THE CLITORIS IS A female sex organ located above the vagina. Most people are familiar with the visible head, or glans, of the clitoris. Contact with the glans can heighten a woman’s sexual desire and help her experience orgasm. Beneath the glans, the clitoris extends deep into the body and is attached by supporting connective tissues to the pubic bone, mons pubis (a layer of fatty tissue over the pubic bone), labia, urethra, and vagina. The overall shape of the clitoris resembles a thick wishbone, consisting of the visible glans in the midline and two branches, the “bulbs” and the “crura” (singular, “crus”).
Structure of the clitoris. The clitoris is much larger than just the visible portion (the “glans”). The rest of the clitoris has a wishbone shape that extends deep into the body, straddling the urethra and vagina. Each side of the wishbone consists of a “crus” and a “bulb,” both of which are erectile tissues (tissues that can become rigid). These deep components of the clitoris can develop an erection by becoming engorged with blood, similar to what happens in a penis.
THE CERVIX, LOCATED AT the far (inner) end of the vagina, is the constricted opening to the uterus. When touched by a finger, it feels somewhat rubbery, like the tip of a nose. Some women say that contact (penis, finger, or sex toy) with the cervix enhances their possibility of experiencing an orgasm and may increase the intensity of their orgasm.
THE G SPOT, OR Gräfenberg spot (named by Drs. John Perry and Beverly Whipple for researcher Ernst Gräfenberg, who wrote about this area in 1950), is a sensitive area felt through the front (anterior, belly-side) wall of the vagina about half way between the level of the pubic bone and the cervix (along the course of the urethra). It’s easiest to feel the G spot with the woman lying on her back. If one or two fingers are inserted into the vagina, with the palm up, using a “come here” motion, the tissue that surrounds the urethra (through which urine passes from the bladder to the urethral opening) will begin to swell. When the spot is first touched, the woman may feel as if she needs to urinate, but if the touch continues for a few seconds longer, it may turn into a pleasurable feeling. Women have reported that they have difficulty locating and stimulating their G spot by themselves (except with a dildo, a G spot vibrator, or similar device), but they have no difficulty identifying the erotic sensation when the area is stimulated by a partner. To stimulate the G spot during vaginal intercourse, the best positions are the woman on top or rear entry, so the penis will hit the anterior wall of the vagina.
Some women describe experiencing orgasm from stimulation solely of the G spot. The orgasm resulting from stimulation of the G spot is felt deep inside the body, and a bearing-down sensation during the orgasm is commonly reported. Physiologically, the orgasm is different from an orgasm produced by clitoral stimulation. During orgasm with clitoral stimulation, the end of the vagina balloons out. During orgasm from G spot stimulation, the cervix pushes down into the vagina. Many women experience a “blended orgasm” when the G spot and the clitoris are stimulated at the same time. We should note, however, that not all women like the feeling of stimulation of the G spot area.
Some women experience an expulsion of a small amount of fluid (about one teaspoonful) from the urethra with G spot orgasms (as well as with orgasms resulting from stimulation of other areas). The fluid produced by this “female ejaculation” has the appearance of watered-down, fat-free milk. It’s chemically similar to seminal fluid and is different from urine. Researcher Milan Zaviacic conducted hundreds of studies on autopsy specimens and concluded that the fluid is from the para-urethral glands, which recently have been named the “female prostate gland.” Many men enjoy stimulation of their prostate, which can produce an orgasm that is accompanied by a bearing-down sensation similar to that described by women when they experience an orgasm from G spot stimulation.
Location of the G spot, showing its proximity to other genital and nearby nongenital structures. (Courtesy Henry Holt and Company)
Not all researchers have been able to locate the G spot, thus there is some controversy about it. Other researchers consider that the G spot is obvious. It may be that researchers use different methods of stimulation (and thus obtain different results) in studying the G spot area or that not all women have a sensitive G spot area. One group of researchers recently studied twenty women and observed a correlation between vaginal orgasms and the thickness of the “clitoris urethra-vaginal complex also known as the G spot.” So, pressure exerted against the anterior vaginal wall may be more effective if the G spot area is thicker, according to this new research. However, the careful terminology (clitoris urethra-vaginal complex) used by the researchers alerts us to the fact that there are several different organs in this highly complex body region. These include (1) the anterior vaginal wall, (2) the urethra, (3) the Skene’s glands (also called the para-urethral glands or female prostate gland), (4) perhaps other glands in this region (vestibular glands, Bartholin’s glands), (5) the surrounding muscle and connective tissue, and (6) perhaps even portions of the clitoris. The effect of G spot stimulation might primarily be the result of stimulation of just one structure (such as the female prostate gland) or it might be the result of stimulation of several sensitive structures that are close together.
We need to issue a word of caution here. There is a new procedure, called the “G shot,” in which a medical doctor injects collagen into the anterior vaginal wall to increase the volume of the G spot region. There are no controlled, scientific studies on this procedure as yet, and nothing about it has been published in peer-reviewed journals. Some women are spending thousands of dollars every four months for something that has not been scientifically documented as effective. We are unable to recommend this expensive procedure.
We suggest that if G spot stimulation feels good, then enjoy it, but don’t feel compelled to find it. Some women have been frustrated in their search for their G spot. Regard it as one area of sensual and sexual pleasure that some women enjoy.
THE U SPOT HAS been described as a small patch of sensitive erectile tissue located just above and on either side of a woman’s urethral opening. It may also include the opening of the urethra. There have been claims that if this region is gently caressed, with the finger, tongue, or tip of the penis, this can produce a particularly strong erotic response. The possible erotic involvement of the U spot was described in Desmond Morris’s 2004 book The Naked Woman: A Study of the Female Body. To our knowledge, there has not been much study on the role of the U spot in promoting orgasm or erotic sensations.
THE A SPOT (MORE technically, the anterior fornix erogenous zone, or AFE zone) was described in the 1990s by Chua Chee Ann, a Malaysian physician, as a possible sexual stimulatory region in women. It’s a region of sensitive tissue on the anterior (belly-side) vaginal wall, past the G spot and just before the cervix.
THE ANTERIOR FORNIX, POSTERIOR fornix, and lateral (side) fornix of the vagina are the deepest portions of the vagina. They are the recesses ( fornix means “arch”) created by the slight protrusion of the cervix into the vagina at its inner end. Research has shown that pressure on this area stimulates the vagina to become lubricated. Stimulation of the vaginal fornices can produce orgasmic contractions of the uterus in some women. Women may be able to improve their natural lubrication by stimulating this area.