Blue balls is a slang term for the condition of temporary fluid congestion (vasocongestion) in the testicles accompanied by testicular pain, caused by prolonged sexual arousal in the human male without ejaculation. The term is thought to have originated in the United States, first appearing in 1916. Some urologists call the condition “epididymal hypertension”. The condition is not experienced by all males.
As you can probably picture, that process creates a lot of pressure down below, and you hear men talk about the uncomfortable consequences of not experiencing the ensuing release all the time. You don’t often hear this physiological process being talked about in reference to women, but it’s a real thing! Preparing for sex, then not orgasming, has consequences for you too.
You experience a sense of swelling and genital heaviness as you work towards climax: The vulva, uterus and ovaries all swell as blood pressure spikes just before the big O. “If a woman doesn’t climax she may feel uncomfortable or frustrated and perhaps some pain,” says Sari Cooper, certified sex therapist and host of Sex Esteem. Hence “lady blue balls” or “blue vulva.”
Considering the fact that there’s a major orgasm gap (according to the National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior, 91 percent of men climaxed in their last sexual encounter as compared to only 64 percent of women), women are way more likely to be left not only unsatisfied but uncomfortable. So why are blue balls the only thing getting any attention?
“Women can become aroused, then plateau a bit, go down in arousal, and then become aroused again,” says Cooper. In short, the female process of release is a more complex beast. The good news is, the discomfort isn’t permanent and isn’t going to do any long-term damage (for you or your guy).
“If orgasm with a partner isn’t an option-you should never feel pressured to go farther than you want to-you can still relieve the pressure,” says Amanda Kallen, M.D., assistant professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences at Yale University School of Medicine. Kallen suggests taking a cold shower to help with any serious discomfort. If you’re more than willing to go all the way, but climax just isn’t happening you can always take matters into your own hands with good old fashioned masturbation.
Any time when a man got me close to orgasm without actually pushing the women over the edge, she experienced warm, uncomfortable pulsations in her clitoris. It didn’t actually hurt but it didn’t feel good, either. This is female Blue Balls.
When a woman becomes sexually aroused, blood flows to her clitoris, causing it to swell and harden. The labia and the vaginal walls also get pumped with blood. If all that blood is then not released via orgasm, it can cause a female version of blue balls.
Blue balls phenomenon is not nearly as painful as blue balls is for men. This is because women vaginas are constantly getting filled in and out with blood (not just during sexual arousal), so they are used to the whole “filled up with blood” feeling down there.
A lot of women fake their orgasms because they think it takes too long, or because guys don’t do it right, and they don’t know how to tell their partners they’re not doing it the what they want to… So if the tension doesn’t get released anatomically, they feel it psychologically.
Orgasms bring sex to whole new levels. And since 70% of women still aren’t experiencing an orgasm during sex, it’s fair to say blue balls is a significant problem we should be hearing more about.
Women Fitness hopes the above resource provides an insight to our readers about the blue balls phenomena in women.
Video
