From the second you get turned on to that awesome after-séx glow, your body is doing some amazing things to make sure you experience major pleasure. But we're willing to bet you're not aware of any of this as it's happening.
Well, prepare to have your mind blown by the impressive feats that happen while you're busy getting busy.
You find everything séxy: Sure, you know the basic things that get you raring to go (firemen, Ryan Gosling, any scene from Magic Mike...), but you might be turned on by a lot more than you think. Researchers from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario found that even though straight women reported only feeling ároused by men, their measures of physiological árousal (like váginal blood flow) told a different story. Most women in the study were ároused by every séxual stimuli they saw (nude male and female bodies, heteroséxual and homoséxual séx, even animal séx), while men's arousal was much more predictable. The bottom line: Women have the ability to get turned on by a much broader range of situations. Lucky you!
You're not easily grossed out: There's a reason that you're less fazed by something like sweat or weird smells when you're having séx. When you're ároused, you're less likely to view gross things as being disgusting, according to a study published in the online journal PLOS One. So that explains why you're willing to put up with just-woke-up breath for the sake of morning séx.
Your brain notices every touch: There's way more going on up there than you might think. Researchers at Rutgers University used fMRI scanners to see exactly what happens in your brain when you're ároused. They found that different brain regions were activated in response to stimulation of the vágina, cervix, clitoris, and nipplés. And because your mind is pretty crucial for árousal, stimulating several of these areas at once can lead to an even more explosive finish.
You get bigger where it counts: When you're ároused, your vágina literally expands to make room for your guy. The length of your vágina starts out around 3 inches which is why it might seem pretty shallow when you're just putting in a tampon but as you get ároused, your uterus is pulled up, lengthening the váginal wall to around 5 inches or so, says Debby Herbenick, PhD, author of Because It Feels Good. And if you're with a particularly well-endowed guy, your uterus may get pushed back a bit farther, allowing for even more room.
You feel less pain: There's a reason that things like nibbling or hair pulling don't hurt as much while you're getting it on. Your pain threshold can increase significantly during árousal, according to a study published in the Journal of Séx Research. While this might make penetration more comfortable, Herbenick warns that there could be a downside: "Some people say that they've hurt themselves and didn't realize it until after séx."
Your girls go through changes: The next time you're getting busy, take a second to check out your chest. As a result of increased blood flow to the area, you'll probably notice that your nipplés are eréct and a little darker in color than usual. Plus, previous research shows that some women's bréasts swell during árousal and can actually increase in size.
Your body starts blushing: Studies show that your facial and body temperature increases during séxual árousal, which explains why your face and chest might get a little red when you're having séx. Plus the increased blood flow and heart rate causes a "séx flush" in some people, which appears as a red or pinkish rash on your chest that goes away after árousal subsides.
Your mind chills out: If it seems like your brain turns to mush during an orgásm, you're kind of right. The ámygdala, the part of the brain involved in fear and ánxiety, essentially shuts down when women have an orgásm, according to a study from the University of Groningén in the Netherlands. Even the body movements you make during orgásm are totally unconscious, according to brain scans.
Your muscles have a mind of their own: During orgásm, your body experiences a period of myotonia or muscle spásms due to the activation of the váginal muscles, according to studies by pioneering séx researchers William Masters and Virginiá Johnson. This causes the muscles in your légs, arm, néck, abdomen, and face to ténse up. At the same time, involuntary váginal contractions happen at regular intervals. Researchers still aren't sure why these spásms occur and why some women don't experience them at all.
Your bladdéer goes on hold: When you orgásm, your body releases an antidiurétic hormoné, which is why you may not be able to pee right after séx, says Herbenick. Just don't put off hitting the báthroom too long, experts advise going after séx to help prevent UTIs.
