The female counterpart to the College's seminar on male pleasure, held earlier this month, took place last night in Thayer Hall's Tindle Lounge. Both men and women filled the room at 7 p.m. to learn about the biology and the psychology of female arousal at "The Mechanics of Women's Pleasure."
Two speakers ran the forum in an interview format, one asking pre-planned questions and the other providing answers. Speakers Kate Johnson, an obstetrics and gynecology resident at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, and Elizabeth Hirsh, the manager of the Women's Health Program at Dick's House, spoke on topics including physical excitation, G-spot stimulation, shaving and barriers to sexual enjoyment.
Orgasms were discussed, but their importance was not stressed. In fact, the two women pointed out that orgasms are not the only purpose of sexual encounters, and couples may derive pleasure simply from being intimate or spending time together.
"Sex can be a pleasurable experience even if you don't climax," Johnson said.
The women also spent time dissembling myths about female intimacy. It should not be, for example, that "simultaneous orgasm is the goal," Johnson said.
"Thirty percent of women can't have orgasms through penetration alone," she added.
Johnson and Hirsh stressed their acceptance of masturbation.
"Sometimes it needs to be all about you," Johnson said. "And if you think good girls don't masturbate ... yeah, they do."
The speakers also discussed shaving of the pubic regions.
"It's perfectly acceptable but not necessary," Johnson said. Although pubic hair technically serves an evolutionary purpose, holding a scent that once attracted mates, shaving is ultimately a "personal preference."
The talk concluded with a question and answer session. Audience members asked about oral sex, female ejaculation and sexually transmitted infections. One young woman asked if it is possible to orgasm without being stimulated. Johnson and Hirsh agreed that it is possible, such as during athletic muscle stretches.
"Five percent of women on Prozac have an orgasm when they sneeze," Johnson said.
Hirsh said she ran the seminar "because there aren't many forums ... for students to ask questions everyone wants to know."
After thinking for a moment, Hirsh added, "Everyone is sexual. Everyone has a right to learn about sex."
Although the event was for men and women, Johnson thought the importance of the evening was in empowering women.
"I think it's important that women feel they can empower themselves and empower their own bodies. Women need to find a way to take command of their bodies and make decisions that are good for themselves rather than what they think they should do," she said.
The audience received the evening enthusiastically.
"I really liked the idea that it isn't all about the orgasm, the orgasm comes with it. It's all about the touching; an orgasm is a bi-product," Rudee Lipscomb '08 said. "I'm going to laminate the notes and give them to my boyfriend."
Males in the audience also found the event instructive.
"I'm ready to start pleasuring," John Paro '05 said.
