A Short Class on Clits

When we say the word "clitoris," grade-schoolish giggles are soon to follow. It doesn't help that the U.S. National Library of Medicine defines the clitoris as "an erectile structure homologous with the penis." Could we get any deeper in patriarchal BS?

Since men start out female in utero, one could call the penis an overgrown (and less sensitive) clitoris. I say, let's bring the tiny powerhouse of pleasure out of the Dark Ages! Here are some amazing facts about the mighty clit:

PLEASURE DOME
The clitoris is essentially a mass of about 8,000 nerve endings (twice as many as the glans of the penis). It is the only human body part whose sole purpose is pleasure.

GIVE HER HEAD
The clitoris is actually the clitoral "head" tucked beneath (or peeking out of) the clitoral hood. The hood is there to protect the sensitive head from irritation and unwanted stimulation.

SHE'S GOT LEGS
The clitoris has a wishbone-shaped "body" with the two legs called crura. The crura connect your clitoris to your internal G spot, enabling some to achieve "vaginal orgasms." Technically, this type of orgasm could also be called clitoral "because the crura legs are being stimulated along the vaginal walls," sexual health expert Sadie Allison told Women's Health.

CLIMAX QUEEN
According to the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 73 percent of women require direct clitoral stimulation to achieve orgasm.

SHE'S SHAFTY
There's a three- to five-inch-long structure that stems inward along the vaginal canal. Much like the crura and G spot, this "shaft" can also help cis women and some trans men achieve orgasms through vaginal penetration, especially in certain positions.

Have fun experimenting (alone or with a partner) with the mighty clitoris and its glorious parts!