The Clitoris
The clitoris is the only organ in the human body whose sole function is to transmit sexual sensation. It is made up of approximately eight thousand nerve fibers, a higher concentration than in any other body part—and twice as many as in the penis. Despite the constant outpouring of sex 'information' in popular culture, thousands of men and women still have no idea that the clitoris exists or how to locate it.
How To Find It
You can easily locate your clitoris, the most sensitive spot in your pubic area, tucked under the folds of skin where the top of your labia meet. Pull back the hood of skin over the clitoris to reveal the clitoral glands. You may be surprised at how much it resembles a miniature penis—or how much a penis resembles a large clitoris.
If you press your fingers down on the skin above your glands, you should be able to locate something that feels like a short rod of cartilage directly beneath the skin and extending up to your pubic bone. This is the clitoral shaft. Beneath the skin the clitoral shaft separates into two legs (or crura) which extend in a wishbone fashion for about three inches on either side of the vaginal opening. The entire clitoris consists of erectile tissue made up of blood vessels, spongy tissue and nerves, just like the erectile tissue of the penis. During sexual stimulation this tissue fills with blood, and the clitoral glans, shaft and legs swell and become firmer. Since the clitoral legs run beneath the labia, when you stimulate the urethra, vagina or anus, you indirectly stimulate the clitoris as well.
Clitoral Orgasms
The majority of women require direct clitoral stimulation in order to reach orgasm. However, some women do report that clitoral and vaginal stimulation result in what they identify as different types of orgasm. Researchers have proposed that different nerve pathways between the genitals and the brain account for variances in orgasmic experience. John Perry and Beverly Whipple, two of the authors of The G-Spot, theorize that subjective perceptions of orgasm are based on which of two primary nerve pathways are involved. The pudendal nerve is connected to the clitoral glans and the PC muscle, while the pelvic nerve is connected to the clitoral shaft, clitoral legs, G-spot, bladder, uterus and deepest part of the PC muscle. Perry and Whipple suggest that the ways in which nerve signals travel on one or both of the pathways can create a variety of different and/or blended sensations. That the pelvic nerve connects to internal organs and inner muscles could explain why many women describe orgasms resulting from vaginal or G-spot stimulation as 'deep' and 'full-bodied.'
If reading about these distinctions makes you worry that you’re missing out on some 'better' type of orgasm, remember that orgasm is a subjective experience that can’t really be neatly categorized. After all, the clitoris and vagina don’t inhabit separate postal codes, and the sexual pleasure each provides is completely interconnected.