Sex has always been a taboo in India, no wonder women’s bodies and sexual pleasure has not been researched, studied and talked about enough. This does not come as a shock, and neither should the fact that sex is (must be) a pleasurable act for everyone involved. A friend once described her sexual experience and stated that the man she was with claimed the reason why she wasn’t enjoying it as much was because she didn’t know how to take pleasure. Another friend got rashes after getting fingered and the man said it was because her vagina was really tight. These are just a few real-life instances that go on to show how little we understand about the female sex organs, and how we easily identify them as an inherent personal problem instead of a contextual one.

Here are 10 facts about a clit that everyone should be aware of, whether you’re on the journey of self-discovery, want to be about to properly pleasure yourself or a partner or want to protect yourself against the shockingly common pleasure gaslighting:

1. The clitoris is more than what you see physically.

The part we see is just tiny little glans that make up the head of the clit. The other parts are hidden below the surface, wrap the vaginal tunnel, and extend out towards the thighs (that’s why the inner thigh can be an incredibly stimulating erogenous zone to explore). Everything crazy is actually happening under the surface.

2. There are double the number of nerve endings in a clit than a penis.

There are 8000 nerve endings (some recent studies say that there could potentially be even more) that stimulate pleasure, whereas the vaginal tunnel has no real sensations; so maybe explore a little more than just penetration. The clit is actually made of 18 parts which include a mixture of erectile tissue, muscle and nerves. 

3. They can swell up to 300% with enough pleasure.

The clitoris keeps increasing as the person reaches orgasm, so it’s not a 0 to 100 kind of a situation but constant engorging when aroused. At rest, the body extends towards the thighs, but when aroused, it curls around as if giving you a little hug. 

4. The Clit is the only body part that has the sole purpose of pleasure.

‍However, not all women reach orgasm. But that’s not an issue pertaining to the clit. Instead, it is associated with a culture of shame, body image issues, and underlying insecurities; in addition to the fact that the vast majority of the female body has not been properly researched, nor is there proper information available about the female body and pleasure. A widely accepted reason for this is because so much of a woman’s pleasure is based on activity beneath the surface. These factors impact so much so that one in ten women have never actually had an orgasm. 

5. The Clit and the history of violence against women.

For a long time in history, doctors believed that removing the clitoris can cure depression and schizophrenia for women considering all ‘unnatural’ problems in women start with women who actively desired sex. Doctors would claim that these women are “hysterical” when they were sexually unsatisfied, or desired more sex than they expected out of women.

6. The clit can become a penis, and a penis can become a clit.

With the help of hormones, the clit can form the penis in gender configuration surgeries, and vice versa. With the help of hormones either the clit is enlarged, or the penile glans are reduced and relocated. 

7. The Clitoris literally never ages.

All clits, irrespective of their age, look and work the same. However, the clit does increase in size, which means at 90, it could be 2.5 times the size at 20. 

8. All clitoris look different.

There is no ideal colour or shape for your clit, but that does not affect your pleasure in any way. Just like you won’t find two people with the same face or fingerprint, you will not find two people with similar looking clitorises. 

9. Almost three-fourth women need clitoral stimulation for orgasms.

Most women do not orgasm with vaginal penetration alone and that’s where your clit comes in. Stimulation of the clit and nipples are just as important for a good orgasm. 

10. Finally, the most important thing to know is that the clitoris is not a button.

Like we mentioned earlier, it’s an iceberg that needs to be explored, so just locating it is not enough, you must make your way through it (figuratively speaking, i.e, take the time to figure out what you and/or your partner actually like). 

‍

We hope these facts help you understand the clit better, prepare you for your journey of pleasure and guide you to even better orgasms in the future.