By Sharon Gordon
Johannesburg - The Importance of being Clitoris
If there is one thing, I want everyone to know is the importance of the clitoris.
During sex education at school, we go from basic anatomy to diseases and rape. We never ever mention the clitoris and its importance. Where is the pleasure lecture?
The first comprehensive anatomical study of the clitoris was led by O'Connell and published in 1998. A subsequent study in 2005 examined it under MRI. Can you imagine, thousands of years of not understanding a part of a woman’s body.
Women very rarely look at their genitals - if ever. If they do it is usually after the birth of their first child and then it is not very pretty.
Many of us discover the clitoris completely by accident and I can’t tell you how many people think it’s the hole we urinate through. This is a shame, really!
The clitoris is the only part of the body that has no purpose other than sexual pleasure and yet it is avoided, misunderstood and clouded in mystery. If this pleasure object belonged to a man, it would be lit up in lights and touched at every opportunity.
Women on the other hand have been indoctrinated to believe that the clitoris is bad, dirty or forbidden. Some cultures even practise female circumcision to prevent female pleasure. It’s a ritual that continues despite being illegal in many countries.
If you don’t know what that means, let me explain. A young girl about to enter puberty is held down by her elders while a ‘butcher’ clamps and pulls out the clitoris and cuts it off. The whole vagina is then sewn closed and will only be torn open on her wedding night. Many girls die from infection and shock. None of this happens at Netcare. It is done without aesthetic or painkillers.
Enough I say, enough!
Educate yourselves, your mothers, daughters and friends!
Most women do not orgasm from penetration, so it doesn’t matter how hard or fast you go at us boys, it is not going to happen!
What we need is more clit stimulation. Even Oprah says so – and we all know that if the Oracle says so, it MUST be true.
If you open your genitals (and I mean the women reading this) and pull back the outer and inner lips – the outer and inner labia – you will see a small pea sized button near the top end of the genital area.
Pull back the hood, like the foreskin on a penis, you will see the glans or head of the clitoris. Slowly now, it is sensitive to touch and should be treated with respect.
The clitoris and the penis have more in common than you can imagine.
During gestation male and female embryos have the same genital formations until about eight weeks. The very same tissue then goes on to form the male of female genitalia.
Like the penis the head of the clitoris is just the beginning of the organ. The clitoris also has a shaft which travels from the head of the clitoris towards the pubic bone. The shaft of the clitoris then divides into two called the crura which follows and attaches to the pubic arch.
It then continues as the vestibular bulbs, two masses of erectile tissue between the labia minora and crura, partially surrounding the urethra and vaginal opening. Like the penis the clitoral tissue swells during arousal, increasing pleasure.
So, when we say the clit needs more attention, we do not want you to put your non-lubricated finger directly on the clitoral head; that may really hurt. We want you to stimulate and touch the whole clitoral system and it’s really not very difficult.
It may however require you to use more than just your penis unless you have a large pubic bone, you need to use your hand, mouth or vibrator to bring many women to orgasm. Why do you think the rabbit remains the top selling adult toy in the world?
Lola Montez is often asked what the best position is for clit stimulation. It really depends on the partner’s body parts.
Many women prefer being on top as they can position themselves for maximum stimulation. The half crab position works well because the top of the leg makes for a great rubbing post, or you could just use your hand.
If you and your partner are educated about the anatomy and function of the clitoris, many of the sexual issues we see would disappear. If your partner does not know where the clitoris is, there is a diminished chance of giving pleasure.
If you understand the function of the clitoris, men and women would be less likely to be distressed and concerned when they are unable to achieve orgasm from penetration alone.
If women knew their bodies intimately through inspection and masturbation, we would know what we are looking for when it comes to sexual pleasure. We would be able to guide our partners to provide more pleasure.
It is incredibly necessary to claim the importance of the clitoris and shower her with all the pleasure she deserves.