A woman and a man participated in an intimate experiment inside an MRI machine that ultimately expanded our understanding of human anatomy.
In popular culture, science is often depicted with scientists in lab coats amid bubbling flasks, but in reality, experiments can take on far more unusual forms. One such unconventional study took place in 1991, when Ida Sabelis and her partner Jupp engaged in sexual intercourse inside an MRI machine for scientific purposes, yielding significant insights.
Dutch researcher Menko Victor ‘Pek’ van Andel aimed to explore the internal dynamics of the body during sex, resulting in the pioneering images. The findings, published in a 1999 British Medical Journal article, revealed that capturing magnetic resonance images of male and female genitals during intercourse is indeed possible and enhances anatomical understanding.
The study described that during intercourse in the missionary position, the penis bends into a boomerang shape, with one-third of its length comprising the root. It also noted that during female sexual arousal without intercourse, the uterus elevates and the anterior vaginal wall extends, while the uterus size remains unchanged.
Ida recently revisited the unusual experiment on the What Was it Like Podcast, sharing insights into the unconventional study. She confessed she hadn’t anticipated the lasting impact of their experiment or its enduring discussion.
“This was one of the first MRI machines ever, so taking the photos took some time,” she explained to the podcast host.
“There was a command from the control room to keep in position for, I don’t know, a minute. So it was hilarious in that sense. Jupp and I wriggled into that machine and started doing our thing. Thankfully we didn’t get claustrophobic.”
Ida mentioned it was not a romantic experience but still viewed it as an ‘act of love and a performance.’
She has previously expressed her motivation, highlighting her advocacy for women’s rights and her desire to enhance the scientific understanding of the female body.