The clitoris is an organ that is central to female sexual pleasure, yet very little was known about it until recently. Unlike its anatomical counterpart, the penis, which was accurately described as early as 35 BCE by Hippocrates, the clitoris was not fully anatomically described until the year 2005. This historical neglect of the clitoris has led to some major consequences for patients, health care professionals, and society as a whole.

Historically, societal attitudes about female sexuality contributed to the view that female sexual pleasure was shameful. The stigma surrounding female sexual pleasure persisted in many cultures until at least the 1960s, which brought the second wave feminist movement to the U.S. and the advent of birth control that provided a means of separating sex and reproduction. Even then, the clitoris did not receive the same level of scientific and clinical attention as the penis.

In 2005, urologist Dr. Helen O’Connell used cross-sectional imaging to accurately describe the anatomy of the clitoris in healthy, premenopausal, cisgender women for the first time. Dr. O’Connell’s research helped shine light on this mostly internal 3-dimensional organ.

Specifically, scientists now know that the clitoris is made up of the internal paired clitoral bulbs, corporal bodies, and crura, which are all composed of erectile tissue. This structure is surrounded by the tunica albuginea, a fibrous sheath of tissue. The only external part of the clitoris is the extremely sensitive glans clitoris.

In the past, it was widely and erroneously stated that the glans clitoris had 8,000 nerve fibers. This figure was based on a study that determined the number of nerve fibers in a cow’s clitoris, and the results of this study were adopted as fact about the human clitoris. It was not until 2022 that researchers disproved this statement by determining the true number of nerve fibers in the human clitoris to be over 10,000.

Due to the lack of research and commonly accepted misconceptions about the clitoris, individuals with vulvas may not always get the support they need when they have a medical condition that affects their genitals. In fact, many vulvar conditions go undiagnosed and untreated. For example, clitoral adhesions can cause pain, difficulties with arousal, and orgasmic dysfunction, but since many medical professionals have only a basic understanding of the clitoris at best, this condition may be overlooked and attributed to a psychological cause.

Similarly alarming are the implications of conducting surgery on the clitoris, vulva, or any other pelvic structure without a full appreciation of the anatomy of the clitoris. Surgeries that can affect the clitoral anatomy have been done for many years, but there are still gaps in knowledge about the clitoris. This means that the clitoris can unknowingly be damaged during a surgery to correct another problem, potentially leading to sexual dysfunction and/or difficulties for patients.

Moving forward, it is vital that scientists continue to add to the limited research about the clitoris so that our understanding and appreciation of this important organ continues to grow. In this way, we can begin to bridge the gap in knowledge about the clitoris.

References:

• Peters, B., Ndumele, A., & Uloko, M.I. (2023). Clinical implications of the historical, medical, and social neglect of the clitoris. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 20(4), 418-421. https://doi.org/10.1093/jsxmed/qdac044