Having a Smaller Clitoris Is Associated With Anorgasmia

A study comparing physiological aspects of anorgasmic women and others who do not have problems reaching climax concludes that the size and the internal position of the clitoris could condition genital excitement and orgasm.
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A study comparing physiological aspects of anorgasmic women and others who do not have problems reaching climax concludes that the size and the internal position of the clitoris could condition genital excitement and orgasm.

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Factors most commonly associated with women's anorgasmia are little masturbating experience, relationship problems, and psychological blocking that prevents women from letting themselves go with sexual excitement.

Sometimes physical factors can intervene too, such as unbalanced hormonal levels, damage in pelvic nerves, or lack of blood flow and genital sensibility.

The recent study "Clitoral size and location in relation to sexual function using pelvic MRI," published in the Journal of Sexual Medicine, establishes that having a small clitoral glans or a larger distance between the internal part of the clitoris and the vaginal canal could also cause difficulties in reaching the physical excitation needed to get an orgasm.

The hypothesis is based in the facts that the clitoris is the principal feminine pleasure organ, that most of its structure is internal, that -- just like the penis -- it also grows in size while excited, and that it can be stimulated directly by externally rubbing of its glans, but also indirectly from inside the vagina using fingers, the penis or sexual toys.

In this way, researchers thought that women with a smaller clitoral glans, and those whose internal clitoral body is more distant from the vagina, could have more difficulties in reaching the maximal physical excitation.

For their study, they recruited 10 anorgasmic women who were sexually active, averaged 32 years old, were in a stable relationship, and were psychologically healthy. Several physiological parameters derived from the anorgasmic group were compared with those of 20 women with regular orgasmic function and similar age, body-mass index, race, and socioeconomic status.

Researchers analyzed hormonal levels, sexual history, positions used during coitus, masturbation frequency, lubrication and excitement levels, and pain indexes and took MRI images of their genital structure.

Comparing all theses values between orgasmic and anorgasmic women, the researchers observed that the external size of the clitoris and the sagittal distance from their internal body to the vaginal wall were the main differences between groups. In the scientific paper they concluded, "Women with anorgasmia possessed a smaller clitoral glans and clitoral components farther from the vaginal lumen than women with normal orgasmic function."

In particular, the size of the coronal section of the clitoral glans was twice as big in the orgasmic group, and the sagittal distance between the internal clitoris and the vagina was 30-percent smaller (see upper picture).

The authors of the study acknowledge some limitations: the most important one is the reduced size of the sample group. The second limitation is the possibility that having more orgasms could influence the size and position of the clitoris, and the third is that anorgasmia is a complex phenomenon and lots of other psychosocial factors might be involved.

But they assure us that the results are consistent with the scientific literature, that the participant selection was very rigorous, and that their hypothesis should not be excluded in some cases of anorgasmia.

In the conclusion the authors write, "Although these physical characteristics cannot be changed, understanding the physiology of the female sexual response advances knowledge. In addition, such awareness may highlight strategies for treatment of women distressed by sexual dysfunction".

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