DAY 38: ORAL WEDNESDAY
The Clitoral Roots, an Anatomy Lesson

You probably know that the clitoris is the only organ on the human body designed solely for pleasure—but did you know that the little pink shaft and surrounding hood are only part of the clitoris? The clitoris has 8,000 nerve endings and operates within a network of 15,000 nerve endings that service the entire pelvic region. Thus, all orgasms are really clitoral—even if the little pink shaft receives no direct stimulation. Here are the parts of that most amazing female organ:

• The clitoral hood: A small outgrowth (or overgrowth) of skin covering the clitoral glans or shaft. When a woman becomes aroused, the shaft protrudes from the hood, though in some women just barely.

• The clitoral glans or shaft: It is so incredibly sensitive because the vast system of nerves connecting the clitoris to the vagina all end here.

• The crura (a.k.a. wings): Crura look like the legs of a wishbone. Located to the right and left of the urethra, they run back to the pubic bone and connect to the clitoris at the point of the inverted, or upside down, V.

• The vestibular or clitoral bulbs: This string of bulb-shaped aggregations of erectile tissue extends down beneath the labia minora, or inner lips. During arousal, they fill with blood, making the vulva swell.

• Front commissure: A very sensitive and often overlooked area above the base of the clitoral shaft, just below where the labia majora, or outer lips, meet.

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