Can Abby Hensel’s Conjoined Twin Feel Her Sister’s Orgasms and Intimate Moments? An Expert Explains

It's been said that twins can feel one another's pain, but when it comes to conjoined twins Abby and Brittany Hensel, can they feel each other's sexual arousals?

In an exclusive interview with In Touch, intimacy professional Ariella Salinas Fiore says it's possible. "It depends on how experienced they have become at disconnecting from things happening to their body when their twin is in charge, so to speak," the sex expert explains.

The sisters, 34, who rose to fame when Abby & Brittany aired on TLC in 2012, are dicephalus conjoined twins — defined by the National Library of Medicine as people who are "fused side-by-side with a shared pelvis." In March 2024, it was revealed that Abby secretly tied the knot with United States Army veteran Josh Bowling in 2021, leading many to question how the married couple have sex with Brittany always there.

Because the twins share about half of their body, it's inevitable Abby and Brittany would have some of the same feelings during intercourse, including their orgasm.

"Orgasms for women can be connected to their brain as well so if this is the case for them, it's possible one could experience the biological orgasm but maybe not the endorphins that come from it," Ariella, who does not know the three personally, suspects.

But when it comes to kissing, Ariella thinks Brittany would not feel stimulated by her sister's intimate moment with Josh, "since they have different mouths."

She adds, "More than that, I would imagine they would feel it but it may not feel like much if they are distracting themselves to not be a part of it."

Communication is key for Abby, Brittany and Josh. If Brittany is simply not in the mood to have sex, the intimacy professional imagines there may be rules and boundaries in place that work for all of them.

"In a threesome, you have three consenting parties who want to participate in the sexual activity," says Ariella. However, "In this scenario, if the twin is not interested, they'd have to do whatever their normal policy is for when one twin is doing something the other doesn't want to do. Could be they use a sleep mask or headphones or something to give some privacy, even though it is their body being used as well. This is of course pure speculation."

Because their situation is unique, sex between Abby and Josh is likely planned rather than spontaneous. "I would imagine this would take not only planning but also would need exceptional communication between all parties," says Ariella.

The public first learned about Abby and Brittany's lives as conjoined twins when they made headlines for a 1996 interview. They continued to share a glimpse into their lives with the rare condition when Abby & Brittany aired on TLC in 2012. They also opened up in the 2006 documentary Joined for Life: Abby & Brittany Turn 16, in which they shared their hopes for the future.

Reporting by Nate Grant.