ADHD symptoms appear to influence women’s orgasms

A new study published in The Journal of Sex Research suggests that women with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—especially the inattentive type—may experience less consistent orgasms during partnered sex. The researchers found that women with inattentive ADHD symptoms reported lower orgasmic consistency than those without ADHD symptoms or with other subtypes. These findings provide new insight into the challenges women with ADHD may face in their sexual experiences.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects about 2–6% of adults. It is typically characterized by patterns of inattention, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity. While ADHD has traditionally been studied more in men, there is growing recognition that women often experience different symptoms. Women are more likely to show signs of inattention, which are internal and less disruptive than hyperactivity, making them more prone to being overlooked or misdiagnosed. This difference in presentation can have far-reaching consequences, including in areas not often discussed—such as sexual functioning.

Past research has consistently shown that women experience lower rates of orgasm during partnered sex than men, a phenomenon often referred to as the “orgasm gap.” Although orgasm is not required for sexual satisfaction, persistent difficulty achieving orgasm—sometimes called anorgasmia—can lead to emotional distress and reduced relationship satisfaction. Some studies have linked problems with orgasm to cognitive distraction, such as intrusive thoughts or difficulty focusing during sex. Since inattention is a hallmark of one form of ADHD, the researchers wanted to know whether this might explain why some women experience less consistent orgasms.

“We believe that furthering research and education on women’s sexual health and well-being is essential in the pursuit of equality and to support their overall health,” explained study author Tina Jensen-Fogt of Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

“Discovering that the research on sexual pleasure for women with ADHD is very limited, we were inspired to expand on this topic to better understand how ADHD symptoms may affect women’s sexual experiences during partnered sex. Our primary goals were to explore how orgasmic consistency rates vary across the three subtypes of ADHD symptomatology, and to confirm whether women with inattentive ADHD subtype symptoms reported the lowest rate of orgasmic consistency.”

To explore this question, researchers conducted a large online survey involving 815 cisgender women who were sexually active with at least one partner in the past six months. The participants ranged in age from 18 to 84 and represented a wide range of backgrounds. They were recruited through social media, online forums, and a university research platform. Importantly, participants did not need a formal ADHD diagnosis to be included in the study. Instead, they completed a widely used ADHD self-report scale that allowed the researchers to categorize them based on their symptoms.

Participants also completed validated questionnaires that measured their orgasmic consistency during partnered sex, their level of sexual assertiveness, and their overall attitudes toward sex. This allowed the researchers to account for variables that are known to influence sexual experiences, such as the ability to communicate sexual needs or personal comfort with sexual activity.

The results showed that ADHD symptomatology in general was associated with slightly lower orgasmic consistency. However, this effect was small on its own. When researchers examined the data by ADHD subtype, the picture became clearer. Women with predominantly inattentive symptoms—those who reported frequent difficulty sustaining attention or being easily distracted—had the lowest rates of orgasmic consistency.

“Women who experience predominantly inattentive symptoms of ADHD experienced lower rates of orgasmic consistency compared to controls and women who experienced predominantly hyperactive-impulsive or combined subtype symptoms,” Jensen-Fogt told PsyPost. “This puts women with inattentive ADHD at greater risk for the negative outcomes associated with difficulties in achieving orgasm, such as reduced sexual satisfaction, relationship satisfaction, and self-esteem, as well as to increased rates of emotional distress.”

In contrast, women with predominantly hyperactive-impulsive symptoms actually reported higher orgasmic consistency compared to both women with predominantly inattentive symptoms and those without ADHD symptoms.

“One somewhat surprising finding was that participants who met the study’s criteria for the hyperactive-impulsive subtype of ADHD had greater orgasmic consistency rates than those in the control group, who did not meet the criteria for ADHD,” Jensen-Fogt said. “This suggests that the hyperactive-impulsive features of ADHD may provide some benefit to achieving orgasm, though additional research is necessary to confirm this finding and explore why this might be the case.”

The researchers also looked at how medication use influenced orgasmic consistency. Interestingly, women who did not currently meet the threshold for ADHD symptoms—but who reported taking medication typically prescribed for ADHD—had higher orgasm consistency than non-medicated women without ADHD symptoms. This suggests that medication may help manage symptoms that interfere with sexual functioning, although more research is needed to understand the role of specific medications and doses.

Another factor the researchers explored was sexual orientation. Among women without ADHD symptoms, those who identified as sexual minorities—such as lesbian, bisexual, or pansexual—reported higher orgasmic consistency than heterosexual women. However, this difference was not found among women with ADHD symptoms. This raises interesting questions about how sexual behavior, partner dynamics, and neurodiversity intersect to shape sexual experiences.

The study has several strengths, including a large and diverse sample, with participants from a range of ethnic backgrounds, education levels, and sexual orientations. The study was also pre-registered, meaning the researchers made their analysis plan public before collecting data. This improves the credibility of the findings by reducing the risk of biased or post-hoc interpretations.

But as with all research, there are limitations. ADHD was identified through self-reported symptoms, not clinical diagnoses, and medication details were not collected. The study focused only on partnered sex involving clitoral stimulation, excluding solo sexual activity. Importantly, the findings are correlational, meaning they show associations but cannot establish cause-and-effect relationships.

“Our finding of increased orgasmic functioning among women who report using medication for ADHD symptom management need to be interpreted cautiously,” Jensen-Fogt said. “The types of medications participants used were not recorded; so while there may be some indication that medication for ADHD symptom management potentially ameliorates orgasmic difficulties, much further research is needed to examine the effects of specific types of medications.”

“The long-term goals for this research include informing educational interventions for women with ADHD and for those struggling with anorgasmia. Further, we hope to engage in further research examining potential differences across other sexual functioning domains based on ADHD subtype. Our hope is to better understand what sexual difficulties are more commonly experienced by women with ADHD so that we may better support them in living sexually healthy and fulfilling lives.”

The study, “Exploring Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Symptomatology in Relation to Women’s Orgasmic Consistency,” was authored by Tina Jensen-Fogt and Cory L. Pedersen.