5 Crazy-Cool Things You NEVER Knew About Your Clitoris
Who knew?!
Most women (and those who love them) are well aware that the clitoris is the most pleasurable part of the female body. It is the crown jewel of the female sexual system. But here are five facts that you may not know — and this knowledge will transform your sexual experience.
1. Clitoral stimulation is usually the primary way women reach orgasm.
It is the female anatomical match to the male penis, so keep that in mind when you consider its importance in the female sexual experience. Imagine a man trying to achieve orgasm without touching his penis! In The Normal Bar study, 81% of women reported climax through erotic touch alone, rather than through intercourse.
We recommend that women experience orgasms through manual or oral stimulation before penetration every time they have intercourse. Orgasms before intercourse make penetration way more pleasurable — and highly increase the odds of women experiencing orgasm during intercourse itself.
2. Women get erections.
The clitoris has erectile tissue, just like the penis. During arousal, the clitoris swells and grows visibly in size. The amount of swelling ranges from woman to woman — on some women the change is dramatic, on others it is more subtle. The erectile tissue fills with blood and the swelling exposes more nerve endings to touch, making the clitoris even more sensitive.
Get to know your own clitoris intimately by looking at it both before, during, and after arousal. Enhance your clitoral erections by maximizing blood flow to the pelvis. Techniques like butt massages go a long way towards relaxing chronic pelvic constriction that can limit blood flow. Once you relax the tension, more blood can reach your genitals and you'll experience stronger erections, more sensation and stronger orgasms.
3. The clitoris is the most sensitive part of the female sexual system.
The external part of the clitoris, just like the penis, has both a shaft and a head. You can stimulate the shaft of the clitoris as a warm-up to more direct touch of the clitoral head. The clitoris has about 6,000 to 8,000 nerve endings — more than any other part of either the male or female body. It is super-sensitive and this sensitivity ranges dramatically from woman to woman, so men need to learn about how their partners like to be stimulated.
If her clitoris is too sensitive for direct touch, try using the labia as a sheath through which you can stimulate the clitoris. If your clitoris gets hypersensitive after orgasm, this is also a great technique to use while you are exploring multiple orgasms.
4. The clitoris isn't just an external structure.
The part of the clitoris you can see is just the tip of the iceberg! The legs of the clitoris extend down and back into the body, shaped like a wishbone with the clitoral shaft up top in the center. The clitoral legs contain lots of sensitive nerve endings, so don't ignore them!
First, experiment with using deeper pressure on the labia to activate the legs of the clitoris. Then, focus on stimulating the internal part of the clitoral shaft. The pelvic bone is situated perfectly to stimulate the internal part of the clitoris. Once you are already aroused, explore using deep pressure to locate the pelvic bone, then use circular and pulsing motions to grind the internal shaft of the clitoris against the bone.
Talk about pleasure from the inside out!
5. NOT using your clitoris can cause it to fuse closed.
If you do not use your clitoris, you can experience clitoral atrophy, a medical condition where the clitoris will retreat into the body or the hood will fuse closed, covering the head and shaft of the clitoris. The clitoris, like all other tissues in the body, relies on blood flow to stay healthy. Keep your sexual anatomy healthy and experience the many health benefits of orgasm by staying sexually active and alive.
With or without a partner in your life, masturbation is an important part of self-care. Take time every few days to touch yourself and bring yourself to orgasm. Orgasms boost the immune system, support a healthy sleep cycle, and help keep your hormones balanced. So go ahead, give yourself a hand and then pay attention to all the pleasurable side effects of staying in touch with the queen of your sexual system, the mighty clitoris.