Refractory Period: The Reason for Breaks Between Orgasms

For males, it's called the refractory period (MRP), and it's the time after ejaculation — lasting anywhere from a few minutes to a few days — ... Health&WellnessWellnessWomen'sHealthMen'sHealthMentalHealthSexualHealthRelationshipsSkin&HairSleepCBDHomePetsWeightLossTravelHealthConditionsADHDAllergiesCold&FluDiabetesHighCholesterolHIVIBDMentalHealthConditionsMigrainesPsoriaticArthritisSkinConditionsSTDsFoodFoodNutritionVitamins&SupplementsVegan&VegetarianEatingInternationalFoodCooking101KitchenGearRecipesBreakfast&BrunchAppetizers&SnacksMainDishesSandwichesSaladsSidesDessertsDrinksFitnessFitnessWorkoutTipsStrengthTrainingHIITKettlebellResistanceBandsRunningCyclingYogaStretchingGearWorkoutsBeginnerAbs&CoreLegsArmsButtFullBodyFavesProductReviewsHealthFitness&HomeGymFood&CookingSkin&BeautyHome&GardenSleepSeriesTheLiftCrashCourseFirstGearDJGr8stGreatistReadsHow-ToTrainfora10KBetterSexin10Days30DaysofYoga14-DayGuidetoPlant-BasedEatingConnectTheGreatistCommunityInstagramFacebookTwitterPinterestTikTokSpotifyYouTubeAboutGreatistWhoWeAreOurEditorialProcessOurProductVettingProcessContentIntegrityConsciousLanguageGreatistHealth&WellnessFoodFitnessFavesConnectSubscribeTheRefractoryPeriod:TheRealReasonforBreaksBetweenOrgasmsMedicallyreviewedbyJanetBrito,Ph.D.,LCSW,CST—ByRachaelSchultzonDecember3,2015DefinitionScienceProlactinHowlongSpeedrecoveryTakeawayShareonPinterestWhatistherefractoryperiod?You’veprobablybeenthere:Afteroneinningbetweenthesheets,noteveryone’sreadyforanother.Womenmaybeprimedtogosecondsafterthefirstbigwin,butformen,itmaynotbesoeasy.Nomatterwhathisbrainissaying,hisbodyjustwon’tcomply.Whatgives?Bothwomenandmenhaveabuilt-inrecoveryperiodaftersex.Therefractoryperiodforwomenisn’taslong(allowingforthepossibilityofmultipleorgasms),buteveryoneexperiencesthiswaitinggame.Formales,it’scalledtherefractoryperiod(MRP),andit’sthetimeafterejaculation—lastinganywherefromafewminutestoafewdays—untilit’spossibletogetanerectionagain.ThesciencebehindthemaleOAfterejaculation,thewholebodyisonoverdrive.Andthesympatheticnervoussystem—whichcontrolsthefight-or-flightresponse—pushesforcalm,explainsurologistCharlesWalker.Thisactivatesthereleaseofcertainneurotransmitters,thebody’schemicalmessengers,whichcausethesmoothmuscleinthepenistocontract,drivingitintoaflaccidfix.Whathappensnextisadominoeffect,loweringlevelsofneurotransmitters,namelydopamineandtestosterone.Dopamine,oneofyour“happiness”hormones,issecretedwhenyou’rearoused.Butwhenyoursystemwantsyoutocomeoffthathigh,itdampensproductionofit.Atthesametime,productionoftheneurotransmitterserotoninandthehormoneprolactinincreases,whichalsocounteractsarousal.Prolactinisthehormonemoststronglyassociatedwiththerefractoryperiod—theloweryourprolactinlevels,thequickeryoucangetgoingagain.Takenote:Ejaculationandorgasmaren’tthesamething—they’retwoseparateprocesses.Ifsomeonewithapeniscanrefrainfromejaculatingduringorgasm,theymaybeabletohavemultipleorgasms.It’sararephenomenonandtakesalotofpracticetobecomeproficient.Prolactin,theMRPprolongerProlactinalsoexplainswhyMRPlastslongerwithorgasmfromintercourseversusself-pleasure.Theamountofprolactinreleasedafterintercourseisapparently400percentgreaterthanfollowingmasturbation,accordingtoresearchfrom2006.BrodyS,etal.(2006).Thepost-orgasmicprolactinincreasefollowingintercourseisgreaterthanfollowingmasturbationandsuggestsgreatersatiety.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16095799Whilethatsoundslikeabummer,theresearcherssuggestthatthiscouldsimplymeanthatintercourseisusuallymorephysiologicallysatisfyingthanmasturbation.Anothersideeffectofincreasedprolactin?Itsuppressesproductionoftestosterone,akeyplayerinpiquingyourinterestinsex.Also,yourbrainreleasesasurgeofserotonin,whichmakesuswanttojustrolloverandsleepaftersex.Oneresearchreviewofpost-intercoursebrainscansrevealedthatejaculationcausesadipinactivityintheprefrontalcortexandareleaseofoxytocinandserotonin,shuttingoffalertnessandmentalactivityandessentiallykneecappinganysexualdesire.StoleruS,etal.(2012).Functionalneuroimagingstudiesofsexualarousalandorgasminhealthymenandwomen:Areviewandmeta-analysis.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22465619Sonotonlyareyourhormonesworkingtoactivelymakeyounotaroused,youalsohavelessofthehormonesthatareresponsibleforgettingyourenginesrunning.Butdon’tworry—it’snotashopelessasitsounds.Howlongwillitlast?Itdependsonahandfuloffactors,expertssay.Thebiggest?Age.“Teenageboyscanhavearefractoryperiodofafewminutes,”saysAbrahamMorgentaler,associateclinicalprofessorofurologyatHarvardMedicalSchoolandauthorof“TheTruthAboutMenandSex:IntimateSecretsfromtheDoctor’sOffice.”“Buta30-year-oldmanistypicallyunabletohaveasecondorgasmforhalfanhourormore,andformanymen50yearsandolder,oneorgasmperdaymaybealltheycanachieve,”hesays.Otherfactorsthatcomeintoplay:levelofsensitivityhowturnedonyouarethequalityandemotionalstateofyourrelationshipwhetheryou’vebeendrinkingwhetheryou’recircumcisedwhatmedicationsyou’reonhowcomfortableyouareinyourenvironmentYep,thisincludesprettymucheverythingthatwouldaffectyourabilitytogetanerectiontostartwith,butevenmoresobecauseyou’refightingagainstyourbody’snaturalinclinationstorecharge.Everyoneiswireddifferentlytoo.“Oneyoungmanmaybeabletohavefiveormoreerectionsandorgasmsinadaywithanewpartner,whereasanotheryoungmaninthesamecircumstancesmaynothavetheurgeorabilitytohavemorethanone,”Morgentaleradds.GetbackinthegamefasterFormostpeople,thisforcedbreakisn’tahugeproblem.Thebiggestissueisifit’saffectingapartner’spleasure.Itcanalsobeaninconvenienceforcoupleswhowanttohaveback-to-backrompingsessions.Somecanstillhaveanerection,butnoorgasm,duringtheMRP,Morgentaleradds.Howcanyouminimizethewaittime?Youcan’treallycontrolorpredictit.Butthere’sonethingdocsagreehelpsspeedupyourtimebetweeninnings:increasingarousal.“Inespeciallyexcitingcircumstances,allbetsareoff,andmenmaysurprisethemselveswithhowquicklytheirerectionreturnsandtheirabilitytohaveorgasmsinrelativelyrapidsuccession,”Morgentalersays.Someideastospicethingsup:Rentahotelroominsteadofhavingsexathome,havemorningsexinsteadofatnight—evensmalleffortstoaddnoveltymaybeenoughforexcitementtooverpoweryoursystems,Morgentaleradds.Andremember:“Youdon’tneedanerectiontogiveandreceivepleasure,”sayssexologistJessicaO’Reilly,PhD.“You’vegot10goodfingers,atongue,andhopefullysometoysthatcanhelp[yourpartner]reachclimaxduringtheMRP.”ThetakeawayTherefractoryperiodisanaturalphenomenonandisyourbody’swayofhealingandprotectingyouafterejaculation.However,ifyou’reyoungandhealthyandspendinghoursonthesidelines,checkinwithyourdoctor.Itcouldbesimplyasideeffectofamedication—antidepressantsinparticularmesswithyourdopamineandserotoninlevels—orasignofsomethingthatneedsmedicalattention,Walkersays.It’salwaysbettertocheckwithaprofessionalwhocanguideyou.LastmedicallyreviewedonDecember3,20155sourcescollapsedBrodyS,etal.(2006).Thepost-orgasmicprolactinincreasefollowingintercourseisgreaterthanfollowingmasturbationandsuggestsgreatersatiety.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16095799Thesexualresponsecycle.(2018).ucsb.edu/sexinfo/article/sexual-response-cycleStoléruS,etal.(2012).Functionalneuroimagingstudiesofsexualarousalandorgasminhealthymenandwomen:Areviewandmeta-analysis.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22465619TurleyKR,etal.(2013).Evolvingideasaboutthemalerefractoryperiod.DOI:1111/bju.12011Whatistherefractoryperiod?(n.d.).info/sexual-health-qa/what-is-the-refractory-period/FEEDBACK:MedicallyreviewedbyJanetBrito,Ph.D.,LCSW,CST—ByRachaelSchultzonDecember3,2015ReadthisnextThisVideoExplainsWhyYou’reSadAfterSexSometimesREADMORE3WaystoSpiceUpYourSexLife—WithoutaG-StringAthrivingsexlifecanbeoneoflife’sgreatestpleasures,butlikemanythings,itrequiresthoughtandworktokeepitgoingstrong.Trythese…READMOREASuper-HandyGuidetoSexToysforEverybodyAguidetosextoysforbeginners,veterans,andeveryonein-between.Hereareourpicksforthebestvibrator,dildo,andmore…READMORE10SexualHealthandWellnessTrendstoGet*Excited*Aboutin2022Fromwearablepleasuretechtoperiodeducation,sexpertssharethetoptrendstoexpectthisyear.READMOREWillanIUDChangeMySexLife?Ifyourecentlygotanintrauterinedevice(IUD),youmaybewonderinghowitaffectssex.WegiveyoutheDLonthebirds,thebees,andtheIUD.READMOREWhatisPolyamory?SettingtheRecordStraightonEthicalNon-MonogamyHaveyouwonderedhowpolyamoryworksandifit’srightforyou?We’llclearuptheconfusionwithexplanationsfromfolkswhoarelivingtheethical…READMORELetItBurn:HowManyCaloriesCanYouBurnDuringSex?Estimatesvary,butthenumberofcaloriesyouburnduringsexcandependonthelengthoftimeandintensity.Here'swhattheresearchhastosay…READMOREWhyDoesMyStomachHurtAfterSex?17ReasonsforPost-BangBellyAcheStomachpainaftersexisn'tusuallyserious,butyoushouldtalkwithyourdoctorifthepainissevereorchronic.Here'swhatcancausestomach…READMORECoitusInterruptus:DoesthePull-OutMethodReallyPreventPregnancy?Thepull-outmethodcanbeusedforbirthcontrol,butit'snotthemosteffectivewaytopreventpregnancy.Here'showthewithdrawalmethodworks…READMOREHowtoGiveaBlowJob:23TipsonGoingDownUsethisguidetohelpyounavigatethewatersbelowthebelt,includinghowtouseyourtongue,lips,andhandsandpositionstotryforoptimal…READMORE