← All of Himeka's Erotic Trivia
Why guys can't go again right away: the refractory period, and nobody knows why it exists
After a man comes, there's a stretch when he just can't go again. It's called the refractory period. It lasts anywhere from minutes to hours, and why it exists is honestly still a mystery.
MaiHimeka-san! After guys finish, they go into the "re-FACTORY period," right!? The factory shuts down to restock! I totally know this!
Himeka...Sigh. It's not a factory, and nobody's restocking. RE-FRAC-TORY. It means "unresponsive." Sexual response is usually explained in four phases: desire, arousal, orgasm and resolution. Orgasm is the shortest of them, typically just a few seconds.
HimekaThen, during resolution, while the body settles back down, a man normally needs some recovery time before he can climax again. That's the refractory period.
MaiOoh! So he takes a tiny break and he's back in, like, 10 seconds, right!?
HimekaWay too short!! You couldn't even microwave popcorn in that!! ...It ranges from a few minutes to many hours depending on the person. And during it, arousal, erection, orgasm and ejaculation are all switched off together. It seems to get longer with age, too.
MaiNo fair! So women don't get one!?
HimekaWomen can have a similar dip in responsiveness after orgasm. But it's usually shorter than a man's, and some women can keep climaxing again and again if things keep going.
MaiBut why does it even exist!? What's the reason!? C'mon, you know everything, Himeka-san!
Himeka...That's the thing: nobody knows. People think it's probably hormones and the nervous system working together, but the mechanism isn't well understood. Apparently every animal species has one, so the guess is that it helps reproduction somehow. That's about it.
MaiHmph! Then just invent a pill that gets rid of it! Then you could go forever!
HimekaThere's no drug that shortens it!! ...Even an article from an Australian men's health group jokes that without a refractory period we might keep going until we're exhausted, and says, "I'm glad I'm not an antechinus." The brown antechinus is a small marsupial, and the males only live about 11 months. After a roughly 2-week breeding season in winter, they die of stress and exhaustion.
MaiTh-they DIE!? ...I'm sending the refractory period a thank-you card!
Himeka...Hmph. Good, you get it. If a man's wiped out after he finishes, he's not being lazy. So don't rush him. Be patient and wait, I suppose.
Himeka's summary
- Sexual response is explained in 4 phases: desire, arousal, orgasm and resolution. Orgasm is the shortest, typically a few seconds. Afterward, men normally need recovery time (the refractory period) before they can orgasm again.
- The refractory period lasts from a few minutes to many hours and tends to lengthen with age. Arousal, erection, orgasm and ejaculation are inhibited during it. Women can have a similar, usually shorter period; some orgasm repeatedly if stimulation continues.
- Why it exists and how it works are not well understood (likely hormonal plus nervous system effects). No drug shortens it. Male brown antechinus, a marsupial, live about 11 months and die of stress and exhaustion after a winter breeding season of about 2 weeks.
Sources
General trivia only. For anything that needs a medical call, talk to a doctor. All characters are adults.
Translated from the Japanese original. Sources are unchanged.