CLIMAX: The New Sex Education Platform & Video Series Here to Close the Pleasure Gap
That’s right, ladies.
FINALLY, female pleasure is top of the list. At least, when it comes to the brand CLIMAX.
Just landed in the UK, and launched with great success in France last year, CLIMAX is a pioneering and innovative online sex-ed series (think Netflix style show seasons). The aim of the videos? To educate the UK (men and women) about pleasure, specifically female pleasure to achieve pleasure equality for all and close that pleasure gap. Sitting within the FemTech industry, CLIMAX are about breaking taboos around female pleasure with no filters. They pride themselves on being grounded in science, having gathered studies and research from 20 international studies and over 90,000 people. It’s from these studies that statistics emerge like, did you know that only 39% of women regularly orgasm during sex? Compared to 91% of men. I am not even shocked by these statistics though, because orgasms are so much more diverse and complicated for women.
In CLIMAX’s Season 1, the video offers educational training to help everyone, whether it is those who have a vulva, or those who love to take care of one, and (re)discover female pleasure. Season 1 also purposely focuses on clitoral stimulation as research from the largest study on female sexuality shows that 98.5% of women who masturbate stimulate their clitoral area. CLIMAX also did their own study of 107 European women between 19-87 of all sexual orientations, so you know that they are serious when it comes to learning and understanding different pleasure gaps and needs. Studies have even showed that over 1 in 4 people cannot identify the clitoris on a diagram and in 2019, a survey of 1,000 British women showed that 44% were unable to identify the vagina on a medical illustration of the female reproductive tract. These kind of statistics show a huge learning gap and thanks to this new video series there has never been a more poignant time to open discussions around pleasure gaps. Luckily for us at The C Word, the founder of CLIMAX, Laurène Dorléac to really understand the trials and tribulations of starting such a pioneering company and coming up with the idea.
Why did you want to start CLIMAX?
CLIMAX is there to replace frustrations with a collective well-being.
On the one hand, "frustration" because we are still living in a very sexualized society where we use sexuality to sell and for entertainment. We are kind of pressured by telling us to please ourselves, but we are not educated on how to achieve this pleasure ... And that creates a lot of frustration.
We founded Climax because we want to teach anyone how to achieve pleasure. We want to destroy all the myths surrounding female masturbation as myths make pleasure inaccessible, arousing real frustration and therefore disappointment - such as the G-spot, how vulva should look like etc...
Therefore, CLIMAX aims to achieve pleasure equality for all and it is through education that this will be possible. Learning how to receive or give pleasure is the key to well-being. This is why CLIMAX exists and this is our mission.
Since launching in France last year, what has the feedback been like?
Feedback from the media and our users have been very positive since the beginning and there are asking for more seasons! We had more than 30+ media coverage in France, from national newspapers to health magazines, and all were really positive.
What would you say has been your career highlight to date?
In my opinion, there has not been a “climax” / “career highlight” in my career so far because entrepreneurship is a new adventure every day. I am constantly learning. However, I am proud of what I’ve achieved so far, but much more is coming. CLIMAX is in the early stages only.
What age groups are the CLIMAX video series aimed at?
The majority of our current users are aged 35+, we then have lots of people from 28-35 and a minority between 18-28. The reason why we do not have a majority of young people is probably because we have not been active on social networks so far.
Would you want to target younger people in the future? (The 18-28 minority).
Yes of course! CLIMAX is for everyone who would like to learn new (vulva) masturbation techniques and learn how to intensify their orgasm(s). It is also aimed at partners who want to learn more about female pleasure.
Does the CLIMAX series address issues surrounding female pleasure with solutions? Or does it have more of a ‘how to’/’hands on’ approach so women can learn how to get more out of sex and their vaginas?
CLIMAX is much more like a toolbox for anyone with a vulva, or people who like taking care of a vulva. It is about receiving and giving more pleasure, rather than addressing the issues. Season 1 has a total of 32 episodes. The first 17 episodes cover the 17 most popular external stimulation of the clitoris. These are the techniques most commonly practiced and appreciated by vulva-havers.
Not sure if you’ve seen it, but the Goop Lab Series on Netflix has an episode where a woman volunteers to masterbate on camera and show an orgasm in its rawest form (to break pornography taboos). Considering how different each woman is and how different their sensations and ideas of pleasure are, how do you ensure that these educational videos cater to all?
Of course! That’s why we are not just showing one single technique, but 17-18 different pleasure techniques. Every person is different, but it turns out that the vast majority of vulva-havers use one (or more) of the techniques listed by CLIMAX to please themselves. Indeed, the techniques we gathered are the results of several years of rigorous research on the subject. Of course, the sensitivity of pressure and rhythm can vary from one woman to another. It should be noted that no technique can work universally!
What other women inspire you, personally and at work?
I don’t have one! I have plenty of women who inspire me on a daily basis and make me want to believe in my project, and show/prove to me that anything is possible. Female entrepreneurs like Julie Chapon, CEO and founder of Yuka app, Juliet Levy CEO of Oh My Cream. Both are fantastic!
Do you feel like female pleasure is still a taboo subject?
Yes, female pleasure is still taboo and this taboo is fuelled by a lack of truthful information and an honest and true education. Throughout CLIMAX, we want to invite everyone on a journey of exploration and connection and bring as much truthful information as we can. All the information in CLIMAX comes from the most recent and referenced international scientific studies and research.
What was the process like to come up with the CLIMAX sex-ed video series? Did it involve a lot of science and data research?
It was a long process… It took between 8 to 12 months to gather all the most interesting and well referenced scientific papers, to write the whole script, and to find the right format to deliver the content! We originally wanted to make an ebook, and then a podcast, and then illustrations... It was a bit crazy for a few months but finally we decided to bring all this information through true and honest videos. One of the biggest challenges of CLIMAX was to show real vulvas without being pornographic. It is all about finding the right balance!
What kind of pressures do you personally face as a female entrepreneur?
Since I started my company, I do really feel in my place. I have never felt judged for being a woman entrepreneur. However, I met some difficulties with some third party service (online payment, triggers mails). Indeed, many of them considered CLIMAX as “an adult content service” and they refused to work with us.
How do you keep your sanity and de-stress during uncertain times (especially at the moment)?
I do a lot of sports!
What does the future hold for CLIMAX?
We aim to be the global leader in online sexual education courses. The first season is only the beginning. Next year we will launch season 2 about inner pleasure and we will also update the first season with more bodies, and more vulvas. Indeed, ‘inclusion’ and body-positiveness are both serious topics here at CLIMAX, and one that we revisit regularly with open conversation and serious consideration.
Lastly, we are launching in other European countries and then in the US. Lots of work, but very exciting!
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If you are interested in buying the CLIMAX educational videos, there are three video packages on offer in the CLIMAX series, each one was created to help either solo or couple learning. You pay once (no monthly subscription) and get immediate lifetime access to the videos from any device.
For a limited time video series are at 30% off, starting at £29 for the CLIMAX Education package.
Make sure to follow the CLIMAX team on IG @climax_how or join their conversation on Twitter @climax_how
