WTF Is a Blended Orgasm, and How Can I Have One?

The words “blended orgasm” sound like the stuff of sexual fantasy, tantric sex or some other seemingly untouchable world of sex-having. Because when a phrase is so buzzy—so succinct—it kind of has to be untouchable, right? The term’s pithiness may have you believing blended orgasms are the man, the myth, the legend of sex—though frankly, the title might be better reserved for something that’s genuinely rare, like cumming at the same time as your partner, or the age-old orgasm gap (finally) closing.

Interestingly, blended orgasms aren’t necessarily that complicated or hard to come by. In fact, the term simply describes an orgasm triggered by simultaneous clitoral and G-spot stimulation. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. But though the formula is simple, the potential results are, apparently, transcendent.

People report blended orgasms being seriously intense.

Cosmopolitan calls blended orgasms a “phenomenal fireworks-like finale.” Bustle says they’re so intense they “blow multiple orgasms out of the water.” Refinery29 calls them “mind-blowing.” Dr. Leah Millheiser, M.D., Ob/Gyn at Stanford University, tells StyleCaster this high praise isn’t that surprising, because blended orgasms are basically “double the fun.”

When you get turned on, an area of your brain called the genitosensory cortex becomes activated, according to Dr. Millheiser. And each erogenous zone that you stimulate lights that cortex up further. “If you stimulate your clitoris and nipples at the same time, you’re activating different areas of the brain,” Dr. Millheiser says. “What you’ll experience is a cumulative effect of that activation.”

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In short: Blended orgasms might be so incredibly intense because they’re simply the result of two kinds of stimulation.

This, of course, has never been scientifically quantified; there’s no research comparing the intensity of blended orgasms to the intensity of orgasms achieved through other kinds of stimulation. But if women are saying blended orgasms are this intense, they’re probably that intense, Millheiser says. And the genitosensory cortex rationale would definitely explain that intensity.

And that might be true, but blended orgasms might not be so blended after all.

Though the formula for achieving blended orgasm is pretty straightforward, the semantics of the phrase are a little more complicated than they initially appear.

Like I said before, blended orgasms are the result of simultaneous clitoral and G-spot stimulation—simple enough, right? Not so fast. There’s actually some disagreement within the medical community about what the G-spot is—specifically, whether it’s actually just an extension of the clitoris.

Let’s start with some basic anatomy: The clitoris is an organ that’s about 11 centimeters in length, according to Dr. Millheiser. And the part you can see—the clitoral glans—is just the tip of the iceberg. The entire organ actually resembles a wishbone, and it’s way bigger than experts initially understood it to be, Dr. Millheiser says. In fact, it’s so large it might encompass what many of us have been calling the “G-spot” for years.

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The G-spot is an area on the anterior wall of the vagina that, when stimulated, causes discomfort for some and delightful sensations for others. According to Dr. Millheiser, it’s comprised of a kind of spongy tissue that surrounds the urethra, and that tissue becomes engorged with fluid when someone’s turned on. “We know many women derive satisfaction from this area,” Dr. Millheiser says. But whether or not it’s attached to the clitoris is still up for debate.

If the G-spot is just an extension of the clitoris, as Dr. Millheiser and many others suspect, then blended orgasms might not be so blended after all. Instead of being the product of two kinds of vulvovaginal stimulation, they’ll actually be the product of two kinds of clitoral stimulation. Still undoubtedly intense, but not quite “blended.”

Regardless of whether blended orgasms are actually “blended,” there’s no harm in unlocking new ways to experience pleasure.

Maybe you’ve experienced a blended orgasm before and just didn’t know the name for it. Maybe you haven’t. But if you want to give it a try, you can find your “G-spot” by putting your fingers into your vagina and pressing on the anterior (upper) vaginal wall once you’re about two centimeters in, Dr. Millheiser says. Stimulate that area and your clitoris at the same time, and voila.

According to Dr. Millheiser, it might be easier to explore blended orgasms with the help of a partner. If you’re interested in trying it but have no idea how to bring it up, Dr. Deb Laino, D.H.S. (Doctor of Health Science), recommends guiding your partner’s hand where you want it to go. You can also simply say, “My clitoris feels good on the inside and the outside—and it feels really good when you rub both at the same time,” Dr. Laino says. (If you’re single or interested in figuring this out on your own, a rabbit vibrator should also do the trick.)

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Of course, simultaneous clitoral and “G-spot” stimulation might not lead to an instant orgasm—for myriad reasons. “There’s a lot of things that prevent any type of orgasm,” Dr. Laino says. “Stress is one of them. Anxiety is another. Inability to let go. Not knowing your body. Scared of bodily responses—myths about squirting and all that. And that’s OK.”

Or maybe you just prefer clitoral stimulation to “G-spot” stimulation—and that’s totally OK, too. “It’s important to understand that not everyone will experience pleasure from ‘G-spot’ stimulation,” Dr. Millheiser says. “They have to experiment to see what feels good to them.”

Instead of seeing blended orgasms as a goalpost you need to reach, try to view it as another potential way to experience pleasure. If it works, awesome. If it doesn’t, great—now you’ve learned something new about yourself. “That’s the fun of sexual activity—experimentation,” Dr. Millheiser says. “Everyone’s body is different, and everyone’s body will experience pleasure differently.” Your job isn’t to level up—it’s to figure out what works for you.