The anatomy and physiology of the clitoris (experiential story adult novel)

The clitoris is a magical and unique organ in the entire human anatomy. It is the only organ in humans that is only related to sexual arousal and sexual perception. Its only physiological function is to stimulate women's sexual desire and pleasure. As the arousal center for incoming and outgoing sexual stimuli, it plays the dual role of the most sensitive receptor and the most powerful sensor.

The clitoris is located at the front meeting point of the labia majora at the front end of the vulva and between the labia minora on both sides. It is somewhat similar to the male penis and is actually a homolog of the penis. The clitoris is composed of a pair of erect and swollen corpora cavernosa, which are divided into three parts: head, body, and crus. It is wrapped in a dense capsule mainly composed of elastic fibers and smooth muscle bundles. The central surfaces of the two corpora cavernosa are fused into a comb-shaped septum. The bean-sized, drum-shaped glans of the clitoris extends forward from the labia minora on both sides and merges together, forming a skin fold that surrounds the clitoris and is exposed in the clitoral hood. This is the only visible part of the clitoris.

Below it is the clitoral frenulum. For many women, the clitoral glans is hidden in the longer and tighter clitoral hood until they feel strong sexual impulses. Only when they reach a certain level of sexual excitement will the clitoral glans be clearly exposed.

The diameter and length of the glans clitoris are both around 2.5 mm. There are large individual differences in their size, and even a size as thick as 10 mm is normal. The body of the clitoris is always wrapped in the clitoral hood. After it leaves the lower part of the front edge of the pubic symphysis, it turns almost at a right angle and protrudes forward and downward, called the hanging part. Its free end is the glans clitoridis. When you touch and press a certain part through the clitoral hood, you can feel the clitoral body, which is as thick as a matchstick. It swells after sexual excitement and becomes more obvious to the touch.

The body of the clitoris is divided into a pair of cylindrical clitoral crus, which are much larger than the glans and body of the clitoris, about 40 mm long, like two wings extending from the body of the clitoris to both sides, firmly fixing the clitoris to the pubic and ischial branches of the pelvis. The crus of the clitoris is an important tissue that becomes congested and swollen when women are sexually excited. Like the penis, the clitoris also has a suspensory ligament attached to the anterior surface of the clitoral corpus cavernosum diaphragm. A pair of ischiocavernosus muscles cover the surface of the crus of the clitoris. The position of the clitoris is related to the distance between the starting point of the crus of the clitoris at the anterior border of the pubic symphysis and the urethral opening, which is reported to be an average of 25 mm.

The length of the clitoral body varies greatly. From an anatomical point of view, it is impossible to clearly point out the exact attachment point of the clitoral crus on the anterior border of the pubic symphysis, nor is it possible to accurately describe the exact distance between the attachment point of the clitoral crus and the urethral opening. As a general rule, those with a slender clitoral body have a smaller glans clitoridis, and those with a short and thick clitoral body have a larger glans clitoridis, but the opposite can also be seen.

The clitoris contains rich sensitive nerve endings, with a density 6 to 10 times higher than that of the surrounding tissues or the glans penis. The clitoris is innervated by the dorsal clitoral nerve, a very small branch of the pudendal nerve that terminates in a plexus of nerve endings on the glans and body of the clitoris. The larger nerve bundles of the dorsal nerve of the clitoris are irregularly distributed with proprioceptive stimulation-related annular corpuscles, which play an important role in transmitting afferent impulses caused by somatoform stimulation.

The annular corpuscles are responsible for deep pressure and proprioception, and their number and quality vary greatly, which explains why women require such great differences in the stimulation techniques and intensities when masturbating. The clitoris is also rich in free nerve endings that are very sensitive to touch. This shows why the clitoris is so sensitive to touch. If the clitoris is stimulated skillfully, it can easily arouse a woman's sexual desire and often make a woman reach orgasm without the need for sexual intercourse.

Generally speaking, stimulating the body of the clitoris is more effective than directly stimulating the glans of the clitoris. In addition, the clitoris often requires long-term, continuous and strong stimulation. After all, it is separated by a layer of foreskin, so it has good tolerance. Especially when it is close to orgasm, it needs to be stimulated more forcefully and drastically. The process of stimulating the clitoris is not only a moment to mobilize women's subjective initiative and sexual desire, but also a moment for women to quickly transition from the excitement period to the plateau period. Women must actively participate, act as a good guide and commander, and clearly point out to men their most sensitive parts and favorite stimulation methods. They should communicate fully at any time to correct deviations or deficiencies in men's stimulation techniques. Otherwise, letting the man rush around blindly will not only waste time and energy, but will also make the woman feel disappointed and irritated.

According to statistics, 2/3 of women prefer clitoral stimulation, and only 1/3 of women prefer vaginal stimulation. Women who are willing to accept clitoral stimulation believe that the pleasure brought by clitoral stimulation is far stronger than that brought by vaginal stimulation. Although sex experts have clearly confirmed the important role of clitoral stimulation in female sexual response, there are still many women who do not accept this practice.

In most sexual positions, the penis cannot directly stimulate the clitoris. Moreover, when the sexual response enters the plateau phase, due to the contraction of the female perineum muscles, the clitoris will retreat from its usual hanging position to the deep part of the clitoral hood, close to the front border of the pubic symphysis, and thus away from the vaginal opening. This retraction makes it more difficult for the penis to come into direct contact with the clitoris. In fact, during simple vaginal intercourse, the movement of the penis in the vagina will indirectly stimulate the clitoris by pulling the labia minora and the clitoral foreskin connected to it back and forth. Especially when the penis is pulled outward and the foreskin returns to the glans or coronal sulcus, the diameter of the penis increases by a few millimeters, making it easier for the clitoris to be indirectly stimulated.

● Changes in the clitoris during the sexual response cycle

Due to the long-standing misconceptions about sex and the various erroneous views on sex and the reproductive system, people's research on the truth of the sexual response process has been seriously hindered; coupled with technical difficulties, such as in certain sexual positions or when women self-stimulate, clinical observations are interfered with or cannot be carried out at all, so reports on the anatomical and physiological changes of the clitoris during the sexual response cycle were introduced last.

Sexual stimulation comes in two forms: physical and psychological. The clitoris can respond appropriately to these two different types of sexual stimulation. Although the sources of stimulation can be physical or psychological, and the clitoris plays the dual role of receptor and sensor, this does not mean that any form of stimulation is purely physical. Because all stimuli must be identified, transmitted and classified by higher cortical centers. So-called physical stimulation involves only physical activity. This form of clitoral stimulation varies. It can be manual caressing or other forms of stimulation between the sexes, or it can be self-stimulation using pressure from bedding or legs. Therefore, when the term somatic stimulation or sensory action is used, it is meant to be general and not to refer to any specific means of activation. In any method of female sexual stimulation, the overlap of essentially psychological factors is always important and cannot be ignored.

The first perineal reaction to sexual stimulation is an increase in vaginal secretions, which prepares the way for lubrication. It only takes 10°30 seconds from the start of stimulation to the appearance of "sweating" reaction in the vaginal wall. The clitoris does not react as quickly. Most people mistakenly imagine that since the clitoris and the penis are homologous tissues with similar anatomical structures, the time to respond to similar stimuli should also be similar. Therefore, the clitoris should also quickly have an "erection" reaction whenever there is sexual impulse, just like the penis. However, the facts have proven that this inference is wrong.

How quickly the clitoral response occurs depends on whether the sexual stimulation is direct or indirect. The only direct stimulation method is manual or mechanical stroking and pressure of the clitoral body or the entire pubic area, while indirect stimulation techniques vary, including stimulation of the breasts (especially the nipples) or the vagina (without touching the clitoris), caressing of other sensitive areas of the body that can arouse sexual desire, various sexual fantasies or visual and auditory stimulation, a variety of sexual intercourse positions that do not directly contact the clitoris, and artificial intercourse experiments.

In thousands of direct observations of the female sexual response cycle, it was found that clinical evidence of clitoral glans swelling reaction was seen in less than half of the cases, and the degree of vascular congestion varied, ranging from barely recognizable to doubling the original volume. The erectile tissue of the clitoris is mainly regulated by the parasympathetic nerves that innervate it. This reaction was once confused with the erection of the penis and was called the "erection" of the clitoris, but actual investigations found that unless there is pathological hyperplasia, the so-called clitoral erection cannot be seen. The swelling of the clitoris is parallel to the vascular congestion of the labia minora. The blood supply of the clitoris comes from the deep clitoral artery and the dorsal artery.

Once the swelling reaction of the glans clitoris occurs and the sexual stimulation that brings the woman to the excitement stage is maintained, this reaction can persist throughout the entire sexual response cycle. The occurrence or non-occurrence of a swelling reaction cannot be predicted in advance. There are significant differences in the degree of increase in the volume of the swelling reaction and the speed of its occurrence. For example, when stimulated directly, the reaction is rapid and strong; while when stimulated indirectly, the reaction is significantly delayed and weak.

When unstimulated, the clitoral hood can shrink slightly but does not retract, and its freedom of movement is obviously not as great as that of the penile foreskin or scrotal skin. As the glans of the clitoris swells and increases in size, it will be tightly fixed between the previously relaxed but now engorged clitoral hood and the clitoral frenulum below it.

The body of the clitoris also experiences an excited engorgement response, thickening and growing. These reactions occur synchronously with the swelling of the glans clitoris and have nothing to do with the source or type of stimulation. Whether women can reach multiple orgasms in succession or women who cannot reach orgasm are likely to experience the above-mentioned reactions of the glans and body of the clitoris during sexual activity. The occurrence of these reactions has nothing to do with sexual ability or the degree of sexual response.

The clitoris's primary response to effective stimulation occurs during the plateau phase of the sexual response cycle. The glans and body of the clitoris will retract from the normal hanging position of the pudendum and close to the anterior border of the pubic symphysis due to the contraction of multiple muscle bundles such as the clitoral crus, suspensory ligaments and ischiocavernosus muscles. Especially when orgasm is about to come, the entire clitoral glans and body are deeply hidden under the protective clitoral hood, making them impossible to be clinically observed. At this point, the length of the entire clitoral body is reduced by at least 50%.

During the plateau phase, the occurrence of the clitoral retraction reaction is related to the mode and effectiveness of sexual stimulation. During sexual intercourse or breast manipulation, clitoral retraction occurs at the end of the plateau phase as an indication that sexual tension has reached pre-orgasmic levels. When manual stimulation is applied to the mons pubis area, retraction of the clitoral body will occur more rapidly, usually in the early plateau phase, which often indicates that it is a sensory response to tactile stimulation rather than an indication that orgasm is imminent.

The retraction reaction of the clitoral body that occurs during the plateau phase is reversible. If the stimulation is intentionally weakened or stopped, the level of sexual tension will drop immediately, and the retracted clitoral shaft and head will return to the normal pudendal hanging position. When effective stimulation is resumed, retraction of the clitoral body will reappear. When the plateau phase is maintained for a long time, this sequence of reactions of the clitoris will occur repeatedly.

Because the clitoris retracts severely in the late plateau period, it is impossible to directly observe the clitoris during the orgasm period, so people are not sure what special reactions the clitoris will have during the orgasm period.

At the beginning of the resolution phase, within 5 to 10 seconds after the contraction of the orgasm platform stops, the clitoris will return to its normal pudendal position. This occurs simultaneously with the fading of the color of the labia minora skin. However, the swelling of the glans clitoris (if it does occur during excitement) is a slow process, and the more severe the swelling, the slower it will go away. Generally speaking, the congestion and swelling of the glans and body of the clitoris often lasts for 5 to 10 minutes or longer after orgasm. As for women who do not achieve orgasm, the congestion and swelling of the veins in the body of the clitoris often lasts for several hours after all sexual stimulation activities are stopped.

It is worth reminding people that the glans clitoris will become extremely sensitive to any touch or pressure after orgasm. Therefore, women who desire multiple orgasms should be careful to avoid directly touching the glans clitoris when starting new stimulation, but should shift their attention to the entire mons pubis area. Especially after the terminal orgasm caused by G-spot stimulation, the clitoris and its surrounding tissues reject any further stimulation. So some people have suggested that women also have a refractory period, but generally speaking, this period is much shorter than that of men.

● Misconceptions about the clitoris

Various clinical fallacies have dominated people's explanation of the changes in clitoral function as women's sexual tension increases. Based on the results of clinical experimental research, it is necessary to clarify this. When discussing this issue, the dual functional role of the clitoris as a receptor and sensor of sexual stimulation must be considered in detail. This has important guiding significance for the effective treatment of female sexual dysfunction.

Misconception 1: Historically, it has been believed that the size of the clitoris is directly related to a woman's sexual ability. However, neither laboratory nor clinical observational studies have provided clear evidence to support this view, so women do not have to worry about the size of their clitoris.

Misconception 2: In the past, the position of the clitoris on the anterior border of the pubic symphysis was always considered an important factor affecting female sexual response. People tend to think that if the clitoris is located lower, it will have a greater chance of coming into direct contact with the penis during sexual intercourse. In fact, no matter how low the position is, it will not help, not to mention that the clitoris will retract during the plateau phase! This further eliminates even the theoretical possibility of a direct collision between the two organs.

Misconception three: In the past, it was always said that if women masturbate for a long time, the glans of the clitoris will become larger and the body of the clitoris will become thicker and longer. Clitoral hypertrophy can indeed be seen in women with a history of masturbation for decades, but when questioning their sexual history, it is often revealed that they have extensively used one or more mechanical stimulation methods. Of course, the first thing to do is to rule out the influence of continuous androgens (whether excessive secretion from the adrenal glands or exogenous via oral or intramuscular injection). In principle, the clitoris only has connective tissue such as elastic fibers and smooth muscle fibers, so various mechanical or manual stimulations will not produce the hyperplasia reaction that is easily seen on striated muscles. Physical exercise can develop the muscles of the arms and legs, but it will never cause smooth muscle hyperplasia. This is just like the male penis. It is difficult to make the penis longer and thicker through instruments such as the so-called negative pressure suction device. This is also the reason why breast augmentation devices are not trustworthy.

Misconception 4: Various marriage manuals and guides repeat the same old tune over and over again, emphasizing how the penis should be used to directly stimulate the clitoris during sexual intercourse. In fact, unless the man makes special efforts to make the penis shaft directly pressed against the woman's entire mons pubis, it is impossible to produce direct friction between the penis and the clitoris. When sexual tension is highly increased, it is difficult for the man to maintain this high overlapping sexual position, especially when the woman's vaginal opening is tight and has not yet reached the level of relaxation like a multiparous woman. Women often complain of discomfort in the vaginal opening or rectum. At this time, the penis cannot be fully inserted deep into the vagina, so the vaginal expansion effect that the male penis should feel will disappear completely. Therefore, in order to better stimulate the clitoris and arouse female sexual desire more quickly, you can also use the method of gently rubbing the female's clitoris with an erect penis before sexual intercourse. It is an ideal, clever and practical method that is very popular with women.

In addition, when adopting sexual intercourse in positions such as woman on top, sideways, or sitting, both parties can directly stimulate the clitoris with their hands while the penis is pumping. This two-pronged approach will undoubtedly speed up the arrival of orgasm and enhance the intensity of sexual pleasure. It is also an important technical means to treat female orgasm disorders.

Some marriage manuals discuss clitoral caressing at length, and discuss why and when to stimulate the clitoris, but few people pay attention to the far more important guidance, that is, how to caress the clitoris and how much stimulation is needed. Studies have found that each woman varies greatly in this regard, and few two women require exactly the same method of operation, but the vast majority of women have a common tendency, that is, they all avoid direct clitoral stimulation at the beginning of sexual activity. Moreover, even this is only for a short time. This activity is usually limited to the excitement period and lubrication is used.

In most cases, the alternative approach is to focus on stimulating the entire pubic area. Although this will have a slower effect, it can still provide satisfaction without causing pain or burning sensations to the clitoris due to excessive and prolonged stimulation. If the stimulation is concentrated on a certain area for too long or the pressure applied during stimulation is too great, it will cause a certain degree of paralysis in that area, resulting in the loss of sensitive response to touch. Strong evidence supporting the view of the mons pubis as another erogenous zone can be obtained from observations of masturbatory activity after clitoridectomy. The effect of stimulating the pubic area alone after surgery is just as effective as before surgery. Masturbation is often mainly focused on the pubic area, with only a small amount of time focused on the postoperative scar.

Most women who actively masturbate are never satisfied with just one orgasm when it comes to self-touching that involves clitoral stimulation, so they control their level of sexual response to experience repeated orgasms until they reach complete physical and mental satisfaction and a sense of physical exhaustion. However, some women still maintain or arouse an increasingly strong desire for the opposite sex. If environmental conditions do not allow, they often fall into a state of uncontrollable irritability or depression, which makes them physically and mentally frustrated.

The retraction reaction of the clitoris during the plateau phase often confuses men, so they stop stimulating it and try to get it back. This wrong behavior of men is another common reason for women who are in high excitement to suffer obvious frustration, because it is difficult for them to recover from the distraction of physical and mental attention, so the level of sexual tension in the plateau phase will disappear, and all previous efforts will be wasted. The lack of hope for orgasm intensifies frustration, and the congestion and stagnation in the pelvic organs cannot dissipate. The correct approach is that the man should continue to actively and effectively stimulate the entire pubic area until orgasm arrives.