Electronic Implants May Help Women Who Can't Achieve Orgasm Any Other Way.

2001 MAR 8 - (NewsRx.com) -- In the Woody Allen comedy "Sleeper," a machine called an orgasmatron delivers an orgasm at the push of a button - without the hassle of sex.

Now life is imitating art as scientists in the U.S. have patented an implant that achieves the same effect for women whose lives have been blighted by an inability to achieve orgasms naturally, reports the February 10, 2001, New Scientist.

Orgasmic dysfunction is not uncommon among women, says Julia Cole, a psychosexual therapist and consultant with Relate, a relationship counseling service.

And a number of issues can cause it, says Jim Pfaus, who studies the neurobiology of sexual behavior at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.

"Some women confuse what's called sympathetic arousal, like increased heart rate, clammy hands, nerves, and so on, with fear," he explains. "That makes them want to get out of the situation." Psychotherapy is a common treatment for the condition, although if anxiety is a factor, patients may also be prescribed valium. "But valium can actually delay orgasm," says Pfaus.

Stuart Meloy, a surgeon at Piedmont Anesthesia and Pain Consultants in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, got the idea for an orgasm-producing device while performing a routine pain-relief operation on a woman's spine. "We implant electrodes into the spine and use electrical pulses to modify the pain signals passing along the nerves," he says. The patient remains conscious during the operation to help the surgeon find the best position for the electrodes.

Meloy's breakthrough came one day when he failed to hit the right spot. "I was placing the electrodes and suddenly the ...