Recall that earlier sex education conversation? The piece was called Advice About Sex for a College-Bound Girl. Your feedback on that post meant a lot, and something I came across yesterday convinced me a second round of discussion is necessary. A Facebook acquaintance, Twila, posted a link to the Cliteracy project. This initiative lives on the Huffington Post but functions as a standalone mini-site within their platform. (Visiting the link will clarify.)
Before exploring the Cliteracy site, I believed I had a solid grasp of the clitoris. In reality, I knew almost nothing, and much of what I thought I understood was incorrect. Perhaps even more troubling than my ignorance was my initial reaction upon seeing the site’s content: I felt distinctly uncomfortable—that 'no thanks, I’d rather not know' sensation. That's hardly a healthy or wise mindset.
If you share that feeling, I encourage you to stay with me through this article, because learning about the clitoris goes far beyond orgasms. Society’s widespread ignorance regarding female sexuality and anatomy causes serious harm. It impacts healthcare, medicine, relationships, and marriage. It connects to conversations about consent, female pain, and shapes—or distorts—our entire perspective on what constitutes healthy sex.
Here are some of the revelations I encountered:
The medical establishment did not fully comprehend the complete structure of the clitoris until 1998. That is not a mistake—1998! That is merely two decades ago. Both the medical field and society at large ought to feel deeply embarrassed by this reality. Female pleasure is valued so poorly that no one bothered to chart the clitoris until 1998. Think about everything else we achieved before that year, then consider where 'knowledge of female anatomy' falls on that list. Discouraging.
The clitoris is roughly the same size as a penis. However, it contains double the number of nerve endings. Once more, that is no error. The small external nub we typically identify as the clitoris is merely a fraction of the entire organ. Most of it is internal, composed largely of erectile tissue (the whole structure, not just the tip), and, yes, it has twice the nerve endings of a penis.
The clitoris is the sole human organ designed exclusively for pleasure. It serves no reproductive function; it is purely a sexual organ.
Freud was profoundly mistaken about the clitoris. He was equally wrong about vaginal orgasms. Regrettably, many of his teachings on female orgasm remain broadly accepted. He caused immense damage.
The project site impressed me, and I urge you to spend some time browsing it. Here are a few standout features:
In the Introduction section, a video appears. Around the 1:50 mark, Ian Kerner—a sex therapist and author of She Comes First—discusses the peculiar assumption that women do not truly require orgasm during intercourse, and the odd notion that male climax matters more.
His points struck a chord with me because I have never grasped that line of reasoning. In my personal experience, I have no desire for sex that lacks orgasm, and I never have. It is an infrequent event for me, and when it does occur, it produces the opposite effect of typical sex. Rather than leaving me on a happy endorphin rush, I end up irritable and as if I merely lent out my body. (Apologies if that's oversharing.) That said, I recognize from prior conversations that many women feel differently and can derive pleasure from sex regardless of orgasm.
In the History section, I was astonished to discover that the clitoris was removed from Grey’s Anatomy diagrams in 1947. However, my favorite element was the timeline chronicling scientific records and references to the clitoris. Definitely pause to read about Princess Marie Bonaparte and her findings. Another revelation for me: In 2014, a contentious study by the Italian team Puppo+Puppo in The Journal of Clinical Anatomy claimed that both the vaginal orgasm and the G-spot are actually myths.
Contentious feels accurate. While my personal experience aligns with the study, I have encountered many who dismiss it as nonsense.
In the Anatomy section, a useful video at the bottom illustrates how the complete clitoris fits within and around other female genital structures. It also discusses Helen O’Connell, the Australian urologist who finally charted the full clitoris in 1998:
“Helen O’Connell, an Australian urologist, observed the numerous machines and mechanisms attached to men during procedures such as prostate surgery—equipment designed to keep surgeons as far from nerve endings in male sexual anatomy as possible. She questioned why no comparable safeguards existed for female sexual anatomy during surgery. Without such precautions, how could doctors be certain they were not severing clitoral nerves during routine operations like hysterectomies?”
Those passages left me astonished. The answer to her question is obvious: they had no idea, and undoubtedly countless women have had their sexual pleasure reduced or eliminated because surgeons were cutting blindly (and in many instances still are!) without any true understanding of the full clitoris’s size, shape, or location. Then consider how many relationships have been harmed or broken due to our ignorance and disinterest in learning about female anatomy.
In the Education section, it sheds light on why misinformation about the clitoris remains so widespread.
In the Sex Today section, I discovered that 'only eight percent of women can reliably orgasm' from vaginal penetration alone. Correct—a mere 8%. That is essentially a blunt message: your vagina is not designed for pleasure.
The Sex Today section also addresses the persistent myth that women are inherently less sexual than men or less wired for pleasure. According to the site, 'Women in same-sex relationships experience orgasm rates comparable to men and reach climax in the same timeframe as heterosexual male partners. The same holds true when women self-stimulate. Women’s bodies are not the issue. The issue is that most of us lack a complete understanding of how they function.'
These facts strike me as extremely significant for this conversation. Essentially, if you are not reaching orgasm as quickly or as easily as your male partner, it may be time for you—and your partner—to become more familiar with your body.
The most encouraging discovery? In 2009, Pierre Foldes developed the first effective surgery to reverse female genital mutilation. 'He removes scar tissue from the vulva and uncovers part of the internal clitoris, restoring sexual sensation for many of his patients.'
The history of female genital mutilation is bleak and depressing. Finding out that some women have undergone successful reversal of the procedure filled me with joy.
If you have read through this entire piece, I am giving you a virtual high five. I recognize that many of us were never taught to feel at ease discussing the clitoris openly—our own clitoris.
To circle back to my opening: if I were to supplement the Advice About Sex for a College-Bound Girl post, I would emphasize getting to know her body more thoroughly—her reproductive organs and her clitoris. And that her sexual pleasure matters just as much as that of anyone she sleeps with.
I also want to stress that understanding the clitoris is deeply connected to the earlier conversation about male pleasure and female pain.
What are your thoughts? I would love to know. I am genuinely curious: were you as clitoris-illiterate as I was? Were any of these facts or statistics new to you? Or are you already a clit expert? Is anyone ready to buy a clitoris necklace?
