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The Scary Reason Some Women Get Sudden Headaches During Sex

Orgasm headaches can strike suddenly and intensely, and doctors warn that a first severe episode should always be checked out.

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An orgasm is supposed to be the best part. For some women, it comes with a headache so bad they end up Googling “is this a brain aneurysm” or finding themselves in the ER.

The medical term is Primary Headache Associated with Sexual Activity, or PHASA, and it affects an estimated 1-1.6% of the population, according to population-based studies. That sounds small until you factor in how underreported it is. “Sexual headaches are not uncommon, though many people are hesitant to talk about them,” neurologist Nestor Galvez-Jimenez told the Cleveland Clinic. “We see these more often than you might think, both in our practice and in the emergency room.”

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