There’s an ongoing mystery in the scientific community following an experiment where a man and woman engaged in intercourse inside an MRI machine to explore the internal dynamics of the human body.
Typically, the bedroom is the setting of choice for such activities, but in 1991, Ida Sabelis and her partner, Jupp, decided to conduct their intimate encounter in an MRI machine for scientific purposes.
Though unconventional, their experiment provided some valuable insights.
The study, published in a British Medical Journal entry in 1999, revealed that ‘taking magnetic resonance images of the male and female genitals during coitus is feasible and contributes to understanding of anatomy’.
The study detailed the findings: “The images obtained showed that during intercourse in the ‘missionary position’ the penis has the shape of a boomerang and 1/3 of its length consists of the root of the penis.
“During female sexual arousal without intercourse the uterus was raised and the anterior vaginal wall lengthened. The size of the uterus did not increase during sexual arousal.”
Despite these intriguing discoveries, there remained an inexplicable element for scientists.
Ida and Jupp weren’t the only participants; the experiment also included eight couples and three single women who engaged in sexual activity within the confines of an MRI machine.
From these 13 sessions, researchers observed that the women’s bladders would rapidly fill up during each instance of intercourse within the MRI.
This phenomenon puzzled scientists, with expert Menko Victor ‘Pek’ van Andel suggesting it might be ‘evolution’s way to force women to urinate after sex’ and possibly ‘avoid urinary tract infections’.
Unfortunately, this theory remains unconfirmed.
“In every final scan we could see a big, full bladder, even though most of the women went to the toilet before they went inside the MRI,” van Andel remarked.
As one might imagine, Ida described the experience inside the MRI machine as lacking romance, though she noted that being the only couple to successfully engage in intercourse there without Viagra was ‘a testimony to mine and Jupp’s happiness’.
Ida has previously explained her motivation for participating, emphasizing her advocacy for women’s rights and her interest in expanding scientific and medical understanding of the female body.
While acknowledging the lack of romance, Ida characterized the entire venture as an ‘act of love and a performance’.