Where Is The Clitoris Located? A Step-By-Step Guide To Finding Her Magic Button
That magic button.
getty The clitoris is the pleasure center of a woman's body. That, at least, seems to be something that most people understand. If you don't understand that the clitoris is the pleasure center of a woman's body well... I just said it, so now you do. But where is the clitoris?
Whatever you believe, it's impossible to deny that women have truly been born with a gift. While men are very, very proud of their penises, the penis is a reproductive organ. The fact that a male orgasm feels good is just nature's way of making sure that men continue to reproduce.
The clitoris has nothing to do with reproduction, and women enjoy the distinction of being the only members of the population born with a part of their body dedicated solely to pleasure.
Men notoriously have trouble finding the clitoris, which makes sense because they don't have our anatomy and things get confusing down there unless you've got a chart, a flashlight, or at the very least some gumption.
But truth be told, men aren't the only ones with a tough time clocking the clitoris. Plenty of women aren't sure where exactly it's located, because it's only in recent years that more than a cursory mention of this was made in sex education classes. It can be embarrassing not to have a grip on your own body, but it isn't your fault!
Let's break down what the clitoris is and where you can find it on your body.
Where is the clitoris? This question isn't as straight-forward as it seems. Technically, your clitoris is located above your vaginal opening at the point where your inner labia meet. That's why that part of your labia is actually called your clitoral hood.
Different clitorises protrude to different lengths. Some women might have a relatively "short" clitoris, while others might have a clitoris that protrudes beyond your labia altogether. Both are totally normal.
But there's more! The part of the clitoris that you can see is made up of the same type of erectile tissue that makes up the penis. That's right! When your clitoris is aroused, it too can become turgid or stiff with increased blood circulation.
What's more, the clitoris is actually a lot bigger than it appears to be. That's because the clitoris continues, running under the surface on either of your labia. The clitoris is actually 10 times bigger than it appears to be from the outside. It has two spongy "legs" inside of your body. How's that for awesome?
As I mentioned above, every single clitoris is different. There is no such thing as a perfect one unless you count the fact that your own clitoris is perfectly your own.
For years the fact that the clitoris serves no reproductive purpose has led to false speculation about its purpose. Some doctors used to think that stimulating it could lead to mental illness, while the practice of female circumcision still exists in different parts of the world today.
While the clitoris is often the key to sexual pleasure for many women, don't be alarmed if you are NOT one of these women. Your levels of sensitivity may be different. The key is patience and a willingness to explore what works best for you.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cat, Batman. She hosts the love and dating advice show, Becca After Dark, on YourTango's Facebook Page every Tuesday and Thursday at 10:15 pm Eastern. For more of her work, check out her Tumblr.