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Here Be Dragons: Unveiling the Clitoris and Its History

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Chapter 1: The Clitoris Through Time

The clitoris is a body part that has faced a tumultuous journey of discovery, dismissal, and rediscovery. In this exploration, we will compare historical beliefs with contemporary understanding.

I might be too seasoned and weary to make jokes about the need for a map to locate the clitoris. (Moreover, my audience likely knows how to find a clitoris with their eyes closed and could craft a G-spot pleasure panini.) However, I was disheartened by a 2019 survey involving 2,000 participants, where a significant number were unable to identify the clitoris on a medical diagram; one-third of both men and women did not even recognize what a clitoris is.

It’s worth noting that the clitoris is analogous to the penis, yet researchers did not ask participants to identify a penis—curiously, we know why that is.

The anatomical mapping of the clitoris only began in 1998. This fact is startling, considering that the human genome was mapped prior to this.

Reflecting on this, I wonder why today's anatomists didn't draw inspiration from medieval mapmakers. In the 1500s, cartographers illustrated uncharted territories with mythical creatures and warnings for sailors venturing into the unknown. One peculiar map, the Hunt-Lenox Globe from around 1510, featured the phrase "HC SVNT DRACONES"—Latin for "HERE BE DRAGONS."

In many ways, the clitoris has come to represent our modern-day dragon.

Historically, anatomists have oscillated between ignoring the clitoris, claiming to have discovered it, and outright denying its existence. Below, we present a brief overview contrasting past and present anatomical knowledge.

Section 1.1: The Denial of the Clitoris

The earliest denier, Hippocrates, proclaimed that a woman’s pleasure stemmed from her cervical area. He asserted that "friction" in this region prompted female ejaculation, yet he believed that true satisfaction could only be achieved through male "seed."

To be blunt, Hippocrates essentially viewed women as vessels for male pleasure.

Modern science reveals that while the cervix has pressure-sensitive nerves, it lacks touch sensitivity. Thus, stimulation in this area provides pressure, not friction, which explains why a rocking motion during penetrative sex often proves more pleasurable than the thrusting typically depicted in adult films.

Claudius Galen did not label the clitoris but recognized that "women possess all the parts men do; the distinction being that women's parts are internal."

Today, we understand that the average clitoris measures around 4 to 5 inches—similar in size to an erect penis, much of which is located internally.

Subsection 1.1.1: Soranus of Ephesus

In the 2nd century, Greek physician Soranus of Ephesus referred to the clitoris as the "nymphè," likening it to the hidden beauty of young brides beneath their veils. Sadly, he advised that if a woman’s clitoris was prominent, it should be surgically removed—a recommendation he never made for men.

In contrast, we now know that the clitoris expands during arousal, and its glans may retract under the clitoral hood at climax—a transient occurrence.

Artistic representation of the clitoris

Section 1.2: Misconceptions and Discoveries

Andreas Vesalius perpetuated the narrative that the clitoris was "useless" and could not be found in "healthy women," yet it appeared in hermaphrodites.

Medieval scholar Though Magnus countered this, positing that the clitoris was homologous to the penis, a notion met with laughter.

Today, we confirm that the clitoris, not the vagina, shares this homology with the penis.

French anatomist Charles Estienne, in 1545, theorized that the clitoris served the function of urination, arguing that if men had one orifice, then women must as well.

Fortunately, we now know that women have two separate openings, and many young people still remain unaware of this fact.

Chapter 2: The Renaissance and Beyond

In 1559, anatomist Realdo Colombo claimed to have made a groundbreaking "discovery" of the clitoris in his work De Re Anatomica. Soon after, Gabriele Fallopio contended that he had discovered it first, igniting a dispute over who would claim credit for identifying this vital female anatomy.

Colombo described the clitoris in a rather poetic manner, suggesting it was the "principal seat of women's enjoyment during intercourse."

It’s amusing to think that two men fought over the naming rights of the clitoris while many anatomists chose to ignore it for centuries thereafter—especially considering that during the witch hunts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, it was labeled the "devil's teat," believed to be a source of satanic power.

Today, we understand that most women require stimulation of the glans clitoris (the external portion) to achieve orgasm.

The first video, "Anatomy of the Clitoris: Learn Integral Anatomy with Gil Hedley," offers an insightful examination of the clitoris and its significance in anatomy.

In the nineteenth century, bold sexologists in Germany began to change the narrative. In 1844, German anatomist Georg Ludwig Kobelt published the first illustrations of the clitoral anatomy.

Kobelt posited that women had muscular genitalia and could experience erections akin to men.

Today, we know that two main muscles, the bulbocavernosus and ischiocavernosus, support the clitoris and contribute to pelvic floor function. During arousal, these muscles contract and narrow the vaginal canal, also playing a role in maintaining penile erection.

As we approached the twentieth century, Sigmund Freud labeled the clitoris as a remnant of "penis envy," insisting that women could only achieve orgasm through penetrative sex. He categorized orgasms into "mature" vaginal and "immature" clitoral types.

Today, it’s widely accepted that all female orgasms, regardless of the stimulation method—be it a penis, tongue, finger, or even a dill pickle—originate from the clitoral network.

In 1953, biologist Alfred Kinsey established the clitoris as the primary source of female pleasure.

Fast forward to 1998, when Australian urologist Helen O'Connell utilized MRI technology to map the anatomy and nerve pathways of the clitoris, with her findings published in 2005.

In 2008, Dr. Odile Buisson employed dynamic sonography to explore the role of the clitoral bulbs in arousal.

We are indeed progressing. For years, scientists neglected to quantify the nerve endings of the clitoris, often substituting a cow's clitoris for a human one, estimating around 8,000 nerve endings.

However, in October 2022, researchers finally mapped the nerve endings of the human clitoris, discovering approximately 10,000 nerve fibers.

Before this mapping, clitoral anatomy was largely absent from anatomy textbooks, including the widely used Gray's Anatomy, which still features cross-sections of the penis but not the clitoris.

It is disheartening that many states now require sex educators to adhere to abstinence-only programs to secure funding for sex education—an unfortunate legacy of recent policy changes.

The reality is that the primary reason couples engage in sexual activity is for pleasure.

By withholding comprehensive sex education, we only perpetuate ignorance, often leading young people to learn from pornography, social media, and peers who are just as uninformed.

Fear often accompanies ignorance. The clitoris should not invoke fear; no part of our anatomy should be treated as such.

We must eliminate the dragons from our scientific understanding.

The second video, "Clitoral Anatomy: The Unstudied Frontier | The Daily Show," delves into the ongoing misconceptions surrounding clitoral anatomy and the importance of accurate education.

For more from Carlyn Beccia, consider subscribing to my collection of 96 articles on sexual education, where a portion of your monthly Medium subscription supports my work.

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