Your Sexy Brain: 5 Facts About Your Most Sensual Organ

The brain is the most powerful sexual organ in women and men.

Responsible for everything from physical attraction to orgasm intensity, the brain is undoubtedly your most important sexual organ. While many people buy in to the notion that a man “thinks with his penis,” naturally valuing and desiring sex far more than women, accumulating evidence suggests that there is no such thing as a male versus female brain and that female sex drive is just as fierce and capable, if not more, than men’s.

“You can’t pick up a brain and say ‘that’s a girl’s brain, or that’s a boy’s brain’ in the same way you can with the skeleton,” Gina Rippon, a professor and researcher with Aston University in Birmingham, England, told the Telegraph in March, 2014.

Men and women do differ sexually in numerous ways physically, but varied levels of sexual excitement and other emotional factors seem to have more to do with environmental and cultural factors than genetics.

So how do you ensure that your brain works synergistically with your body’s wants and needs? A little knowledge and exploration can go a long way.

5 Frisky Facts About Your Brain

1. Tantalizing touch.
   Simply making physical contact with your partner can cause the sensory cortex region of your brain to fire up, making way for sensual pleasure. Touching different parts of a woman’s genitals, such as her clitoris versus her cervix, causes different areas of the sensory cortex to ignite, leading to stronger orgasms. Squeezing the tip of a man’s penis with your hand or vagina before intercourse increases pleasure for men.
2. Dreamy development.
   As your genitals gain hands-on TLC, the hippocampus lights up. Known for evoking dreamlike memories, the hippocampus is responsible for those mid-sex fantasies. Those fantasies can add to the excitement, particularly if they involve your partner. (If you dream it, you will come!) Meanwhile, the amygdala is activated–the area involved with intense feelings and emotional expression.
3. Cultivating confidence.
   
   

   Cultivating sex-positive attitudes paves the way for sexual arousal and satisfaction.

   Women and men may have equal desire for sex, but women are more likely to put up subconscious barriers. “A woman might begin lovemaking relatively uninterested,” writes Sheryl A. Kingsberg, Ph.d, a clinical psychologist and associate professor of reproductive biology and psychiatry in Cleveland, Ohio, “doing it because she wants to please her partner or because it makes her feel good about herself.” In other words, boosting your self-confidence can make sex more appealing and prioritizing sex can boost your confidence, making for a gratifying win-win. If your sense of self-worth is in the dumpster, addressing it in and outside of the bedroom is also important for your overall health.

4. Healthy hormones.
   Hormones are chemical messengers that travel through your body and brain, ensuring proper function. While tiny in size, they play a significant role in your health and wellbeing, including sex-wise. Maintaining proper levels of sex hormones, including testosterone and estrogen, is crucial for normal sexual arousal. If your sex drive has left the building, consider having your hormone levels checked, particularly if you are of middle-age or beyond. Hormone imbalances are highly treatable and well worth a visit to your doctor.
5. Bending gender issues.
   To keep gender stereotypes from interfering with your sexuality, make efforts to view sex as a valuable, natural part of health and intimacy–regardless of your gender. Routine pornography watching can interfere with normal brain function, lead to sexual dysfunction and negatively influence the way you perceive men’s and women’s bodies. Do your best to limit porn and other negative influences, such as restrictive diets and sleep deficiency, and maintain open communication with your partner. Positive change is most powerful when shared.

Author August McLaughlin is an award-winning health and sexuality writer and creator of the empowering female sexuality brand Girl Boner in Los Angeles. Her work has been featured by LIVESTRONG.com, Healthy Aging magazine, the Nest Woman, DAME Magazine and more. As a certified nutritionist with specializations in eating disorders and sports nutrition, August has taught the importance of healthy lifestyle habits, positive body image and self-acceptance to women of all ages for over eight years. She is represented by Jill Marr of the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency and loves connecting with readers throughout social media. www.augustmclaughlin.com

Sources:

Archives of Sexual Behavior; Agreement of Self-Reported and Genital Measures of Sexual Arousal in Men and Women: A Meta-Analysis
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-009-9556-9

Telegraph; Men and Women Do Not Have Different Brains
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/10684179/Men-and-women-do-not-have-different-brains-claims-neuroscientist.html

Women’s Health Magazine; What Happens in Your Brain During a Female Orgasm
http://www.womenshealthmag.com/sex-and-relationships/orgasm-body

Cosmopolitan; Foreplay: What Men Like
http://www.cosmopolitan.com/sex-love/advice/a3262/The-Kind-of-Foreplay-He-Craves/

HealthWomen.org: Brain and Sex
http://www.healthywomen.org/content/ask-expert/7789/brain-sexual-organ

Concordia University; Boosting Self-Esteem Prevents Health Problems for Seniors
http://www.concordia.ca/cunews/main/releases/2014/03/12/self-esteem.html

Mayo Clinic: Low Sex Drive in Women
http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/low-sex-drive-in-women/basics/causes/con-20033229

Men’s Journal; Are You Watching Too Much Porn?
http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/health/are-you-watching-too-much-porn-20130821

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