Here is Why Clitoral Stimulation is So Wonderful (You May Be Surprised)

Clitoral stimulation. So simple and so complicated. So obvious and so nuanced. It’s straightforward AND complicated. To understand why clitoral stimulation is so wonderful (and essential), let’s first dive into what the clitoris is, how it works and why it’s so freakin’ fabulous.

If pleasure is being discussed and a clitoris-owner is involved in that conversation, the clitoris needs to be discussed. Because most humans, especially in the United States, don’t get sex ed for pleasure, there’s no education around the clitoris. So much so that shows like South Park have running jokes about where this mystery body part is — (it’s right above the urethra, people.)

In all seriousness, though, it wasn’t until 2009 that scientists could see the intricacies of this unique body part whose sole purpose is pleasure. The whole organ is called the clitoral complex, which is shaped similarly to a wishbone, with bulbs at the end. These clitoral bulbs are little sacs of erectile tissue that straddle the entrance of the vagina. When a clitoris-owner is turned on, the bulbs engorge, which hugs the walls of the vagina, making any penetration more pleasurable than when not aroused. ⅘ of the clitoris, including these bulbs, are inside the body — and measure about 3.5 inches — which is the average size of a flaccid penis. We all have the same parts, people —- just arranged differently. The head of the clitoris (the little button we all imagine when we hear the word clitoris) has over 8,000 nerve endings, which makes it the body part with the most nerve endings of anything in the human body (of any sex or gender). This head is covered by the clitoral hood, which connects to the inner lips of the vulva (officially called the labia minora). This way, anything that moves the labia stimulates the clitoris — cool, huh?

So, with that information, let’s talk about why clitoral stimulation is so freakin’ fantastic.

1. Clitoral Orgasms Can Last Up to 30 Seconds (And You Can Have More Than One!)
1. Research shows that on average, clitoral orgasms last from 10-30 seconds. Depending on what ‘your normal’ is, this may sound short or long, however, 10-30 seconds of pure bliss, over and over and over again… yes, please.
   
   

1. Clitoral Orgasms Are Stronger Than a Penis Orgasm
1. 8,000 nerve endings (or more) are in the clitoris and that is twice the amount of nerve endings found in the head of the penis. Pretty amazing, huh?
   
   

1. Clitoral Orgasms Are Associated with Better Control of Sexual Desire
1. In a 2016 study, women who reported having orgasms primarily by clitoral stimulation (by the way, 64% of these women prefer both vaginal and clitoral stimulation to orgasm!) had higher sex drives and more awareness around their libido levels and what impacts them.
   
   

1. If You Want to Conceive a Child, the Clitoris Can Help
1. Not scientifically proven quite yet, but with a lot of research and discussion around, some scientists are correlating the ability to conceive with appropriate stimulation of the clitoris. There are a bunch of different factors that play into this, but the biggest takeaway is that stimulation of the clitoris activates parts of the brain that leads to many physiological changes in the vaginal tract, all that help with conception.

If you’ve never had a clitoral orgasm, go figure out what you like. I recommend starting with your hands/fingers and seeing what type of pressure and stimulation you like (how firm, what frequency, consistent or a pattern, etc.) and then take what you like and get a toy that helps mimic that. For example, if you like pinpointed stimulation, try a Zumio — whereas if you like more broad stimulation, try a wand like LeWand.

See, different clitoris-owners enjoy different types of stimulation — the place/location, the path, and pressure, and the pattern varies across people. OMGYes did a survey on this with 1,044 women, ages 18-94 in 2017 that was published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy — let’s break these concepts and the data down a bit.

Place/Location of Touch

According to the study, 66.6% reported liking the location of touch directly on their clitoris, and 45.3% enjoy it on the skin around the clitoris (either on the side, above, or below it). Other locations people reported liking were on the labia majora and minora, on the mons, and brushing over the clitoris.

Path of Touch

The overwhelming majority of women reported up and down (63.7%), circular (51.6%), and side to side (30.6%) being the path of touch that’s preferred. Other responses included pulsating (21.2%), pushing/pressing in one spot (18.9%), flicking (16%), tapping (11.6%), wide ovals (10.2%), diagonal (9.8%), squeezing/pinching (8.4%), and pulling (5.4%). Think about how you like to be touched on your clitoris and communicate that to your partner(s). Also, try using your Zumio or other toy/pleasure aid to see if you enjoy other types of stimulation than you may be used to. Challenge yourself to see what feels good and what winds up landing you in clitoral orgasm town.

Amount of Pressure

OMGYes gave the participants 5 options for the amount of pressure to choose from. It wound up breaking down like this: medium pressure that actually moves the skin (33.7%), feather-light pressure (30.9%), light pressure that glides over the skin (25.3%), all pressure feels equally good (15.9%), and finally, firm pressure that pushes deep beneath the skin (10.7%).

 The very last thing that they surveyed their participants on were patterns of touch — which there are endless options around — the top 4 being: rhythm (touching in a distinct, repetitive, almost musical loop of motion - 82%), hinting (approaching sensitive areas but then passing by them or intentionally ‘missing’ them to build anticipation - 71%), layering (touching the clitoris indirectly by moving the surrounding skin - 67%), and consistency (constantly repeating a motion in exactly the same way - 67%).

Whether or not you know it, your clitoris is there for pleasure. Whether you’re a clitoral stimulation veteran or rookie, get curious about yourself and your body and enjoy every moment. You deserve it.