthConditionsDiscoverToolsConnectSubscribeWhatistherefractoryperiod,andcanyoureduceit?MedicallyreviewedbyJanetBrito,Ph.D.,LCSW,CST—ByZawnVillinesonMay21,2020WhathappensMalesFemalesChangesovertimeOtherfactorsReductionSummaryTherefractoryperiodisthespanoftimeafterhavinganorgasmduringwhichapersonisnotsexuallyresponsive.Therefractoryperiodcanhavebothmentalandphysiologicaleffects.Duringtherefractoryperiod,apersonmightloseinterestinsex,ortheymightnotbeabletohavesex.Itmaynotbepossibleforapersontogetanerection,ejaculate,ororgasm.Scientistshavethoroughlydocumentedtherefractoryperiodinmales.Infemales,therefractoryperiodismorecontroversial.Whathappensintherefractoryperiod? ShareonPinterestDuringtherefractoryperiod,apersonmaytemporarilyloseinterestinsex.Doctorsdefinetheresolutionstageofsexaswhenapersonfeelssatisfied,usuallyfollowingorgasmor,inthecaseofmales,ejaculation.Therefractoryperiodoccursaftertheresolutionstage.Duringtherefractoryperiod,amalecannotgetanerection.Thistypeofresponseisaphysiologicalrefractoryperiod,meaningapersonisphysicallyunabletohavesexagain.Unlikemales,manyfemalescanhavemultipleorgasms,suggestingtheydonotusuallyexperienceaphysiologicalrefractoryperiod.Additionally,afemale’sgenitalsmayremainlubricatedaftersexualactivityevenifshenolongerfeelsaroused,makingsexualintercourseeasier.However,bothmalesandfemalescanexperienceapsychologicalrefractoryperiod.Thispsychologicaltypehappenswhenapersondoesnotwanttohavesexagain.Theymayfeelsatisfiedandprefertoavoidimmediatesexualcontact.Somepeoplealsofeeltiredduringthisperiod.Brainimagingstudiessuggestthatthecycleofasexualresponsefollowsasimilarpatterntootherpleasurableactivities.Itbeginswithintensifyingdesire,culminatesinsatisfyingthatdesire,andconcludeswithdecreaseddesire.RefractoryperiodformalesDuringtherefractoryperiod,amaleisunabletogetanerectionorejaculateagain.Thisphysiologicalresponseusuallyaccompaniesapsychologicalrefractoryperiod,duringwhichthepersonfeelsuninterestedinsex.Thelengthoftherefractoryperiodvariesgreatlyfrompersontoperson,fromafewminutesto24hours,orlonger.Researchersdonotfullyunderstandwhatcausestherefractoryperiodorwhyitvariessomuchindurationfrompersontoperson.Additionally,notallmaleshavearefractoryperiod.Anolder2002reportona25-year-oldmalewhodidnotexperienceanyrefractoryperiodfoundthathedidnotsecretethehormoneprolactinafterejaculating,asmostmalesdo.Thisfindingsuggeststhatprolactinmayplayaroleindeterminingwhetheramalecanhavemultipleorgasms.However,asthiswasasmallstudy,andfemalesalsoproducemoreprolactinafterorgasm,researchersneedtocontinueinvestigating.Similarly,somemalesfindthattheycanorgasmwithoutejaculating,allowingthemtohavemultiple“dry”orgasmsandnorefractoryperiod.RefractoryperiodforfemalesWhilesomefemalesloseinterestinsexualactivityafteranorgasm,theyareusuallyphysicallyabletoengageinsexualactivityagain.However,somewomendoreportaphysiologicalrefractoryperiod.Onestudyfrom2009showedthatafterorgasm,afemale’sclitoriscanbecometoosensitivetocontinuesexualactivity.Outof174females,96%reportedthissymptom,andmanydidnotwanttohavesexagainasaresult.Mostoftheresearchintorefractoryperiodstodatehasfocusedonmales,soscientistsknowmuchlessaboutthefemaleresponse.Scientistswillneedtoconductmoreresearchtounderstandagreatervarietyofperspectives.ChangeswithageSexualfunctiontendstodeclinewithage.Peoplemayneedlongertogetbothphysicallyandpsychologicallyarousedastheygrowolder.Theymayalsoneedlongertorecoverfromsex,whichmaymeanamoreextendedrefractoryperiod.Therefractoryperiodapersonhaswhentheyareyoungwillalsodeterminehowitchangesastheyage.Someonewithalongrefractoryperiodasateenagermayfinditcontinuestogetlongerovertime.FactorsaffectingtherefractoryperiodManyfactorscaninfluencethelengthoftherefractoryperiod,including:aperson’soverallhealthrelationshipqualityqualityofsexfrequencyofsexDopamineplaysakeyroleduringsex.Areviewoftheresearchsuggeststhatdopaminelevelsmayinfluencewhetheramalecangetanerection.However,thereviewalsonotesthattoomuchdopaminecouldcausesexualhealthproblemsaswell.Someofthesameactivitiesthatimproveoverallhealth,suchasexercise,mayhelpregulatedopaminelevels.Otherpleasurableactivitiesmayalsoboostdopamine,suchasdoingsomethingnew,enjoyableconversation,ormasteringanewchallenge.Scientistsdonotcompletelyunderstandtheconnectionbetweendopaminelevelsandtherefractoryperiod.Reducingtherefractoryperiod Theinternetoffersplentyofadviceabouthowtoshortentherefractoryperiod.Whilemessageboardstrategiesmayworkforsomepeople,thereisusuallylittleresearchtoprovetheywork.Thesamestrategiesthatimproveoverallhealthmayboostsexualhealth.Cardiovascularhealth,inparticular,correlateswithsexualhealth.Apersonwhowantstoimprovetheiroverallwellbeingandsexualfunctioncantry:doingcardiovascularexercise,suchaswalking,running,oraerobicsmaintainingahealthybodyweighteatinganutrient-densediettreatingormanagingunderlyinghealthconditions,suchasdiabetesSomepeopletrypelvicfloorexercisestotryandshortentherefractoryperiod.PeoplerefertotheseexercisesasKegelsorpelvicfloormuscletraining(PFMT).Sofar,noresearchexiststoprovethatPFMTwillshortentherefractoryperiod.However,itmayimprovesexualfunctionmoregenerallyinmalesandfemales.TotryPFMT,apersonshouldtensethemusclestheyusetourinate,holdforafewseconds,release,andrepeat.Someresearchhasfoundthaterectiledysfunctionmedicationmightshortentherefractoryperiodformales.Asmall,older2003placebo-controlledtrialfoundthat40%ofmalesparticipantsreportedasignificantreductionintherefractoryperiodwhentheyusedsildenafil(Viagra).Just13.3%ofplacebousersexperiencedasimilarreduction.However,another2005placebo-controlled,double-blindstudyfoundthatViagradidnotshortentherefractoryperiod.Summary Therefractoryperiodvariesfrompersontoperson.Whiletherefractoryperiodtendstoincreasewithage,otherfactorsmayinfluencethetimeapersoncannothavesexagain,suchastheircardiovascularhealth.Peoplecantryeasytechniques,suchasPFMTiftheywishtoshortentherefractoryperiod,butitisunclearifthiscanhelp.Adoctorortherapistspecializinginsexualhealthmaysuggestotherstrategiestoimproveoverallsexualfunction.LastmedicallyreviewedonMay21,2020Men'sHealthSexualHealth/STDsWomen'sHealth/Gynecology14sourcescollapsedMedicalNewsTodayhasstrictsourcingguidelinesanddrawsonlyfrompeer-reviewedstudies,academicresearchinstitutions,andmedicaljournalsandassociations.Weavoidusingtertiaryreferences.Welinkprimarysources—includingstudies,scientificreferences,andstatistics—withineacharticleandalsolistthemintheresourcessectionatthebottomofourarticles.Youcanlearnmoreabouthowweensureourcontentisaccurateandcurrentbyreadingoureditorialpolicy.Calabrò,R.S.,etal.(2019).Neuroanatomyandfunctionofhumansexualbehavior:Aneglectedorunknownissue?https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/brb3.1389Cohen,D.,etal.(2016).Theroleofpelvicfloormusclesinmalesexualdysfunctionandpelvicpain[Abstract].https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2050052115000025Ekmekçioğlu,O.,etal.(2005).Effectsofsildenafilcitrateonejaculationlatency,detumescencetime,andrefractoryperiod:Placebo-controlled,double-blind,crossoverlaboratorysettingstudy.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15708051Ferreira,C.H.J.,etal.(2015).Doespelvicfloormuscletrainingimprovefemalesexualfunction?Asystematicreview[Abstract].https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00192-015-2749-yGeorgiadis,J.R.,etal. (2012).Thehumansexualresponsecycle:Brainimagingevidencelinkingsextootherpleasures[Abstract].https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301008212000718Haake,P.,etal.(2002).Absenceoforgasm-inducedprolactinsecretioninahealthymulti-orgasmicmalesubject.https://www.nature.com/articles/3900823Humphreys,A.K.,&Cioe,J.(2009).Reconsideringtherefractoryperiod:Anexploratorystudyofwomen'spost-orgasmicexperiences.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288131749_Reconsidering_the_refractory_period_An_exploratory_study_of_women%27s_post-orgasmic_experiencesHeijnen,S.,etal.(2015).Neuromodulationofaerobicexercise:Areview.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4703784/"Isitnormal,doc?"Fivechangesallmenexperienceastheyage.(n.d.).https://www.towerurology.com/2017/10/05/normal-doc-five-changes-men-experience-age/Krüger,T.H.C.,etal. (2003).Effectsofacuteprolactinmanipulationonsexualdriveandfunctioninmales.https://www.researchgate.net/publication/8976121_Effects_of_acute_prolactin_manipulation_on_sexual_drive_and_function_in_malesMondaini,N.,etal.(2003).Sildenafildoesnotimprovesexualfunctioninmenwithouterectiledysfunctionbutdoesreducethepostorgasmicrefractorytime.https://www.nature.com/articles/3901005Nascimento,E.R.,etal. (2013).Sexualdysfunctionandcardiovasculardisease:Asystematicreviewofprevalence.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3812559/Turley,K.R.,etal.(2013).Evolvingideasaboutthemalerefractoryperiod.https://bjui-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/bju.12011Whatistherefractoryperiod?(n.d.).https://www.issm.info/sexual-health-qa/what-is-the-refractory-period/FEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyJanetBrito,Ph.D.,LCSW,CST—ByZawnVillinesonMay21,2020RelatedCoverageHowmencanimprovetheirsexualperformanceMedicallyreviewedbyJanetBrito,Ph.D.,LCSW,CSTManymenwanttoknowhowtoenhancetheirownandtheirpartners’sexualsatisfaction.However,placingtoomuchemphasisonperformancecanleadto…READMOREFoodstoeatforbettersexMedicallyreviewedbyNatalieOlsen,R.D.,L.D.,ACSMEP-CManypeoplelooktotheirdiettofindwaysofimprovingtheirsexlives.Peoplesometimestryknownaphrodisiacstoboostlibido,ortheymightwant…READMOREMen'ssexualhealth:arethesupplementssafe?Over-the-countertreatmentsformen'ssexualhealtharewidelyavailableandoftenused,butaretheyeffectiveorevensafe?Anewstudysuggestsnot.READMOREEverythingtoknowaboutbuttplugsMedicallyreviewedbyJanetBrito,Ph.D.,LCSW,CSTAbuttplugisasextoythatapersoninsertsintotheanus.Peopleusethembothtoprovidesexualpleasureandtoprepareforanalsex.Learnmore…READMORE