Some women, though not many, have reported that they can achieve an orgasm simply by having their breasts and nipples stimulated.1 The idea of a woman experiencing orgasm without any genital touching whatsoever might seem perplexing, but new research suggests that there is actually a sound biological basis for it.2

The goal of this study was to see what areas of the brain are active in response to stimulation of different parts of the female body. Female participants were asked to lie inside an fMRI machine and alternate between stimulating the clitoris, vagina, cervix, and nipple. An experimenter instructed the women to “comfortably” stimulate one of those body parts for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds before repeating the process with a different part of the body. All participants were asked to simulate themselves in the exact same way to keep the results as constant as possible (e.g., when it came to nipple stimulation, women were asked to use their right hand to “tap the left nipple rhythmically”).

The researchers discovered that stimulation of the nipple activated an area of the brain known as the genital sensory cortex. This is the same brain region activated by stimulation of the clitoris, vagina, and cervix. What this means is that women’s brains seem to process nipple and genital stimulation in the same way. In light of this, it is not at all surprising that many women are aroused by having their nipples touched and that, for some, this may be enough to lead to orgasm.

If I may offer one note of caution, please keep in mind that when it comes to nipple stimulation, there is good touching and bad touching. The nipple can be a highly sensitive part of the body, which means that more aggressive handling (e.g., twisting) can actually be quite unpleasant. As always, it’s best to communicate with your partner about what is and is not pleasurable.

On a side note, the researchers responsible for this fMRI study recently produced a video of what a complete orgasm looks like inside the female brain (see here). As you can see in the video, the orgasmic experience depends upon a complex interplay of multiple regions of the brain (a “symphony” of activity, if you will). Understanding all of these connections could help us to one day understand why some women seem to have more difficultly achieving orgasm than others.

For our other articles on female orgasm, see here and here.

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1Levin, R. J. (2006). The breast/nipple/areola complex and human sexuality. Sexual & Relationship Therapy, 21, 237-249.

2Komisaruk, B. R., Wise, N., Frangos, E., Liu, W. C., Allen, K., & Brody, S. (2011). Women’s clitoris, vagina, and cervix mapped on the sensory cortex: fMRI evidence. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 8, 2822-2830.

Dr. Justin Lehmiller – Science of Relationships articles | Website/CV

Dr. Lehmiller’s research program focuses on how secrecy and stigmatization impact relationship quality and physical and psychological health. He also conducts research on commitment, sexuality, and safer-sex practices.