12 Things You Should Definitely Know About Your Clit
Your clitoris is an integral part of having a good time in bed, but how much do you actually know about it? Unlike penises, which literally let it all hang out, your goods are a bit more tucked away and compact—but that doesn’t mean they need to remain a mystery.
“All you need is a hand mirror to explore,” says Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Yale School of Medicine. May we suggest whipping one out as a reading companion to these facts?
Chances are, when you think of your clitoris, you’re only focusing on the clitoral head, or the pea-sized nub of pleasure hiding out beneath the clitoral hood. “Beyond the head, there’s a three- to five-inch-long structure that stems inward along the vaginal canal,” says Sadie Allison, Ph.D., author of Tickle Your Fancy: A Woman’s Guide to Sexual Self-Pleasure.
They’re just a little smaller than men’s. Your clitoris is made up of the same spongy erectile tissue as a penis. “When you’re aroused, blood flow to the tissue causes it to engorge,” says Allison. Clitoral and penile erectile tissue are the same because all embryos start off with a vulva. “If the embryo’s second chromosome is a Y, the clitoris grows longer and becomes a penis and the outer labia grow into testicles instead,” says Allison.
Learn other fun facts about your body:
The legs are shaped like a wishbone, and they also swell with blood when you’re turned on. “What people call a vaginal orgasm could very well be clitoral because the crura legs are being stimulated along the vaginal walls,” says Allison. Here’s a little bit of (very fun) homework: The next time you’re super turned on, run your finger pads up and down the inside of your inner labia. Press against your skin, and you might notice what feels like two swollen veins. Those are your crura! "Every body is different," says Allison. "You may not be able to feel it, but it’s worth exploring when you’re in that state."
Its official name is the commissure, and it’s a lot like the foreskin of a man’s penis. Think of it as your clit’s bodyguard, keeping all that sensitive tissue safe from irritants. There’s also a shaft right under the clitoral hood to help connect the head and legs.
It’s a serious hub of pleasure: your clitoris packs around 8,000 nerve endings into its small real estate. “That’s about two to three times more than the amount in the head of a penis,” says Allison. “It’s the reason why so many men don’t understand how gentle they may need to be with a clitoris.” Don’t be shy if you need to tell him to go for feather-light strokes instead of jamming it like a doorbell.
