The 'C-Spot' May Be The Key To Women's Orgasm Troubles, Says Study
The clitoris is a woman's most sensitive body zone. And as it turns
out, its size matters — a new study has found that in women who have
orgasm problems, the clitoris is smaller, and located farther from the
vagina.
Researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to scan
the pelvic area of 30 women who were on average 32 years old. Ten of
these women had reported rarely or never achieving orgasms despite
trying. The rest of the participants reported normal
orgasmic experience during sex.
Comparing
the two groups of women, the researchers found that the direct distance
between the clitoris and the vagina (as measured by a line running
straight through the body) was 5 to 6 millimeters longer on average in
the group of women with orgasm problems. These women also had a smaller
clitoris on average. [
Awkward Anatomy: 10 Odd Facts About the Female Body]
The
findings suggest that the size and location of the clitoris may be
important in women's sexual function, said the researchers who detailed
their study Thursday (Feb. 13) in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
"There's
no G spot. There's a C spot -- the clitoris," said study researcher Dr.
Susan Oakley, an OBGYN at Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio.
"It is the source of a lot of sexual pleasure for the female."
Born with a better anatomy?
It is difficult to know whether it is the anatomy of the clitoris that influences orgasm, or having more orgasms changes the anatomy, Oakley said.
"We
still can't tell whether this is the chicken or the egg," Oakley said.
"Do these women have a bigger clitoris because they have more orgasms?
Or are they born with a bigger clitoris that allows them to have better
function?"
The clitoris, in fact, is more than just the buttonlike
structure visible on the body's surface. The clitoral complex, which
has a shape of a boomerang, extends under the skin and includes parts
that are known as the body, crura, bulb and root.
It is possible
that a smaller distance between these structures and the vagina makes it
easier for the clitoris to be stimulated during intercourse, Oakley
said.
The visible, external part of the clitoris, which is called
the glans, contains thousands of nerves packed densely together in a
small area, and appears to be the center of sexual sensation.
"Perhaps
a larger clitoris has more nerve endings, and perhaps with direct
contact and stimulation the clitoris can have more sensation, resulting
in orgasms," Oakley said.
A problem of the body…and sometimes the mind
Orgasm problems
are common among women. Studies suggest between 18 and 34 percent of
women have difficulty achieving orgasm. Less than half of married women
experience orgasm in every sexual encounter, and only about 15 percent
experience multiple orgasms.
However, factors other than the anatomy of sex organs generally also contribute to sexual dysfunction.
"There's
a lot of subjectivity involving female sexual pleasure. Some of it is
psychosocial, some of it is anatomy and function," Oakley said. "We were
trying to focus on anatomy."
To control for differences in other
aspects of sexual functions, the study participants filled out several
questionnaires, reporting on aspects of their sex life, including levels
of their desire and arousal. They also completed a questionnaire about
their body image.
"You
may think maybe [women with orgasm problems] are self-conscious during
sex, maybe they're anxious, or uncomfortable with their body," Oakley
said. "But there was no difference between the two groups."
The
two groups, however, did differ in what sex positions they preferred.
Women with orgasm problems tended to prefer the missionary position,
whereas women with normal orgasm patterns favored being on top of their
partner, in a position that provides more contact with the clitoris
during the intercourse.
"These women, not only they have that
closer distance between the clitoris and the vagina, but [also] they are
using it to their advantage by taking the female dominant position,"
Oakley said.
"Maybe women without orgasms have a small clitoris,
but if they were to try female dominant position maybe they could get
closer stimulation to the clitoris and overcome the fact that it is
small," she said.