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Does size matter?

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Does ‘size’ really matter?

Yes. Yes, it does.

There, I said it, and now it’s on the table.

Clitoris size matters, okay.

Oh!? You thought I was talking about penis size and whether women care about it?

Yes, well, sorry for you, but if penis size matters to the person you’re having sex with, then it matters to them.

Look, I don’t want to add more column inches to men and their dongs, but before I move on I suppose it’s worth mentioning: If his penis is ‘too small’ make use of a butt-plug, if it’s ‘too big’ use more lube. Or go find someone else.

READ MORE: Four bedroom blunders and how to save the moment

Great. Back to the clitoris.

Now that we know about the full internal structure of the clitoris and the clitourethrovaginal complex, what we haven’t really considered is the shape and size of the clitoris.

In fact, not even just its shape and size, both internally and externally, but how closely it sits to the vaginal opening.

In 1924, Princess Marie Bonaparte was the first to measure the distance between the clitoris (presumably the glans, the external part of the organ) and the vagina.

The size of the clitoris, both its external and internal structure, will affect a woman’s experience of pleasure and orgasm.

Her aim was to understand why some women experienced orgasm through penetrative sex and others didn’t.

She conducted her research on more than 240 women and concluded that the further the clitoral glans was from the vagina, the less friction it would receive during penetration and therefore the less chance of orgasm there was.

Of course, we now know that orgasm isn’t dependent on penetration and that the clitoral structure is so much bigger than was thought at the time.

But almost a hundred years later, research into female sexual anatomy is confirming her suspicions – that the size of the clitoris, both its external and internal structure, will affect a woman’s experience of pleasure and orgasm.

READ MORE: This award-winning animated film's explanation of the clitoris is beautiful

Considering the CUV complex, this makes quite a lot of sense.

Now, how ‘big’ your clitoris is, is dependent on a whole host of influences you do and don’t have control over.

For one thing, the hormonal inputs a foetus receives will affect the size of its sex organ, whether it's a penis or a clitoris. And as an adult, your hormonal fluctuations, cardiovascular health (remember, the clitoris is an erectile organ), and neural setup affects it.

Now, unless you have access to an MRI machine and the expertise to make sense of the images, you’re not going to know how big your clitoris is.

But just understanding that your sexual anatomy is unique, down to its size and shape, might take the pressure off if pleasure from down under isn’t happening for you.

Just because you can’t get off on one kind of touch doesn’t mean you can’t get off at all. It probably just means you haven’t found the touch that works for you.

So, while size matters, it’s not the only thing that matters. And finding out what works for YOU is where all the fun in pleasure lies.

Disclaimer: The views of columnists published on W24 are their own and therefore do not necessarily represent the views of W24. 

Follow Dorothy Black on her blog and on Twitter.  

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