The clitoris, which is often upstaged by the vagina, is quite literally the mecca of female sexual pleasure. It’s often misunderstood and has historically has been shrouded in a bit of mystery but we are ready to reveal 7 facts about the clitoris you probably weren’t taught in sex-ed.
The name comes from Greek
The term clitoris, or clit for short, is the term you are most likely familiar with today, at least if you’re into women we *hope* you’re familiar with it, but the ancient Greek word “kleitoris,” actually means “little hill,” and it’s kind of exactly that!
The “little hill” is just the tip of the iceberg (pun intended)
The clitoris is not just the part of your vulva that feels like a tiny button. The clitoris is composed of multiple parts. The gland, the clitoral body, and the paired crura and vestibular bulbs. The rest of the clitoris, usually about three-fourths of the whole thing, is inside your body. It sounds complicated but the visible part of the clitoris on a woman is one of the most sensitive erogenous zones due to its high concentration of nerve endings so it’s a great place to start.
Most women can’t orgasm without clit stimulation.
Fifty to 75 percent of women who have orgasms need to have their clitoris touched in order to reach the grand finale. Although it’s depicted in adult films and many movies that women can easily have an orgasm from intercourse alone it’s definitely not the norm. Try using a clit stimulating toy during intercourse, like this one, to help push you over the edge!
The clitoris grows throughout a woman’s life
When puberty begins, the clitoris starts to increase in size, usually getting 1.8 times larger by the time puberty ends. It can grow even more after menopause, as much as seven times the size it was at birth. These changes are relatively unnoticeable since it’s so small, to begin with. Do you wish you could relate to this one guys?
It’s so, so, so sensitive
The clitoris has about 8,000 sensitive nerve endings, double the amount of a penis, sorry guys, we have you beat on that one, but it doesn’t stop there. The excitement that is started in the clitoris can spread affecting 150,000 other nerve endings in the pelvic area. Let that sink in.
It functions a lot like a penis
It’s not really shaped like one, but the clitoris actually has pretty similar anatomy to a penis, with glans, a foreskin, also known as the clitoral hood, and a shaft. It also swells when aroused.
Its only function is pleasure
The clitoris has absolutely zero reproductive functions, and seriously only exists to make you feel good. Ever wonder why after you reached an orgasm you don’t want that area touched, like at all? It’s because it’s a one-note organ. It serves no other function and touching is after the fact can actually be painful.
Whether you have one or are just curious about the mecca of female sexual pleasure, we hope you learned more about the Clitoris here than you did in sex-ed!