Orgasm imperative

The orgasm imperative or orgasmic imperative refers to the societal pressure to experience or facilitate an orgasm during sexual intercourse, which is derived from the idea that it is a necessary component for a successful or validated sexual experience. This pressure can manifest as individuals feeling obligated to produce an orgasm, or feeling that their partner's failure to climax during sex is a failure of the sexual encounter itself. To a lesser extent, the term orgasmocentrism has been used.

This concept highlights how societal norms and expectations can shape our understanding of what constitutes "good" or "valid" sex. It is a characteristic of hegemonic sexuality, focused more on appearance than enjoyment; generally, this applies to sexual relations, although it can also occur in solo masturbation. While orgasm is a healthy aspect of human sexuality, experts do not recommend treating it as the preferred measure of pleasure, but rather as another expression of it.