{"id":17939,"date":"2017-08-16T07:19:16","date_gmt":"2017-08-16T07:19:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/?p=17939"},"modified":"2024-07-13T07:31:32","modified_gmt":"2024-07-13T05:31:32","slug":"clit-literate-learning-truth-behind-anatomical-wonder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/clit-literate-learning-truth-behind-anatomical-wonder\/","title":{"rendered":"Clit Literate: Learning the Truth Behind an Anatomical Wonder"},"content":{"rendered":"

Fun fact: the word clitoris takes its name from the Ancient Greek for \u2018key.\u2019 That\u2019s pleasingly fitting on a number of levels – not least because for most women, the not-so-humble clit unlocks a world of pleasure! But what about the biology behind the love button? For a very sexy science class, read on\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Cliteracy: A Brief History<\/span><\/h2>\n

Our understanding of the clitoris\u2019 centrality to female sexuality has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years. Although recognized as anatomically similar to the male penis as long ago as Ancient Greece, for much of history women\u2019s pleasure took a backseat to more \u2018important\u2019 things like baby-making and so on. But the clit, as we\u2019ll discover, has zero role in fertility, and is made solely for enjoyment.<\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, it\u2019s only relatively recently that the clitoris has become more thoroughly understood. Incredibly, its full anatomy was only properly investigated in 1998 by groundbreaking Australian urologist (and surely a hero among women), Helen O\u2019Connell. A decade later, French researchers published the first complete 3D sonography showing the clitoris\u2019 physical function and make up.<\/span><\/p>\n

Since then, discussions surrounding this most magical of buds have gone pleasingly mainstream. With that in mind, get cliterate with these eight naked truths\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

1. What lies beneath\u2026<\/span><\/h2>\n

The clitoris is a lot like an iceberg, in so much that most of it lies hidden inside the body with only the glans and hood visible on the outside. That external part represents roughly just one quarter of its total size which could be anywhere between 3.5 to 5 inches long and 2.5 inches wide.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Parallels with penises<\/span><\/h2>\n

In terms of physical makeup, the clitoris and penis actually have a lot in common. That\u2019s because in utero, they start off as one in the same. The anatomy only develops into one or t\u2019other later in pregnancy, thought to be anywhere between nine and 12 weeks. Even then, they have more in common than meets the eye. For example, both have a foreskin (the clit\u2019s hood, that is), erectile tissue and a shaft (albeit a small one in clits).<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Lady boners<\/span><\/h2>\n

Clitorises and penises don\u2019t just share physical and structural similarities; they also behave in a similar way. During arousal, blood rushes to the clitoris\u2019 spongy tissue, kind of like a female hard on. But while a guy loses his erection almost immediately on ejaculating, the clitoris takes a while to recover its composure\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Pleasure is its sole raison d\u2019\u00eatre<\/span><\/h2>\n

The clitoris contains a whopping 8,000 super-sensitive nerve endings, which is double the number found in the glans of a penis. More impressive still, its sole purpose is pleasure. In other words, clits just wanna have fun!- and thankfully, we have a wealth of massagers made expressly for doing exactly that<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5. The magic bean that just keeps growing<\/span><\/h2>\n

Girls may generally stop growing around the end of puberty\u2026 but her clitoris has other ideas! Although its size has absolutely zero impact on pleasure potential, it actually grows as the woman gets older. Case in point: by the time a woman reaches the age of 32, her clit will be almost four times the size it was at puberty. What\u2019s more, post-menopause it will be an impressive <\/span>seven<\/span><\/i> times bigger than at birth. Amazing!<\/span><\/p>\n

6. The key to an orgasm<\/span><\/h2>\n

Here’s the thing: very few women are able to climax through vaginal intercourse alone. Instead, for a majority of women – an estimated 50 – 70 percent – clitoral stimulation is essential for orgasm. That could come courtesy of fingers, tongues, or perhaps a more than fit-for-purpose vibe like\u00a0SONA<\/a>\u00a0– the World-First Sonic Clitoral Stimulator which\u00a0stimulates 75%\u00a0more\u00a0of the clitoris (including the part of its structure you can\u2019t see)!<\/span><\/p>\n

7. It just keeps coming\u2026<\/span><\/h2>\n

From vaginal to G-spot, you\u2019ve probably heard about – and hopefully enjoyed! – the various kinds of orgasm<\/a> a woman might experience. But a clitoral number takes things to new heights of pleasure, by clocking in anywhere between three and 16 muscular contractions in the vagina, uterus and thereabouts. What\u2019s more, a clitoral climax can last from between 10 to 30 satisfying seconds.<\/span><\/p>\n

8. What\u2019s in a name?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Fittingly for such a stupendous sex organ, the clitoris goes by a veritable register of names. \u2018Bean,\u2019 \u2019rosebud\u2019 and \u2018love button\u2019 are all pretty self-explanatory, as is its shortened form, \u2018clit.\u2019 We rather like \u2018hooded lady\u2019 for its aura of mystique, and visually minded folk might lean toward \u2018man in a canoe.\u2019 We\u2019re always looking to expand our pleasure lexicon – share your preferred nickname in the comments!<\/span><\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/span><\/h2>\n

Aimed solely at pleasure, the clitoris is totally unique when it comes to human anatomy. What\u2019s more and as you\u2019d expect, they differ from woman to woman in terms of everything from size and sensitivity, to just how she likes to touch it alone or with a partner. With that in mind, isn\u2019t it time you got to know the clitoris in your life?<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Fun fact: the word clitoris takes its name from the Ancient Greek for \u2018key.\u2019 That\u2019s pleasingly fitting on a number of levels – not least because for most women, the not-so-humble clit unlocks a world of pleasure! But what about the biology behind the love button? For a very sexy science class, read on\u2026 Cliteracy: A Brief History Our understanding of the clitoris\u2019 centrality to female sexuality has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years. Although recognized as anatomically […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":92,"featured_media":17940,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[873,737,753],"coauthors":[949],"class_list":["post-17939","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sexual-health","tag-clitoral","tag-sex-information","tag-women"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nClit Literate: Learning the Truth Behind a Wonder of Sexual Anatomy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There's a whole lot more to this little body part than meets the eye - literally! 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