The clitoris is far larger than the small visible tip suggests, carries more than 8,000 sensory nerve endings, develops from the same embryonic tissue as the penis, and is the only organ in the human body known to exist purely for pleasure. Yet its full structure was only mapped accurately in 1998, and many adults still cannot name it on a diagram. Here are seven facts worth knowing, with a few popular claims put right along the way.
1. Most of it is hidden inside the body
What most people think of as the clitoris is only the glans, a highly sensitive tip usually about the size of a pea, partly covered by a fold of skin called the hood or prepuce. Behind it lies a much bigger structure. The body, or shaft, made of two columns of erectile tissue called the corpora cavernosa, runs back from the glans for several centimetres and then splits into two legs, the crura, which fan out in an upside-down V and attach to the pelvic bones. Alongside them sit the vestibular bulbs, more erectile tissue on either side of the vaginal opening.
A medical diagram of the full clitoral structure: the glans at the top, the body and crura extending back into the pelvis, and the vestibular bulbs around the vaginal opening.
Measured together, the body and crura can reach 10 centimetres or more. The International Society for Sexual Medicine compares the overall shape to a wishbone. During arousal this tissue fills with blood and swells, much as the penis does.
2. Its true anatomy was mapped only in 1998
For most of medical history the clitoris was understudied, simplified or left out of anatomy textbooks altogether. One 2000 review found the word “clitoris” in 83 sources in the psychology database PsycINFO, against 1,482 for “penis”.
That changed with the Australian urologist Helen O’Connell. In 1998 she published detailed dissections showing far more erectile tissue and nerve supply than the textbooks described, and in 2005 she used MRI scans to show how closely the clitoral roots, bulbs, urethra and vagina are connected. The ISSM credits her as the first person to map the structure correctly. Her work also helps explain why so-called vaginal orgasms are best understood as stimulation of internal parts of the clitoris.
The princess who tried to move hers
The story of Princess Marie Bonaparte shows how little was understood a century ago. A great-grandniece of Napoleon I and later a well-known psychoanalyst, she was frustrated that she could not reach orgasm during intercourse. In 1924, writing under the pseudonym A. E. Narjani, she published measurements of 200 women and argued that the distance between the clitoral glans and the vaginal opening was the key: women with a gap of more than about 2.5 cm, a group she counted herself among, had more difficulty.
She then asked the Viennese surgeon Josef Halban to move her clitoris closer to her vagina. The operation did not give her the result she hoped for, and it was repeated, again without success. With hindsight the problem is obvious: surgeons were moving the visible tip of an organ whose larger part lies deep inside the body.
3. It is packed with nerve endings
The glans is commonly estimated to contain around 8,000 sensory nerve endings, and more recent research suggests the number may be above 10,000; the ISSM now uses the higher figure. Concentrated in such a small area, that makes it one of the most sensitive parts of the body.
You will often see the claim that the penis has “about half” as many. That comparison is widely repeated but poorly sourced, so it is best treated with caution. What is well established is that the clitoral nerves connect to a wider network across the pelvis, which is why stimulation can be felt well beyond the glans itself.
4. It develops from the same tissue as the penis
In the early weeks of pregnancy every embryo has the same small bud of tissue, the genital tubercle. Under the influence of testosterone it develops into a penis; without it, it becomes a clitoris. The two organs are therefore homologous, built on the same plan: the glans of the clitoris corresponds to the glans of the penis, the clitoral body to the penile shaft, and the hood to the foreskin. Both contain erectile tissue that swells with blood during arousal.
Side-by-side diagram comparing the structures of the penis and the clitoris, which develop from the same embryonic tissue.
5. Its only known purpose is pleasure
Many body parts involved in sex also do other jobs; the penis, for instance, carries urine and sperm. The clitoris does not. As far as science can tell, its only function is to provide sexual pleasure.
It is also central to orgasm for most women. An estimated 70 to 80 percent of women need direct clitoral stimulation to reach orgasm, which is why sex educators stress that difficulty climaxing from intercourse alone is common and normal, not a sign that something is wrong.
6. Does it change with age?
A popular claim says the clitoris grows to two and a half times its size after menopause. The evidence does not support this: studies measuring the clitoris have found no clear link between its size and a woman’s age or whether she is postmenopausal. Women who have given birth may have somewhat larger measurements.
Another common claim is that an unused clitoris will shrink and the hood will fuse shut. The reality is more nuanced. Adhesions, where the hood sticks to the glans and cannot be pulled back, do occur, and falling hormone levels around menopause can thin and dry genital tissue. Healthy blood flow, including from arousal, is generally good for these tissues. But anyone who notices pain, itching, changes in appearance or reduced sensation should talk to a doctor rather than rely on a rule of thumb.
7. Every one is different, and many people know little about it
Like every other part of the body, the clitoris varies from person to person. The glans can be smaller or larger, more covered by the hood or more exposed, and people differ widely in the kind of touch they enjoy, from very light to firm. Learning what feels good, alone or with a partner, is a normal part of understanding your own body.
Knowledge gaps remain wide. A frequently shared statistic says 29 percent of college women cannot find the clitoris on a diagram; it circulates without a clear source. Published studies paint a similar picture, though: a 2005 survey of undergraduates found they answered on average only three of five basic questions about it correctly, and a 2019 study of postgraduate education students found that about two-thirds could not name the parts of the vulva, including the clitoris, even with detailed pictures in front of them.
That is a strong argument for better sex education. Accurate anatomy helps people understand pleasure, recognise when something is wrong and talk to partners and doctors with confidence.
Sources: International Society for Sexual Medicine: What are some myths about the clitoris?; Wikipedia: Clitoris; Wikipedia: Princess Marie Bonaparte; further reading from Pamela Madsen, Huffington Post and AlterNet.
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