What causes the sharp sudden disinterest in anything remotely sexual for a while after an orgasm?
In: Biology
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Nobody knows for certain, but it’s theorized that the refractory period exists to allow time for the testicles to produce sperm, and to prevent men from removing semen from the vagina during subsequent coitus.
That theory is also used to explain why the penis is shaped and used the way it is: to remove other men’s semen during intercourse. Exciting, no?
good explanation i’ve seen is basically: your lizard brain (horny brain) takes over and causes you to do crazy things in the name of sex and reproduction. it basically lowers your inhibitions. then, when you orgasm, your normal brain comes back and is horrified at what your lizard brain made you do, now that your inhibitions are back
Same experience as when you are hungry and eat and you don’t even want to look at food after – I assume
For females, disinterest in sexual activity after orgasm can also occur due to similar reasons, though the specifics can be different:
1. Physical Recovery: After orgasm, a woman might feel tired and need time to rest before being interested in sex again.
2. Hormones: Like men, women also experience hormonal changes after orgasm. The release of hormones like oxytocin can make them feel content and relaxed, reducing immediate interest in more sex.
3. Brain Chemicals: The brain releases chemicals during and after orgasm that promote feelings of satisfaction and relaxation, which can lead to a temporary decrease in sexual desire.
4. Emotional Factors: Women might feel emotionally satisfied and happy after orgasm, leading to a temporary disinterest in continuing sexual activity.
5. Physical Sensitivity: After orgasm, some women may find that their genital area becomes very sensitive or even uncomfortable, making them less interested in more sex right away.
There was a funny theory that went viral recently that all of our ancestors that didn’t have this probably banged so often they died of heart failure.
Part of this is caused by biostasis: that is animals will, for various reasons, often enter the opposite physiological state after experiencing something intense.
For example, if you get an adrenaline jolt because something scary happens, you may feel even more relaxed after the incident has passed.
Part of this is evolutionary and part of it is just biochemical (your body is a feedback loop with lag).
The current running theory is that it’s evolution.
Male penis is shaped like a scoop, to pull out competitor sperm during sex. Meaning, there is a selection pressure to stop and pull out after sex. I.e. those who didn’t had less chance of impregnating, and over time were bred out of the gene pool. It’s called [Coolidge Effect](https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_352-1).
Arousal and disgust are opposites that interfere with each other. When you’re disgusted, it’s hard to get aroused and when you’re aroused, it’s hard to be disgusted.
After an orgasm (in males at least) arousal quickly falls to 0, because you’ve done what your aroused body wanted you to do. Suddenly, all the bodily fluids, smells, and other parts of sex trigger that disgust response, and there’s no arousal to suppress it any more. Objectively, it’s pretty gross when it’s not hot.
So, until that arousal starts to build again, you flip 180 the other way when it comes to looking at sex. Obviously love and care for your partner can partially suppress this disgust response if you’re committed to helping them finish as well.
Basically brain goes into “doesn’t matter, had sex” mode until it’s like, “hmm, you know what I haven’t done in 5-10 minutes?”
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