The Full Anatomy of the Clitoris (Most People Only Know 10% of It)

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a healthcare professional for personal guidance.

If you think the clitoris is a small, pea-sized nub located above the vaginal opening, you know about 10% of the story. And that 10% statistic is not a metaphor — it is literal anatomy. The visible external portion of the clitoris (the glans) is merely the tip of a much larger, largely internal structure that extends deep into the body, wrapping around the vaginal canal with legs and bulbs that swell with arousal.

The fact that most people do not know this — and that it took until 1998 for the full clitoral anatomy to be scientifically mapped — tells you everything you need to know about how the world has historically prioritised understanding female pleasure. Which is to say: it has not.

The Full Architecture

The Glans

This is the visible part — the external nub at the top of the vulva, protected by the clitoral hood (a fold of skin analogous to the foreskin). The glans contains approximately 10,000 nerve endings packed into a structure that averages just 4-7mm in visible size. This makes it the most densely innervated structure in the entire human body, regardless of gender.

The glans is exquisitely sensitive — for some people, direct touch can be too intense, which is why many prefer stimulation through or around the hood rather than directly on the exposed glans.

The Shaft (Body)

Above the glans, extending inward, is the clitoral shaft — approximately 2-4 cm of erectile tissue that runs beneath the skin. You can sometimes feel it as a firm cord beneath the surface if you press gently above the glans. The shaft connects the external glans to the internal structures and is covered by the clitoral hood.

The shaft is less sensitive than the glans but responds to pressure. Deep, firm pressure over the shaft through the skin can produce arousal that feels qualitatively different from direct glans stimulation — deeper and more diffuse.

The Crura (Legs)

At the internal end of the shaft, the clitoris splits into two legs (crura) that extend backward along either side of the vaginal opening, hugging the pubic bone. Each crus is approximately 5-9 cm long and consists of erectile tissue that engorges with blood during arousal.

The crura are the reason why certain positions and types of stimulation that do not directly touch the glans can still produce clitoral pleasure — pressure on the crura through the vaginal walls or surrounding tissue activates the broader clitoral network.

The Vestibular Bulbs

Two bulbs of erectile tissue extend beneath the labia on either side of the vaginal opening. During arousal, these bulbs engorge with blood, causing the vulva to swell and the vaginal opening to narrow slightly — creating more friction and contact during penetration. The bulbs are part of the clitoral complex and contribute to the sensation of fullness and pressure that many people experience during arousal.

Why This Matters for Pleasure

Understanding the full clitoral anatomy reframes everything about female sexual response:

• The "vaginal orgasm" debate is resolved. Researchers now believe that what was historically called a "vaginal orgasm" is actually internal clitoral stimulation — the crura and bulbs being stimulated through the vaginal walls. There is not a separate "vaginal" pleasure centre; it is the clitoris being accessed from a different angle.
• The G-spot, explained. The area identified as the G-spot on the anterior vaginal wall likely overlaps with the internal clitoral structures. Stimulation there may actually be stimulating the clitoris from the inside. The anatomy supports this theory.
• Why penetration alone does not work for most women. If the primary organ of pleasure is largely internal and wraps around the vaginal canal, penetration that does not also engage the external glans (through angle, grinding, or manual stimulation) is literally missing the main event.
• Why arousal takes time. The full clitoral complex takes time to engorge — similar to penile erection, but slower. Rushed stimulation before the internal structures have filled with blood is like trying to play a piano before the lid is open.

The Historical Erasure

The clitoris has been drawn, described, erased, and rediscovered multiple times throughout medical history. It appeared in anatomical texts in the 1500s, was omitted from major anatomy textbooks in the 1900s, and was not fully mapped with MRI technology until Helen O'Connell's landmark 1998 study.

The 1948 edition of Gray's Anatomy — the gold standard medical reference — contained a detailed illustration of the clitoris. By the 1980 edition, it had been removed entirely. This was not an accidental oversight; it was a systematic deprioritisation of female sexual anatomy that reflected broader cultural attitudes.

O'Connell's work, published in the Journal of Urology, used MRI and microdissection to reveal the full extent of the clitoral complex for the first time. Her findings were groundbreaking not because the anatomy was new — it had always been there — but because nobody had bothered to look properly.

Common Questions About Clitoris Anatomy Most Dont Know

Written by the MyMuse Editorial Team

Last updated: February 2026