When Orgasms Don’t Feel Good
Research finds that orgasm is not a universally positive experience.
Posted June 1, 2026 | Reviewed by Monica Vilhauer Ph.D.
How does it feel to have an orgasm ? If you’re like most people, you probably said that it feels pretty darn good. This makes sense because orgasm is a term we frequently associate with pleasure.
In fact, pleasure is actually embedded in the definition of orgasm in many dictionaries, which describe orgasm as both “intense excitement” and “rapid pleasurable release.” In light of this, it’s no wonder that many of us use the word “orgasmic” to describe highly pleasurable experiences that have nothing to do with sex, such as eating a tasty dessert.
However, while orgasms are indeed pleasurable experiences most of the time, a study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior suggests that it’s possible to have a “bad” orgasm during a consensual sexual encounter.
A Study of "Bad" Orgasms
For this study, 726 participants were recruited online to complete a survey about their previous experiences with sex and orgasm. On average, participants were 28 years old and most were involved in romantic relationships . The sample was diverse and inclusive with respect to both gender identity (8.8% identified as non-binary) and sexual identity (58.8% identified as something other than heterosexual/straight).
Participants were asked whether they had ever had an orgasm during a consensual encounter in which they felt pressured to have sex, pressured to have an orgasm, or agreed to sex that was unwanted (such as being really tired, but saying yes anyway). The researchers focused on orgasms during these situations because they believed such circumstances are likely to set the stage for a less than satisfying experience.
After indicating whether they’d ever had an orgasm under these circumstances, participants who said yes were asked several follow-up questions, such as how they felt about the orgasm and the thoughts that crossed their mind about it. They were also asked to compare these orgasms to orgasms they had experienced in more positive situations, as well as to reflect on how their personal identities shaped their experiences.
Why Orgasms Don't Always Feel Good
It turned out that almost half of the participants (48.1%) reported having had an orgasm during coerced sex (sex they felt verbally pressured to have), compliant sex (sex they said yes to, but didn’t really want), or sex in which there was pressure (from oneself or from a partner) to have an orgasm. A qualitative analysis of participants’ orgasmic descriptions during these encounters suggested that they were often “bad” orgasms.
In fact, most participants described these orgasms as less pleasurable than orgasms that occurred without pressure. Approximately two-thirds (66.1%) rated their orgasm quality as lower and indicated that their orgasms were weaker, consisted only of physical reactions, produced less emotional pleasure, and/or were even painful.
Moreover, many participants suggested that these orgasms had a negative impact on their mental health, relationship, and/or sexuality . For example, some said that it made them lose desire for sex, that it harmed their future sexual performance, that it strained their relationship, or that it led to feelings of disgust or frustration.
That said, orgasms during these encounters were not always negative. A minority described them as positive and actually reported benefits from them. For example, some said that even though they didn’t want the sex (but consented to it anyway), they saw it as a way of increasing intimacy or improving their relationship. Likewise, some interpreted pressure to orgasm from their partner as a sign that their partner was invested in their pleasure.
People’s identities shaped how they perceived these experiences to some degree. For example, among women who have sex with men, some described feeling pressured to orgasm in order to boost their partner’s ego. At the same time, though, some men (both heterosexual and non-heterosexual) said that stereotypes about men’s orgasms being “easy to have” amplified pressure to orgasm in negative ways, such as feeling as though one needs to orgasm in order to validate their partner’s sexual skills or attractiveness .
Several bisexual participants also discussed how their sexual identity created unique pressure to orgasm. For example, if a bisexual man doesn’t orgasm when he’s with a woman, she might assume he’s not bi and is actually gay, which can amp up the performance anxiety .
In addition to gender and sexual orientation , some participants described how factors such as being fetishized for one’s race or feeling moral conflicts about sex contributed to negative orgasmic experiences, suggesting that a wide range of identities are relevant in shaping people’s experiences.
It’s important to note that this research is just a starting point in terms of describing the phenomenon of “bad” orgasms. For one thing, given that this research involved an online convenience sample, we do not know the true prevalence of them. For another, this research only asked about orgasm experiences under a limited set of circumstances, and it’s possible that negative orgasmic experiences can occur in a wider range of sexual situations.
Although more research is needed, these results are important because they indicate that orgasms during consensual sex are not an inherently positive experience. “Bad” orgasms can and do occur. We might therefore do well to broaden our definition and understanding of orgasm in order to highlight the great variability that exists in the orgasmic experience. We would also do well to avoid putting pressure on ourselves (and our partners) to orgasm, because pressure tends to reduce pleasure.
Chadwick, S. B., Francisco, M., & van Anders, S. M. (2019). When Orgasms Do Not Equal Pleasure: Accounts of “Bad” Orgasm Experiences During Consensual Sexual Encounters. Archives of Sexual Behavior .
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Justin J. Lehmiller, Ph.D. , is a Research Fellow at The Kinsey Institute at Indiana University.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.