Can You Have an Orgasm Without Genital Stimulation? New Research Results Are In
What if orgasms were not only about touch?
A newly published study in the International Journal of Sexual Health set out to explore a question that has long fascinated researchers and sparked curiosity online: can orgasms happen without any genital stimulation at all?
The study was led by renowned sex researcher Dr. James Pfaus, who previously partnered with researcher Dee Hartmann on Lioness’s viral orgasm patterns research. We're so honored to have Lioness play a key role again.
Studying orgasms without touch
Traditionally, orgasms have been studied through genital stimulation. But researchers have long known that some people can experience orgasms through fantasy, breathwork, exercise, or pelvic floor contractions alone. These are known as non genitally stimulated orgasms, or NGSOs.
What has not been well studied is whether these orgasms are physiologically the same as what most people think of as “traditional” orgasms. That is where this study comes in.
How Lioness was used in the study
In this research, the Lioness smart vibrator was used purely as a measurement tool, not for stimulation.
The participant was a menopausal woman trained in a structured pelvic floor technique that allows her to induce orgasms using muscle contractions alone. During one part of the study:
- The Lioness Vibrator was inserted vaginally
- The clitoral stimulation arm was physically disabled so it provided no stimulation
- The device functioned only as a biofeedback sensor, recording pelvic floor muscle activity
This allowed researchers to objectively measure what was happening in the body during non genital orgasms, without vibration, touch, or external stimulation.
What the researchers measured
1) Hormones in the blood
Blood samples were taken before, immediately after, and 15 minutes after orgasm. Researchers measured several hormones, focusing on prolactin, a hormone that reliably increases after orgasm and is widely used as a biological marker of climax.
2) Pelvic floor muscle contractions
Using Lioness’s internal pressure sensors, the researchers recorded pelvic floor contractions during a five minute non genital orgasm session.
Quick definition: Prolactin is a hormone that often rises after orgasm. Researchers use it as an objective marker that something orgasm-like occurred in the body.
What they found
Figure reproduced from Pfaus et al., 2026. “Non-Genitally Stimulated Orgasms Increase Plasma Prolactin in a Menopausal Woman,” International Journal of Sexual Health.
The results were striking.
Prolactin increased after non genital orgasms
After pelvic floor driven orgasms, prolactin levels rose significantly, following the same pattern seen after genitally stimulated orgasms. Longer orgasm sessions produced larger increases. Importantly, a control exercise session without orgasm did not produce this effect.
In other words, the body responded as if a “real” orgasm had occurred.
The pelvic floor showed clear orgasm patterns
The Lioness data revealed repeated, rhythmic orgasmic spikes occurring every few seconds. Each orgasm was preceded by a gradual buildup of pelvic floor tension, followed by a sharp release. These patterns closely match what researchers have documented during genitally stimulated orgasms.
Menopause did not prevent orgasm physiology
The participant was menopausal and not on hormone replacement therapy, yet her body still showed classic orgasm markers. This suggests that ovarian hormones are not required for orgasm related physiological responses.
Why this matters
This study adds to a growing body of evidence that orgasms are not defined solely by genital touch.
- Orgasms appear to be a coordinated interaction between the brain, nervous system, hormones, and pelvic floor
- They can be initiated through multiple pathways
- They can be measured through objective biological signals
It also reinforces that non genitally stimulated orgasms are not imagined or “fake.” They can produce the same physiological signatures seen in other types of orgasm.
What this means for orgasm science and sexual wellness
From a research perspective, this work opens up new possibilities:
- Studying orgasms in fully clothed, non sexualized lab settings
- Expanding orgasm research beyond narrow definitions of stimulation
- Developing therapeutic approaches for people who struggle with orgasm or pelvic floor awareness
From a Lioness perspective, this highlights something core to our mission: your body is already giving you information about pleasure. Tools like Lioness allow that information to be measured, visualized, and understood.
The bottom line
Yes, orgasms can happen without genital stimulation, and the body can respond as if they are real orgasms.
This research shows that pelvic floor driven orgasms produce clear hormonal and muscular markers of orgasm, and that Lioness can play a meaningful role in advancing how orgasm science is studied.
We are proud to support research that expands how we understand pleasure, especially when it challenges long held assumptions about what orgasms “should” look like.
