Female orgasm disorder affects millions of women worldwide.
Over half of women have faked an orgasm. Surprised? Probably not.
But while some women fake it from time-to-time, for others the lack of ability to reach orgasm is a far more debilitating issue.
Female orgasm disorder/difficulty (FOD), sometimes referred to as orgasm dysfunction, occurs when an individual has difficulty reaching orgasm, even when they are sexually aroused.
It affects millions of women worldwide and yet remains drastically under-studied.
“FOD is an under-recognized and under-treated serious public health issue,” says Dr Suzanne Mulvehill, founder of the Female Orgasm Research Institute, in written correspondence.
“The purpose of the Female Orgasm Research Institute is to identify proven pathways to female orgasm, conduct female orgasm research, bring awareness to the persistently high percentage of women affected by female orgasm difficulty, and provide an online female orgasm research library.”
According to Mulvehill’s research, the condition affects up to 41% of the female population, a statistic that has remained unchanged for 50 years.
She puts this down to a number of reasons that include “shame, stigma, lack of research, and lack of treatments”.
A quick search of clinicaltrials.gov and you’ll see that there are currently no clinical trials recruiting or in the early stages of development on FOD and only 13 completed studies.
This is compared to 363 completed studies on erectile dysfunction and 88 in the early stages.
Dr Mulvehill says: “When I was conducting my dissertation research, I was shocked to discover that there is only one empirically validated treatment for FOD and that is only for women who never orgasmed, or rather, have not yet orgasmed, and this is called directed masturbation and was developed in the 1970s.
“There are no empirically validated treatments for the largest group of women affected by FOD which is women who have what is referred to as Situational FOD, meaning women who can orgasm in some situations but not others, such as orgasm from masturbation but not during partnered sex.”
There is one potential treatment which is showing significant promise though.
While previous research has suggested cannabis could have therapeutic potential in a number of female sexual disorders and could enhance pleasure for both men and women, the latest study to be published by the Female Orgasm Research Institute is the first to specifically evaluate the effects of cannabis in treating FOD.
What The Study Found
The observational study conducted among almost 400 women between March-November 2022, evaluated baseline demographics, sexual behavior, mental health, cannabis use, and the orgasm subscale questions of the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), evaluating orgasm frequency, orgasm satisfaction, and orgasm ease, with and without cannabis before sex.
The majority of women in the study who reported difficulty reaching orgasm were between the ages of 25–34 (52%), reported their race as white (75%) and were married or in a relationship (82%).
Among those respondents reporting orgasm difficulty, cannabis use before partnered sex was found to increase orgasm frequency (72.8%) improve orgasm satisfaction (67%) or make reaching orgasm easier (71%).
According to the findings, the frequency of cannabis use before partnered sex correlated with increased orgasm frequency for women with FOD, while orgasm response to cannabis depended on the reasons for use.
These findings echo 50 years of research, Dr Mulvehill says.
“I honestly do not know of any other condition that has more of a research history than cannabis and sex, and in particular female orgasm,” she continues.
“What we do know is that 50 years of research shows cannabis helps women orgasm and helps women who have FOD. In the 1970s Dr Eric Goode speculated that it helped women release sexual inhibition.
“Aldrich found that cannabis has been used since ancient times to enhance sexual pleasure, and extensively documented the tantric use of cannabis in India from the seventh century onward to aid sexual pleasure and enlightenment.
“In 2020, Kasman et al. found that for each step up in cannabis use, female sexual dysfunction declined by 21%.”
FOD: The Bigger Picture
It starts to make sense when you look at the bigger picture around FOD.
Dr Mulvehill’s study also examined the mental health difficulties experienced by women with FOD. Those with the condition reported 24% more mental health issues, 52.6% more PTSD, 29% more depressive disorders, 13% more anxiety disorders, and 22% more prescription drug use than women without FOD. Women with FOD were also more likely to report sexual abuse history than women without.
“Rabinak et al found that hypervigilance, anxiety, and PTSD are responses of the amygdala while studies from 2007 and 2015 found that trauma responses commonly impair sexual response,” she explains.
“We also know that orgasm difficulties are the number one sexual complaint of sexual abuse survivors. When we start to put the research puzzle together, we see cannabis medicine helping women overcome FOD.”
Dr Mulvehill and her research partner, Dr Jordan Tishler, have been trying for three years to secure the funding to conduct a randomized controlled trial to examine cannabis as a treatment for FOD in more depth.
Among as yet unanswered questions such as why it works first-time for some and not others, this is an issue about “more than just pleasure” and could have a much wider impact on health.
FOD has a well-documented link to anxiety, childhood sexual abuse, PTSD, and cognitive distractions.
Studies have shown that THC, one of the main cannabinoids found in cannabis, can significantly reduce rates of anxiety and traumatic memories related to trauma and PTSD by reducing activity in the amygdala and reduces cognitive distractions by inhibiting activity in the prefrontal cortex.“
“As it turns out, orgasm is way more than being about pleasure. It is about a human right, a sexual right, and mental and physical health,” says Dr Mulvehill.
FOD has been linked to heart disease and cardiovascular issues, while a 2009 study found that of the sexually active women with type 1 diabetes, 51% of women reporting female sexual dysfunction had problems with orgasm.”
“If we start to actually ask women if they orgasm or not when screening for medical conditions, we may find out that lack of orgasm is linked to other health conditions. We know that during orgasm massive amounts of oxytocin are released.
“And what condition is related to a lack of oxytocin? Alzheimer’s disease. We also know that women in their 60’s are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s. We will not know until we start asking the questions.”
FOD And Public Policy Changes
Dr Mulvehill began researching this area following her own experience of overcoming FOD with the help of cannabis. And she's not alone.
The study comes as four U.S. states are now considering adding FOD to the list of qualifying conditions for a medical cannabis prescription.
This month, the Illinois Medical Cannabis Board approved adding FOD and endometriosis as conditions of treatment with medical cannabis and is now awaiting final approval from the state’s director of public health.
Dr Mulvehill’s personal testimony has been submitted as part of the Illinois public comments process, alongside that of other women.
Meanwhile, Ohio’s State Medical Board also recently announced that FOD, along with autism spectrum disorder, would move forward for expert review and public comment following petitions submitted online.
New Mexico and Connecticut are also reported to be considering the issue.
Dr Tishler, founder of the Association of Cannabinoid Specialists and president of inhaleMD, already prescribes cannabis for FOD and other sexual disorders, and has also submitted a letter of support to regulators in New Mexico.
He highlights the importance of women having access to legally prescribed cannabis and clinical guidance when using it to manage these conditions.
“Cannabis is a medicine and as such must be treated as a medication,” he comments over email.
“It has risks as well as benefits and best practices that lead to better outcomes. This is certainly true for the treatment of FOD. Using cannabis in a recreational manner is more likely to lead to no benefit and higher risk of misuse. Further, as cannabis overuse can worsen anxiety and depression, it can worsen FOD. Women who have FOD, like any other illness, deserve proper treatment from a knowledgeable and caring cannabinoid specialist.”
Despite the lack of robust scientific evidence through RCTs, Dr Mulvehill highlights how this hasn’t prevented other conditions being approved for medical cannabis treatment. PTSD was approved in New Mexico in 2009, with no published studies and only case reports.
“The 50 years of research, combined with doctors prescribing medical cannabis for FOD, therapists recommending it, and women using cannabis before sex, tells me there is enough evidence for FOD to become a condition of treatment with medical cannabis,” she says.
“Just google cannabis and orgasm and you will see all of the articles on it. It is not new news. What is new is getting a public policy change to add FOD as a condition of treatment with medical cannabis. Just like PTSD has dealt with stigma through awareness and education, the same can be said for FOD.”
Dr Mulvehill adds: “FOD is a medical condition that deserves proper medical treatment. It is not something that women should have to ‘figure out on their own’.”
