A Little History
Already in the XIII century, the scholar and father of the church, Saint Albert the Great, stated that the clitoris and penis are organs with a common origin and similar structure. He even suggested naming them with one word. But this discovery was somehow ignored – during the Middle Ages, there was no time for that.
Urologist Helen O’Connell from the Royal Melbourne Hospital performed an MRI of the clitoris in 1998, but the American Urological Association published her report Anatomy of the clitoris. only in 2005. In 2009, French researcher Odile Buisson and Dr. Pierre Foldès published Sonography of the clitoris. the first results of an ultrasound of a stimulated clitoris and identified a connection between the cavernous bodies and sensitivity of the vagina, ending the debates about clitoral and vaginal orgasms.
What is the clitoris
It is a fairly large sensitive organ, the head of which is located at the top of the vulva. The function of the clitoris is so remarkable in the context of the history of female sexuality and society's attitude towards it, that it has been incredibly long denied.
How can an organ be meant only for pleasure? Let's cut it with a razor without anesthesia – just in case. According to UNICEF, more than 200 million girls and women have undergone the procedure for clitoral removal (sometimes along with the labia), according to WHO – 130 million. And this practice is still in effect in some countries.
Nevertheless, it is true: the function of the clitoris is sexual pleasure.
Only on its head are located 8 thousand nerve endings. By comparison: it is believed that the male clitoris (the head of the penis) has half as many nerve endings.
Now let’s consider the most persistent myths about this organ.
Misconceptions about the clitoris
1. The clitoris is small
For a very long time, it was believed that the head of the clitoris, about 5 mm in size, is the entire clitoris. But it is much larger. The head is just its visible part, the rest is located inside the pelvis. Under the head, the clitoris divides into two cavernous bodies, located on either side of the vagina. They are also responsible for pleasurable sensations during penetration – when aroused, the cavernous bodies fill with blood and tightly envelop the vagina.
But that’s not all: the clitoris is also responsible for the dilation of the vagina and increased sensitivity, more precisely, the clitoral bulbs. They are located deep in the tissues of the small labia and swell during arousal, also filling with blood. Orgasm expels blood from the bulbs, but if there is no orgasm, the process of releasing blood can take several hours.
2. The clitoris cannot be found
This is a myth from the series “woman – a mysterious, mystical being with magical appendages.” In an ideal world, every girl knows where her clitoris is located, so the partner can simply ask. But we do not live in such a world (not in a world without taboos on masturbation, not in a world of open conversations between partners before sex), so here are some simple rules for finding the clitoris from Dr. Lindsay Low for those who have never seen a vulva.
- Google images of the vulva, preferably drawings. The vulva of different women can look completely different.
- Then start marking where different parts are located, for example, the small labia. From there, move up – where they connect, that’s where the clitoris should be.
- On a girl, it’s better to search for the clitoris when she is not aroused. Because when aroused, the clitoris gets pulled under the foreskin (the clitoral hood).
Sometimes the clitoris is completely hidden under the clitoral hood and stimulation brings no sensations: in this case, medical removal of the foreskin (like in men) can help to “free” the clitoris. When the clitoris is fully exposed, direct stimulation can cause pain since, we remind you, it has 8 thousand nerve endings. In this case, it is better to stimulate the area above the clitoris – that is where its inner part begins.
3. Clitoral orgasm is not real, it is a byproduct of vaginal (real) orgasm
40,300 – that’s how many links Google returned for a query on vaginal orgasm training. It is no longer possible to claim that this function is built into women.
Fears surrounding the assumption that vaginal orgasm doesn’t exist seem logical. Does a woman not need a penis for sex? Is she going to climax without a man?
One wants to believe that we are trapped in such reasoning only out of fear of population decline. Because it’s easy to address: for reproduction, orgasm is not needed by either the man or the woman. Ejaculation will occur without it, the egg will let the sperm in without orgasm too.
Let’s try to assume that sex is still more than fertilization. And while scientists have concluded Does the Vaginal Orgasm Exist? Experts Debate. that vaginal is a type of clitoral orgasm, it’s better not to classify them at all: every woman achieves orgasm in her own way, using different points of stimulation. Moreover, vaginal orgasm depends Female Sexual Arousal: Genital Anatomy and Orgasm in Intercourse. on the location of the clitoris. The further it is from the vagina, the less likely an orgasm will occur just from penetration.
4. It’s enough to memorize the theory, and you won’t have to talk to your partner
“If I read all the texts and watch all the videos on cunnilingus technique, I will know what to do with every partner.” No. This also applies to girls: if one partner guessed right, don’t expect all the others to be aware as well.
Firstly, see point 2, or better yet – the vulva gallery. They all differ from each other. Secondly, orgasm starts in the brain, and what, how, and when the nerve endings will decide to transmit pleasant sensations to it is a purely individual matter and depends on a huge number of factors, besides anatomical ones (mood, position, success at work, taking medications, presence or absence of desire, and so on).
Yes, nerve endings are located throughout the body in varying amounts. There, where they are more, touch is felt stronger. But for someone, stroking the back causes goosebumps, while someone starts laughing uncontrollably if you try to kiss them on the neck. So why do we expect that one point in the perineum works the same for everyone? Moreover, if you once found this point on a woman, it doesn’t mean that in a week, it will feel good there again.
The clitoris is not a button, pressing which guarantees orgasm. You need to be in the mood and talk to each other – even if it leads to a couple of awkward training approaches.
5. Even with the clitoris, female orgasm is too complex
The only difference between male and female orgasm is its maximum duration. However, the assertion that women always reach orgasm much slower is a lie.
Dr. Alfred Kinsey in his works proved that 45% of women achieve orgasm during masturbation in an average of 3 minutes. So at least 45% of women know where and how to touch themselves, hence, half of the problem is solved through conversation (see point 4). The other half is consent, desire, attentiveness, patience, knowledge, and psychological comfort.
6. I would love to do cunnilingus, but girls don’t want it
It’s hard to imagine that a man would refuse a quick orgasm in comfortable conditions. Likewise, women wouldn’t refuse either if cunnilingus guaranteed orgasm. Many factors can prevent a girl from letting her partner “go down,” one of the most serious being pornography.
Pornography imposes “beauty standards” of genitals not only on men: a vagina of the same shape and a whitened anus are poor ground for confidence in one’s body.
Requests for labiaplasty (plastic surgery to change the shape of the folds of the vulva, the size of the small or large labia) are increasing: in 2015, compared to 2014, their number increased by 49%. And 37% of women have undergone this surgery for aesthetic reasons.
Another important factor may be the inability to talk about one’s preferences: if a girl has decided that it is easier to refuse than to explain what she wants right now, then she will refuse. A partner’s inability to accept her preferences is also a strong reason to say no – better no sex than an offended man in bed, experiencing an existential crisis from the fact that his macho skills have been called into question.
It’s time to stop believing the myths about the clitoris, remember that it is an amazing, unique, tender, and sensitive organ, and go out to find it. Girls need to find and love it in themselves first, while men need to be ready to ask questions, hear answers, and patiently experiment because ignoring the clitoris is becoming increasingly difficult.
