To start with, it should be stated that scientific research into the subject does not usually regard sexual pleasure with a holistic gaze. Be it for ignorance or methodological limitations, oftentimes research on pleasure is reduced to merely focusing on orgasm. Although this is a painfully narrow exploration of pleasure, at least it is a start.

By now, many different ways to achieve climax, that have nothing to do with our genitalia, have scientifically been proven possible. They range from stimulation of areas of the body commonly understood to be erogenous, such as the anus or nipples, to completely different parts of the body, for example the mouth, hands or shoulders. For some people, it is even possible to orgasm without any form of physical touch. They can orgasm in their sleep while dreaming or just through erotic imagery.

Quite recently, the narrative that all orgasms are achieved by stimulating the clitoris has been refuted. Studies have shown a neural pathway, connecting the vagina and cervix directly to the brain. Even people with complete spinal cord injuries - preventing sensory information from external stimulation, including that of the clitoris - could reach orgasms through vaginal/cervical stimulation.

It should be highlighted again that, obviously, pleasure should never be reduced just to orgasms. They are a thrilling part of experiencing pleasure, but pleasure can be much more. Moreover, focussing on orgasms can often even prevent us from actually experiencing pleasure. But we can still learn an important lesson from a scientific exploration of orgasms: pleasure is not only limited to direct genital stimulation or how we are taught they function. Every human is wired differently, what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another.

These two points bring us to a long forgotten organ of pleasure: the cervix!

In short, the cervix is the part of the uterus that connects to the vaginal canal.

For the curious, here is a more detailed anatomy of the cervix: the lower, most narrow third of the uterus is called the cervix (as indicated by its medical name cervix uteri) with a length of about 4 cm. It is a cylindrical (sometimes conical) structure, connecting the vagina and the uterine cavity through the cervical canal, reaching from the internal os (the connection point of cervical canal and uterine cavity) to the external os (the connection to the vaginal canal). Its internal walls (unlike those of the vaginal canal) are equipped with glands, which is why it is very natural for the cervix to secrete different kinds of discharge. Through (speculum) inspection the lowest part of the cervix is visible as a round structure suspending into the vagina with a diameter of approx. 3 cm. The center of the cervix is visible as an indentation, the entrance to the cervical canal - the external os. The upper part of the vaginal canal, past the cervix, is called the anterior fornix. Just like the cervix this is a pleasure zone that is seldom focussed on in studies.

Depending on the history of each cervix (e.g. birth, abortion, IUD, surgery, etc.) both the entire structure, or also the ostium can vary in shape and size. In addition the location of the cervix varies, depending on the menstrual cycle. It moves from the top further down and reaches it’s lowest point just before the period. Differently to how the uterus is often portrayed (especially when depicted from the front) it is usually not upright nor aligned in the middle. Often the uterus (and with it the cervix) is tilted toward the back. This and the fact that the location can also vary depending on the individual makes it hard for some people to actually locate the cervix with their fingers through the vaginal canal.

As stated above, there is no universal map to tell you how to reach your cervix. For a start it can help to get into a good position. You can try lying on your back with your knees pulled towards your torso, squatting on the floor or maybe lifting one leg onto the bathtub or something with comparable height. All these will make the cervix more reachable with your hand. Now you can use your fingers - especially at the beginning this will help to feel any difference in tissue - to explore the inside of your vaginal canal. Reaching upwards, as mentioned before, the cervix can be located towards the right,left, front or back. The cervical tissue is very different to that of the vagina, so you should be able to feel the difference with your fingers. It can feel firmer and has a little indentation in the middle - comparable to touching your pursed lips. Again, depending on the stage of your cycle, the position and structure of your cervix can differ.

Want to see for yourself? You can open your vaginal canal with a speculum from any sex shop and get a look at your cervix in a mirror.

Sensory information from the cervix - as well as from the uterus and vagina - reaches the spinal cord and brain via the hypogastric as well as the pelvic splanchnic nerves. The hypogastric nerve links the cervix to the sympathetic nervous system (arousal, activity height - keyword fight or flight), whereas the pelvic nerve carries information to the parasympathetic nervous system (relaxation, calmness - keyword rest and digest).

In addition, the vagus nerve innervates the cervix, bypassing the spinal cord and directly bringing information to the brain. Studies suggest that this pathway transports sensory information on a level of mechanical, superficial touch to the brain. This is the reason why for some people with spinal cord injury, it is still possible to perceive an orgasm from internal stimulation of the vagina and cervix.

The fact that the neural innervation of the cervix is so extensive is often used as a simple explanation for why the cervix quite obviously needs to be an organ of pleasure. This is only partially correct. Of course, extensive neural innervation means lots of information can travel between the cervix and the central nervous system. The innervation alone doesn’t directly tell us anything about the instances at which neural information travels, what it does on the level of the brain and how conscious we are of this activity. Nevertheless, it can be concluded that the thorough neural innervation indicates the cervix is quite the opposite to a numb organ.

Following, it is quite difficult to grasp how, for so long, the cervix has been deemed a numb organ in mainstream western culture. And yet, when first trying to find and stimulate the cervix, for many people it does actually feel numb.

This is not surprising, however, when looking at the alleged sensitivity while keeping in mind the stress the cervix undergoes: reaching from sudden impact during penetration to period cramps, pap smears, IUD (insertion) or giving birth - all of these quite clearly some form of physiological trauma the cervix experiences. Shutting off the extreme sensory input is a very protective response. And not only does this result in the cervix being numb to light touch, often any pressure beyond touch can even be quite hurtful.

On the contrary, also a sparsity of stimulation can lead to the development of numbness. This is why the ignorance towards cervical sensitivity and the following neglect of the organ can actually contribute to a stunted sensitivity.

This means, however, that in order to regain access to the cervix as a source of pleasure (let alone orgasm) we first have to re-learn to actually feel our cervices.

Of course with all these strains the cervix has to endure, it is not surprising that the cervix has learned to ignore physical approach and respond with numbness or tension. One way to meet this is the practice of dearmoring. It’s a practice widely used across different forms of (sexological) bodywork, where the application of pressure is used to meet areas of the body preserving tension and pain. Applied to the cervix, this means going over the entire surface area, spot by spot. The first step just observes to become aware of the contact and finding spots that are either tense or hurt. Once these tense or hurt spots are identified, more pressure is applied to them, combined with deep breathing to relax the point and breathe out the pain. This obviously can be very challenging as for many people it is hard to reach their cervix with their fingers. I’ve written a more extensive report on how to de-armour your cervix. Find it here.

In the end, this is a way to rediscover your cervix as a sentient part of your body, establishing an awareness for the sensation, relieving tension that has built up, finding pleasure in this organ and even overcoming any (physical) trauma embodied here.

The brain and the entire nervous system rely on the optimization of information transport. This means neural pathways are malleable and prone to change in connectivity and relative strength of synaptic transmission. This complex statement describes a process we more commonly speak of as ‘learning’. Our brains process an immense amount of information and each of these travel through the brain along certain pathways. Thereby, neural pathways (especially those related to sensory information) that are used a lot get strengthened so that information can travel faster. Pathways that are rarely used or neglected decline. This ability to adapt to the environment is very strong in children but also applies to the adult brain. Because of it, repeated behavior as well as training of a certain response in the body may temporarily or permanently alter the wiring of the brain and future behavior. We can quite literally train our brain to elicit a certain behavior as a response to certain stimuli.

This makes for the possibility to, on one side (un)learn certain responses - such as the sensitivity of the cervix - as well as to attach a certain meaning to behavior by reframing the context for example of physical touch.

Obviously you do not need to reach any form of climax through the stimulation of your cervix to perceive pleasure! However, the cervical orgasms are a quite unique experience. This is not to say that they are the same for everyone! And there are few scientific explorations of this topic. So I will try to give you an overview of what they have been described to be like by different people - keeping in mind that they can differ for everyone in quality and intensity. Of course the mental state you are in in the moment and the extent to which you can open up to the experience has a great impact on both.

These are the words people have found to describe the feeling of this orgasm: soothing, body centered, tingling, breathtaking (literally), everywhere, decelerated and slow-motion, intense, complex, outknocking, earthquake…

Compared to other forms, cervical orgasms can be felt less localized to the genitals even though you feel the center of your body, traveling and vibrating through the entire body. They’ve been described as incredibly intense and vibrant orgasms and for many people even have a transcendental quality. This quality may be a rather physical experience in the convergence of relaxation, intense sensation and pleasure, leading to deep and enhanced sensations in every cell of the body. It can even be a truly psychedelic experience with out-of-body experiences, feelings of connections to and unity with yourself, your partner(s) or the universe and even a momentary loss of the perception of space or yourself as a distinct individual.

The length of a cervical orgasm also differs widely. Again, this also depends on the person experiencing it. As this orgasm is an orgasmic state rather than a burst of energy that is released (as is usually more common for other forms of orgasms), it can last quite a while.

Precisely due to the transcendental aspect of cervical orgasms, the theory has been brought up that DMT is released during this form of orgasm. DMT (N,N-Dimethyltryptamine) is a psychoactive compound, an endocrine substance that is released endogenously in the human body (at instances and with effects not yet fully understood) and also a very strong and rapid hallucinogen, found across various sources in plants or animals. It is quite widely used by humans, for example as the main active ingredient of ayahuasca.

Mainly due to its hallucinogenic effects upon intake and the resemblance to the experience described during cervical orgasms, the theory that this is one incident where DMT could be released endogenously in the human body is quite strongly considered surrounding the topic of cervical orgasms. However, this has not been demonstrated scientifically.

I want to take a moment here to highlight how important relaxation is for this entire practice. The basis for the exploration of your cervix requires you to really center your focus on your cervix and open your awareness to any sensation that comes up as well as making sure you are feeling entirely comfortable. This, of course, is related to your physical state - how you are positioned, etc - but also to your mental state. This means your focus has to be fully present. Only this way can you really embrace the practice of dearmoring or the pleasure arising from stimulation of the cervix, surrender to your body and the sensations. However, some people also experience relaxation directly through the cervical stimulation which brings them into the right mindset for achieving cervical pleasure in the next step.

The cervix can of course also be reached during circlusion (a different term for penetration, read more about it here) - whether with a penis or a toy. And it can actually be a very pleasurable stimulation. This most commonly happens during a position where you lie on your back with your legs pulled towards the upper body and the partner on top, doggystyle or while sitting on top of your partner during circlusion/penetration.

However, some people experience pain during deep stimulation, precisely because of a sudden or strong stimulation of the cervix. This can be due to tension (much like in your back) and can be countered through massaging (-> dearmouring) and making sure you are comfortable. Please note that you should never feel a severe amount of pain. If you are unsure, it is best to consult a gynecologist. If it is not too intense, it can help to start carrying out deep strokes carefully and slowly to counter mild pain and release the tension.

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