The clitoris is a marvelous and unique organ in the entire human anatomy. It is the only human organ that is only related to sexual arousal and sensation, and its only physiological function is to stimulate female sexual desire and pleasure. As the kinetic center of incoming and outgoing sexual stimulation, it plays the dual role of the most sensitive receptor and the most powerful sensor.
The clitoris is located at the front of the vulva between the anterior commissure of the labia majora and the labia minora on both sides, somewhat similar to the male penis, and in fact it is a homologue of the penis. The clitoris consists of a pair of erectile swollen spongy bodies, divided into head, body and feet, wrapped in a layer of dense peritoneum composed mainly of elastic fibers and smooth muscle bundles, and the central surface of the two spongy bodies is fused into a comb-like median diaphragm. Mung bean-sized small bulbous clitoral head from both sides of the labia minora extended forward after the confluence of the skin folds formed around the clitoris clitoral prepuce exposed, which is the only visible part of the clitoris.
It is underneath the clitoral tie, and in many women the head of the clitoris is hidden in the longer, tighter clitoral prepuce until a strong sexual impulse is felt, and it is only when a considerable degree of sexual arousal is reached that the head of the clitoris is visibly exposed.
The head of the clitoris is about 2°5 mm in diameter and length, and there is a large individual variation in their size, even if as thick as 10 mm is normal. The body of the clitoris is always encased in the clitoral prepuce, which leaves the lower part of the anterior border of the pubic symphysis and turns almost at right angles to protrude anteriorly and inferiorly, known as the pendulous portion, the free end of which is the head of the clitoris. The clitoral body, which is as thick as a matchstick, can be felt when touched and pressed through the clitoral prepuce, and it swells after sexual arousal, making it more obvious to the touch.
The body of the clitoris divides backward into a pair of cylindrical clitoral pedicles, which are much larger than the head and body of the clitoris and are about 40 millimeters in length, and resemble two wings extending out from the body of the clitoris on both sides, holding the clitoris firmly in place on the pubic and sciatic branches of the pelvis. The clitoral pedicle is an important engorged and swollen tissue in women during sexual arousal, and like the penis, the clitoris also has a suspensory ligament attached to the anterior superior aspect of the median diaphragm of the clitoral corpus cavernosum, and a pair of sciatic cavernosum muscles covering the surface of the clitoral pedicle, which is positioned with respect to the distance between the start of the clitoral pedicle at the anterior border of the pubic symphysis and the orifice of the urethra, which has been reported to be an average of 25 millimeters.
There is so much variation in the length of the clitoral body that it is anatomically impossible to specify the exact point of attachment of the clitoral pedicle to the anterior border of the pubic symphysis, or to describe accurately the exact distance between the point of attachment of the clitoral pedicle and the urethral opening. As a general rule, the head of the clitoris is smaller in the case of a slender clitoral body and larger in the case of a short, thick clitoral body, but the opposite can also be seen.
The clitoris contains an abundance of sensitive nerve endings that are 6°10 times denser than the surrounding tissue or the glans penis. The clitoris is innervated by the dorsal clitoral nerve, which is a very small branch of the most terminal nerve of the clitoris, terminating in a plexus of nerve endings in the head and body of the clitoris. The larger nerve bundles of the dorsal clitoral nerve are irregularly lined with small bodies of the annulus associated with proprioceptive stimuli, which play an important role in transmitting afferent impulses elicited by somatic forms of stimulation.
The circumventricular vesicles, which act on deep pressure sensations and proprioception, are highly variable in quantity and quality, thus explaining why there is so much variation in the technique and intensity of stimulation required by women during masturbation. The clitoris is also rich in free nerve endings that are very sensitive to touch, which explains why the clitoris is so sensitive to touch. If the clitoris is skillfully stimulated, it is often easy to stimulate a woman’s libido and can often lead to orgasm without the need for intercourse.
Generally speaking, stimulating the body of the clitoris is more effective than stimulating the head of the clitoris directly. In addition, the clitoris often need a long period of continuous strong stimulation, after all, separated by a layer of foreskin, so it is well tolerated, especially to the near climax more need to be stimulated vigorously and substantially. Stimulation of the clitoris is the process of mobilizing the female subjective initiative and sexual desire of the moment, but also to make the female side quickly from the excitement of the transition into the platform period of the moment, the female side must actively participate in, as a good guide and command, clear to the male side to indicate the most sensitive parts of their own favorite stimulation, at any time to communicate to correct the male stimulation techniques bias or insufficient. Otherwise, let the male blind riding blind horse rash, not only wasted time and energy, but also make the woman herself feel disappointed and annoyed.
According to statistics, there are 2 3 women are more willing to accept clitoral stimulation, only 1 3 women prefer vaginal stimulation, willing to accept clitoral stimulation of women believe that clitoral stimulation brought about by the pleasure is far more than vaginal stimulation brought about by the pleasure of the stronger. Although sex experts have clearly confirmed the important role of clitoral stimulation in women’s sexual response, there are still many women who do not accept this practice.
In most sexual positions, the penis does not directly stimulate the clitoris, and when the sexual response enters the plateau phase, due to the contraction of the female perineal muscles, the clitoris will also retreat from its usual hanging position to the depths of the clitoral prepuce, close to the anterior border of the pubic symphysis, and thus away from the vaginal opening. This retraction makes it more difficult for the penis to make direct contact with the clitoris. In fact, during purely vaginal intercourse, the penis will indirectly stimulate the clitoris by pulling back and forth on the labia minora and the clitoral prepuce attached to them, especially when the penis is pulled outward and the prepuce returns to the glans or the coronal sulcus so that the diameter of the penis increases by a few millimeters, which makes the clitoris even more susceptible to indirect stimulation.
● Changes in the clitoris during the sexual response cycle
Because of the longstanding misconceptions about sexuality, as well as the misconceptions about sexuality and the reproductive system, the study of the truth about the process of sexual response has been seriously impeded; coupled with technical difficulties, such as in certain positions of sexual intercourse or when the female self-stimulation, which makes clinical observation interfered with or impossible, the report on the anatomical and physiological changes of the clitoris in the sexual cycle is the latest to be introduced. Therefore, reports on the anatomical and physiological changes of the clitoris during the sexual response cycle are the latest to be introduced.
There are two forms of sexual stimulation, somatic and psychogenic, and the clitoris can respond equally well to both. The fact that there are somatic and psychological sources of stimulation and that the clitoris plays the dual role of receptor and sensor does not mean that a particular form of stimulation is purely somatic. This is because all stimuli are identified, transmitted and categorized by higher cortical centers. So-called somatic stimulation involves only physical activity, and this form of clitoral stimulation is highly variable, ranging from manipulative stroking or other forms of stimulation between the sexes to self-stimulation with the pressure of bedding or legs. So the use of the term somatic stimulation or sensorimotor action implies only a general reference and is not directed at any particular means of initiation. In any method of female sexual stimulation, the overlap of essentially psychosexual factors is always important and cannot be ignored.
The first perineal response to sexual stimulation is the increase in vaginal secretions, which creates the conditions for lubrication. It takes only 10°30 seconds from the start of stimulation to the “sweating” reaction of the vaginal walls. The clitoris does not react so quickly. The general public wrongly imagines that since the clitoris and the penis are homologous tissues with similar anatomical structures, then the response time to similar stimuli should also be similar, so the clitoris should also be like the penis, whenever the libido impulse to quickly appear “erection” reaction, but the facts have proved that this inference is wrong.
The speed with which a clitoral response occurs depends on whether the nature of the sexual stimulation is direct or indirect. The only direct stimulation is manual or mechanical stroking and pressure on the clitoral body or the entire mons pubis area, while indirect stimulation techniques are varied and include stimulation of the breasts (especially the nipples) or the vagina (without touching the clitoris), caressing other sensitive areas of the body that can be sensually aroused, various types of sexual or audio-visual stimulation, a variety of positions of sexual intercourse that do not involve direct contact with the clitoris, and experiments in artificial sexual intercourse.
In thousands of direct observations of women’s sexual response cycles, it has been found that clinical evidence of a swelling response in the clitoral head is seen in less than half of the cases, and the degree of vascular engorgement varies from barely recognizable to doubling the original size. The erectile organization of the clitoris is largely regulated by the parasympathetic nerves that innervate it. This response has been confused with an erection of the penis and has been called a clitoral “erection,” but in actual practice it has been found that, unless there is pathologic hyperplasia, no so-called clitoral erection can be seen. The swelling of the clitoris is parallel to the vascularization of the labia minora, and the blood supply to the clitoris comes from the deep and dorsal clitoral arteries.
Once the swelling response of the clitoral head occurs and the sexual stimulation that brought the woman to a state of arousal is maintained, the response can persist throughout the sexual cycle. The presence or absence of a swelling response cannot be predicted in advance. There are significant differences in the extent to which the swelling response increases in size and how quickly it occurs, e.g., during direct stimulation, the response is rapid and strong, whereas during indirect stimulation, the response is significantly delayed and weak.
In the absence of stimulation, the clitoral prepuce may be slightly wrinkled but not retracted, and its freedom of movement is apparently less than that of the penile prepuce or scrotal skin. As the head of the clitoris swells and increases in size, it becomes tightly anchored between the previously flaccid but now engorged prepuce and the clitoral girdle below it.
The body of the clitoris also undergoes thickening and growth in response to arousal, and these responses are synchronized with the appearance of swelling of the clitoral head, independent of the source or type of stimulation. Both women who are able to have multiple orgasms in a row and women who are unable to have orgasms are likely to experience the clitoral head and body responses described above during sexual activity, independent of sexual ability and responsiveness.
The primary clitoral response to effective stimulation occurs during the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle. The clitoral head and body will recede backward from their normal pubic suspension position and rest against the anterior border of the pubic symphysis as a result of the contraction of a variety of muscle bundles, including the clitoral pedicle, suspensory ligament, and sciatic cavernous muscle. Especially as orgasm approaches, the entire clitoral head and body are so deeply hidden under the protective clitoral prepuce that it is no longer possible to observe them clinically. At this point, there is at least a 50% reduction in the length of the entire clitoral body.
During the plateau phase, the onset of the clitoral subject’s withdrawal response is related to the mode and effectiveness of sexual stimulation. During intercourse or breast manipulation, clitoral withdrawal occurs at the end of the plateau phase as an indication that sexual tension has reached pre-orgasmic levels. With manual stimulation of the mons pubis region, the onset of main body clitoral withdrawal will be more rapid, usually occurring early in the plateau, which tends to indicate a sensory response to tactile stimulation rather than an impending orgasm.
The flinching response of the clitoral body that occurs during the plateau phase is reversible; if the means of stimulation is intentionally diminished or discontinued, the level of sexual tension will immediately decrease and the flinching clitoral stem and head will return to the normal clitoral drape position. When effective stimulation is restarted, the regression of the clitoral body will reappear. This sequence of clitoral responses will recur when the plateau period is maintained over a long period of time.
Direct observation of the clitoris during orgasm is not possible due to the severe regression of the clitoris in the late stages of the plateau, so one is not yet sure what particular responses the clitoris will have during orgasm.
Within 5°10 seconds after the cessation of the contractions of the orgasmic plateau at the beginning of the waning period, the clitoris returns to its normal pubic suspension position, which occurs in parallel with the fading of the sexual skin color of the labia minora. However, the subsidence of clitoral head swelling (if it does occur during arousal) is a slow process, and the more severe the swelling, the slower it subsides. In general, the congestion and swelling of the clitoral head and body often last 5°10 minutes or more after the expression of orgasm. As for women who do not have an orgasm, the venous congestion and swelling of the body of the clitoris often lasts for several hours after the termination of all sexual stimulation activities.
It is worth reminding people that the head of the clitoris becomes extremely sensitive to any touch or pressure after orgasm, so women who desire multiple orgasms should be careful to avoid touching the head of the clitoris directly when reintroducing new stimulation, and should instead turn their attention to the entire mons pubis area. Especially after terminating orgasm via G-spot stimulation, both the clitoris and its surrounding tissues reject any form of further stimulation. This is why it has also been suggested that women also have a period of inappropriateness, but that it is generally much shorter than in men.
● Misconceptions about the clitoris
Clinical myths that have dominated the description of the functional changes of the clitoris during the increase of sexual tension in women need to be clarified on the basis of the results of clinical experimental studies, which must take into account in detail the dual functional role of the clitoris as a receptor and a sensor of sexual stimulation, which is an important guideline for the effective treatment of sexual dysfunctions in women.
Misconception #1: Historically, there has been a direct correlation between the size of the clitoris and a woman’s ability to perform sexual acts. However, there is no clear evidence from laboratory or clinical observations to support this belief, so women need not be concerned about the size of their clitoris.
Misconception No. 2: In the past, the position of the clitoris on the anterior border of the pubic symphysis has always been regarded as an important factor influencing women’s sexual response. People tend to think that if the clitoris is located in a lower position, it will increase the chance of direct contact with the penis during sexual intercourse. In fact, a lower position does not help, not to mention the clitoral withdrawal response that occurs during the plateau phase! This further eliminates even the theoretical possibility of a direct collision between the two organs.
Misconception No. 3: In the past, it was always said that if women masturbated for a long period of time, it could make the clitoral head bigger and the clitoral body thicker. It is true that clitoral enlargement can be seen in women with a history of decades of masturbation, but a closer look at their sexual history often reveals that one or more methods of mechanical stimulation have been widely used. Of course, the effects of persistent androgens (either overproduced by the adrenal glands in vivo or exogenously obtained by oral or intramuscular injection) must first be ruled out. In principle, the clitoris has only connective tissue such as elastic fibers and smooth muscle fibers, so various mechanical or manipulative stimulation will not produce the hyperplastic response that is readily seen in the transverse muscle, which can be muscled in the arms and legs by physical exercise, but never in the smooth muscle. This is just like the male penis, it is difficult to make the penis growth and thickening through the so-called negative pressure attractor and other instruments, breast augmentation device can not be trusted reason is also here.
Misconception No. 4: Various marriage manuals and guides are tired of repeating the same old tune, emphasizing how the penis should be used to stimulate the clitoris directly during the couple’s sexual life. In fact, unless the man makes a special effort to make the penis stem directly on the entire mound of the woman, it is impossible to produce direct friction between the penis and clitoris.
When sexual tension is high, it is difficult to keep the man in this high, overlapping position, especially if the woman’s vaginal opening is tight and has not yet attained a level of transvestite laxity. The woman often complains of vaginal or rectal discomfort. At this point, it is also impossible for the penis to penetrate fully into the vaginal depths, so the vaginal dilatation that the man’s penis is supposed to feel is all gone. Therefore, in order to better stimulate the clitoris in order to stimulate the female libido faster, can also be used before sexual intercourse with the erect penis gently rubbing the female clitoris method, it is a very ideal, very skillful, very popular with the woman’s practical methods.
In addition, in the use of female supine position, side position, sitting position and other positions during sexual intercourse, both sides can be in the penis pumping at the same time with the hand to directly stimulate the clitoris, this two-pronged approach will undoubtedly speed up the arrival of orgasm and enhance the intensity of sexual pleasure, but also an important technical means of treatment of female orgasmic disorder.
Some marriage manuals go to great lengths to discuss clitoral stroking and why and when to stimulate the clitoris, but far more important guidance on how to stroke the clitoris and how much stimulation is needed is rarely asked for. The study found that this varied greatly from woman to woman, and few two women would require exactly the same maneuvers, but the vast majority of women shared a common tendency to avoid direct clitoral stroking at the outset of sexual activity. Moreover, even when this is done it is only for a very short time. This activity is usually limited to the period of arousal, and lubrication is used.
In most cases, the alternative is to concentrate on stimulating the entire mons pubis area, which is slower but equally satisfying without causing pain or burning in the clitoris as a result of heavy and prolonged stimulation. If the stimulation is concentrated on one area for too long, or if too much pressure is applied during stimulation, it can cause some degree of paralysis in the area, resulting in a loss of sensitivity to touch. Strong evidence in favor of the idea of the mons veneris as another erogenous zone can be derived from observations of masturbatory activity after clitoridectomy. Stimulation of the mons pubis area alone is as effective after surgery as it was before, and masturbation tends to focus primarily on the mons pubis area, with only a small amount of time focused on the postoperative scar.
Most women who actively masturbate are never satisfied with a single orgasm during self-stroking involving clitoral stimulation, so they control the level of their sexual response in order to experience repeated orgasms until they reach complete physical and mental satisfaction and a sense of physical exhaustion before terminating the process. However, some women still maintain or arouse an increasingly strong feeling of desire for the opposite sex, and if the environmental conditions do not allow it, they tend to fall into a state of uncontrollable irritability or frustration, which is physically and mentally frustrating.
The withdrawal of the clitoris during the plateau phase often confuses the man, who then stops stimulation in an attempt to retrieve it. This male error is another common cause of significant frustration for the highly aroused female partner, who finds it difficult to recover from the physical and mental distraction, and the level of sexual tension during the plateau phase dissipates and is lost. The frustration is exacerbated by the hopelessness of orgasm, and the congestive stagnation of the pelvic organs cannot be dissipated. The correct approach is for the male partner to continue active and effective stimulation of the entire mons pubis region until orgasm arrives.