“Death grip syndrome” is the name of an anecdotal phenomenon in which masturbating with an overly firm or aggressive grip is believed to cause penile densensitization and difficulty reaching orgasm during sex.Īlthough people aren’t exactly sure of where the term originated, most credit it to sex columnist Dan Savage and date the early 200s to its origins. We’ve also talked about what you might be able to do to reverse death grip syndrome and make it easier to reach orgasm and enjoy sex with a partner. The purported cause is right there in the name - an overly tight grip during masturbation that’s different from the feeling of vaginal or anal sex.īelow, we’ve described what death grip syndrome is, as well as the possible causes that might contribute to this anecdotal but seemingly common condition.
