The female orgasm is quite different from the male’s. Here’s the female orgasm broken down stage by stage.

The famous sex researchers, William Masters and Virginia Johnson, were the first to outline the four stages of sexual response in human beings. These stages apply to both men and women, but each gender experiences the stages differently. Men typically race through the stages faster than women do. But in some situations, women may be ready for orgasm much faster than a man.

Let’s take a look at each of the stages as they occur in women and how to know when your partner is ready for the next stage.

Female Orgasm Stage 1 – Excitement

This is one of the easiest stages to reach for both men and women. Just smelling your cologne or having your hand brush against her breasts can excite a woman. She can become excited by fantasizing about sexual encounters or by flirting with you during dinner. In fact, during the average date, women may become excited ten to fifteen times. Most of those times do not lead to the next level, however. The female body responds to this stage in very specific ways.

Let’s go through some of those physical signs of excitement:

• Her nipples become erect.
• Her vagina starts becoming lubricated.
• Her clitoris begins to swell and grow larger.
• The inner parts of her vagina begin to expand.
• Her breasts may even increase in size if she becomes highly aroused.

These are not the only physical signs, but these are probably the ones you or her may notice. Notice that during this early stage, her vagina is already becoming lubricated. Many men have the mistaken notion that this is a sign that a woman is ready to engage in intercourse. That is not the case. A lubricated vagina only means a woman is aroused. All of these signs do suggest, however, that her body is preparing for the possibility of sex.

Female Orgasm Stage 2 – Plateau

This second stage does not occur as frequently as the arousal or excitement stage. In fact, most incidents of arousal never reach this level. So when does a woman reach this level? Well, she will require more physical stimulation. Foreplay, for example, will help her move to this stage, so does increased fantasizing. During this stage, sexual tension inside her body is growing. More physical signs also accompany this stage.

A few of those signs are listed below:

• Breasts may increase noticeably in size.
• The vagina swells and the vaginal opening begins to narrow.
• The clitoris becomes more erect.
• Her heartbeat may increase noticeably.
• The color of the labia minora will change from pink to either red or wine in color.

This final physical sign is very important. Researchers have found that if the color change does not occur, then women rarely have a female orgasm. About one-half to three-fourths of women also experience what is termed a “sex flush” on parts of their body. The increased blood flow to the skin sometimes gives the appearance of a flush over the chest or other parts of the body.

During the plateau stage, the woman’s body is becoming ready for intercourse. Only near the end of this stage is she physically ready for vaginal intercourse.

Female Orgasm Stage 3 – Climax

All of those women who fake female orgasm end up continually jumping from the second to the fourth stage of sexual response. After her body is truly ready for intercourse and if she is receiving the proper stimulation – usually clitoral – then it does not take long for her to reach the third stage.

Below are some of the physical effects your partner will experience during this stage. Some of these should be noticeable by you and a couple are impossible for her to fake, so if you really want to know whether you are making her climax or not, pay attention to the physical signs.

• Muscle contractions: Intense muscle contractions through the pelvic area will occur during the orgasm. A woman can have three to fifteen of these contractions depending on the strength of her orgasm. She may also experience muscle contractions in other parts of the body as well.
• Most women’s bodies become temporarily rigid at the highest point of their orgasm. This lasts for only a moment, but its something you may notice.
• The “sex flush” is another indicator of female orgasm. At this stage, it becomes brighter and more noticeable. It may also have spread to other areas of her body.
• Another telltale sign of orgasm in some women is ejaculation. Some women do ejaculate after a female orgasm.

Female Orgasm Stage 4 – Resolution

This is an interesting stage because what happens during it depends on what did not happen before or what is continuing to happen. For example, if a woman successfully completes stage 3, then she may be able to have multiple orgasms. However, if she fails to have an orgasm, then her body will begin to return to normal, but at a slower rate than if she had climaxed first. Many women actually report physical discomfort in the pelvic area during this process—similar to the discomfort men experience when they come close to climaxing but then fail to do so.

During the resolution stage, a woman’s breasts and nipples can be incredibly sensitive. In fact, they can be so sensitive that touching them is uncomfortable for her. This is important to remember, because if you have not climaxed yet, you will want to refrain from any aggressive fondling of her breasts to reach your own orgasm.

After the last orgasm, the “sex flush” will disappear. Also, your partner may experience heavy sweating, rapid heart beating, and/or heavy breathing. The resolution stage marks the end of the cycle of sexual desire and arousal for women.

Female Orgasm Stage 5 – Multiple Orgasms & Sexual Response Cycle

Many women are capable of having multiple orgasms. In fact, they are more common than researchers initially believed. Any time a woman has an orgasm she is capable of having another one if proper stimulation is continued. What’s interesting about multiple orgasms in women is that they don’t have to repeat the entire cycle to achieve another orgasm. Once they are in the area between the third and fourth stages, their bodies are highly receptive to orgasm.