Cara Delevingne has donated her orgasm to science. Here’s why it matters

By Malavika Pradeep

Published Nov 28, 2022 at 08:51 AM

Reading time: 2 minutes

38820

To date, English model and actress Cara Delevingne has been very vocal about sex and female pleasure, shared her experiences as a queer woman in Hollywood, and opened up about her pansexuality in countless interviews.

As of today, it seems like the Suicide Squad actress has donated something rather unusual to medical science: her orgasm. Yes, you read that right—and here’s why it matters.

‘Planet Sex’ and the gender climax gap

Featured in a six-part BBC special titled Planet Sex With Cara Delevingne, the 30-year-old actress has essentially donated her orgasm as part of an investigation into the ‘gender climax gap’, a theory that suggests men are more likely to have an orgasm during heterosexual sex than women.

In a March 2022 study from Rutgers University, researchers surveyed 104 sexually-active couples and found that women are more likely to end up in a “cycle of inequality” in their relationships—rather than seeing their sexual satisfaction improve over time.

During the research, the team asked couples about the number of times each partner orgasms, their ideal amount of sexual pleasure, and how often they expect to climax during sex. As it turns out, women who had fewer orgasms reduced the overall importance they placed on reaching this level of pleasure.

“The orgasm gap has implications for women’s pleasure, empowerment, sexual satisfaction, and general well-being,” researcher Grace Wetzel said in a press release at the time. “Importantly, this is a gender equality issue. Women are learning to expect and be satisfied with less in their sexual interactions with men.”

In fact, a recent YouGov survey found that 63 per cent of heterosexual men always reach climax during sex, as opposed to 30 per cent of heterosexual women. These figures vary slightly when it comes to queer men and women, with 56 per cent and 40 per cent climaxing every time respectively. This is exactly what Delevingne’s BBC feature aims to unpack, alongside topics like sex appeal and the rise of pornography.

In the documentary, the actress also visited an ethical pornography film set and travelled to Japan—where she created a mould of her vagina.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BBC Three (@bbcthree)

How can researchers measure someone’s orgasm?

Now, you might be wondering what it means to donate your orgasm to science in the first place. In Delevingne’s case, the model gave samples of her blood before and after reaching climax to help doctors study the differences in her body chemistry pre and post-orgasm. More specifically, to measure the level of endocannabinoids in her system.

Similar to the active molecule in cannabis, heightened volumes of endocannabinoids have been shown to promote feelings of relaxation and reduced anxiety, and studies suggest that these levels increase following an orgasm.

“I think female sexual desire has definitely been repressed. I know from my own love life just how sexual women can be, so you’d think in the 21st century men and women should be having equally satisfying sex lives, right?” Delevingne shared outside the German hospital where the study was conducted. “Well, prepare for a shock. When it comes to the orgasm, there is a definite gender gap.”

“Scientists say that 95 per cent of straight men orgasm during intercourse but only 65 per cent of straight women do,” she continued. “To be honest, I think that sounds way too high, most of my straight female friends say it’s probably more like 15 or 20 per cent. Lesbians and queer women definitely seem to have it better.”

On 14 May 2021, Delevingne auctioned off an NFT about her vagina in a bid to break stereotypes surrounding body image and ownership, all while raising money for environmental causes, LGBTQIA+ communities, and anti-racism. After dazzling Paris Fashion Week in her first appearance since addiction concerns, the actress’ latest feature documentary is set to premiere on BBC Three and iPlayer on Thursday 1 December—which will also televise results from the study in question.

“I do feel that, generally, men are not equipped with the right tools to handle women—especially sexually,” Delevingne added. “I get it, it’s a lot more complicated for a woman to have to tell you that you’re not doing it right, you have to sit down and listen to what I’m saying. Yes, it’s an ego-killer, which most men can’t handle.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cara Delevingne (@caradelevingne)

Keep On Reading

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

From teen mum to Gen Z favourite, Angela Rayner is the icon politics needs

By Charlie Sawyer

23 women speak out after UK police urge victims of serial rapist, student Zhenhao Zou, to come forward

By Abby Amoakuh

TikToker who started the NYC influencers are boring trend fired from her job for the viral video

By Abby Amoakuh

Megan Thee Stallion sues blogger for posting deepfake porn of her on behalf of Tory Lanez

By Charlie Sawyer

Why are people so upset about JoJo Siwa’s $900 Dream VIP package on her upcoming tour?

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

James Toback hit with landmark $1.68 billion jury award after 40 women accused director of sexual abuse

By Charlie Sawyer

What is gang stalking, how to stop it, and is it even real?

By Charlie Sawyer

Snow White live action remake faces further controversy for ominous trees and gentle kissing warnings

By Fatou Ferraro Mboup

ICE jacket sales soar on Amazon, fuelling fears of immigration agent impersonation

By Charlie Sawyer

Meta labels tampons, breast pumps, and period pants as sexual content amid rising censorship

By Abby Amoakuh

TikTok mocks news outlet for not noticing it randomly caught Zendaya in its B roll footage

By Charlie Sawyer

Who is Tash Peterson, the controversial vegan activist who just lost a $200,000 defamation case?

By Abby Amoakuh

Meet the CEO of Hulah, the dating app born out of a need to weed out weirdos

By Abby Amoakuh

Did The Summer I Turned Pretty star Gavin Casalegno cheat on his ex-girlfriend Larsen Thompson?

By Annabel Smith

Is TikTok’s protect your peace trend empowering Gen Z women or causing social isolation?

By Abby Amoakuh

Harry Potter reboot hit with racist backlash for casting Black actor Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape

By Abby Amoakuh

Stormzy faces backlash from fans after partnering with McDonald’s and deleting pro-Palestinian post

By Abby Amoakuh

Did Stranger Things star David Harbour use celebrity dating app Raya to cheat on Lily Allen?

By J'Nae Phillips

How Beyoncé, TikTok, and Bella Hadid gave the horse girl aesthetic a major glow-up

By Abby Amoakuh

Planned Parenthood goes viral for Wicked meme remix that leaves netizens speechless