Dr. Sucheta Malhotra

Human sexuality is a fairly complicated process and differs a lot between men and women. While most men can easily achieve orgasm, for women, is a completely different story. Many studies and self-reporting done on this subject have shown that very few actually get to orgasm most of the time and many fake it for a host of reasons. Let’s look at a few of the top reasons why women may fake it.

1. To make a session end – A woman, while in the act, may feel bored or want the session to end quickly especially if her partner is close to or has already achieved orgasm. She would want to fake an orgasm to bring conclusion to the session and get on with other things.

2. To boost the ego of the partner – Women may fake orgasms to ensure that their partners don’t feel guilty or inadequate about not making them climax. Although this usually happens in long term relationships, women may even do it in short term relationships to not hurt the ego of their men.

3. The partner doesn’t know how to bring a woman to climax – Many men don’t know how to bring their women to orgasm and thus, will try many things. There are other men who may not even care to know about pleasing their partners. In such cases, a woman may fake an orgasm as a ritual to show that she is also enjoying the act when she is actually not.

4. Used as a strategy to retain their partner in long term relationships – Many married women or women in long term relationships use fake orgasms to ensure that their partners feel happy. This is done so that their partners continue to stay with them and feel that they have been satisfying them well enough.

5. Faking an orgasm may lead to an actual one – Although this happens to a few women, some have reportedly stated that faking one orgasm might get them to have a real one. Some women also report being turned on by faking an orgasm.

6. She is afraid she will be judged – Many women feel insecure that if they are unable to orgasm with their respective partners, they might be judged as inadequate or incomplete. Thus, they would fake orgasms to bring finality to cover their own insecurities.

It is very common for women to experience vaginal problems due to the menstrual cycle, birth control methods, sex or aging. Vaginal odor may change according to your sexual health. Sometimes, it is wrongly interpreted as infection or any other problem but it is a naturally existing odor which can also be caused by normal sweating. Nevertheless, an unpleasant vaginal odor can also be indicative of infection, irritation or an overgrowth of vaginal bacteria. Four common reasons of vaginal odor are:

1. Bacterial vaginosis
Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is an overgrowth of naturally existing bacteria in the vagina which can occur due to unprotected sex, douching or low production of lactobacilli bacteria. This can cause irritation, itching and makes women more vulnerable to sexually transmitted infection and other complications like preterm birth. Bacterial vaginosis is a very common occurrence for women in their reproductive years and is the primary reason for the vaginal odor in most cases.

2. Poor hygiene
Poor hygiene can be one of the major causes of vaginal odor. In terms of hygiene two common reasons which can cause unpleasant odor are the lack of proper washing and not wearing clean undergarments. Due to the presence of sweat around the genitalia and poor maintenance of hygiene, women often experience bad odor.

3. Forgotten tampon
A forgotten tampon can cause bacterial infection and lead to vaginal odor. The growth of bacteria along with menstrual blood can cause itching and lead to unpleasant smelling vaginal discharge. Sometimes, the infection can spread and cause serious problems like pain in the lower abdomen.

4. Trichomoniasis
Trichomoniasis is a sexually transmitted disease which is caused by a protozoan parasite. It can cause a foul smelling odor, soreness, pain while urination and intercourse and also vaginal itching. Pregnant women suffering from this disease are more at risk to deliver premature babies. It can be treated with antibiotics and can be prevented with proper use of condoms. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a gynaecologist.