What does current anatomical research say about the internal structure of the clitoris and its role in 'vaginal' orgasms?
Executive summary
Modern anatomical research shows the clitoris is a largely internal, complex erectile organ whose body, crura and vestibular bulbs extend around and beneath the anterior vaginal wall, and that this internal anatomy helps explain why many orgasms experienced during intercourse involve clitoral tissue rather than a distinct vaginal organ called the "G‑spot" [1] [2] [3]. Scientists remain divided about whether "vaginal" orgasms are a separate physiological category or usually reflect stimulation of the internal parts of the clitoral complex and nearby structures [4] [5].
1. The clitoris is mostly internal and anatomically sprawling
High‑resolution imaging and dissection studies over the past two decades have overturned the pea‑nub myth: roughly 80–90% of the clitoris lies beneath the surface, comprising an external glans plus an internal body, paired crura and vestibular bulbs that fan out and can extend several centimeters into the pelvis, forming a wishbone or boomerang shape that surrounds the vaginal vestibule [1] [6] [2].
2. Rich innervation and erectile tissue concentrated for sensation
Quantitative mapping finds the clitoris richly innervated and composed of multiple types of erectile tissue; although absolute nerve counts differ from the penis, innervation density in the clitoris is high and specialized sensory corpuscles (Krause corpuscles) have been documented across glans and body regions, supporting its role as the primary erogenous organ of the vulva [7] [8] [9].
3. Dynamic anatomical interaction with the anterior vagina
Imaging studies — sonography, MRI and diceCT — show the internal clitoral elements sit in a consistent spatial relationship with the distal urethra and anterior vaginal wall, and during arousal these erectile structures engorge and can be displaced closer to the vaginal lumen, producing mechanical coupling during penetration that can stimulate clitoral tissue via the vaginal wall [6] [10] [4].
4. The G‑spot controversy: region, convergence or myth?
Some researchers argue the G‑spot is not a discrete organ but a functional region where vestibular bulbs, clitoral roots and periurethral tissues converge and are variably sensitive between individuals; functional brain imaging even suggests distinct cortical responses when women self‑stimulate clitoral, vaginal and cervical sites, which supports both overlap and potential phenomenological differences in sensation [6] [3] [5].
5. Why "vaginal" orgasms are debated: anatomy, function and experience
Clinical and experimental work shows most women report needing clitoral stimulation to orgasm and that orgasms during intercourse often coincide with activation of internal clitoral structures or the clitourethrovaginal (CUV) complex; yet some studies and patient reports describe qualitatively different orgasmic experiences, and researchers caution that variability in anatomy, nerve distribution and context means both perspectives have evidence [11] [12] [4] [5].
6. Limits, disputes and practical implications
Despite converging imaging, dissection and histology findings, disagreement persists over terminology, embryological claims and whether the vagina is anatomically independent of clitoral influence — critics argue some proposed complexes lack firm embryological basis and urge standardized terminology and further research; clinically, the consensus implication is that preserving or stimulating internal clitoral structures is central to sexual function, and that surgical and educational approaches should reflect the organ's true extent [13] [14] [15].
Conclusion
Contemporary anatomy paints the clitoris as a multilayered, internally extensive organ intimately related to the anterior vaginal wall and urethra; this anatomical reality makes it likely that many so‑called vaginal orgasms result from stimulation of internal clitoral and adjacent tissues rather than an isolated, independent "vaginal" organ, though variability between individuals and ongoing methodological debates mean absolute categorical claims remain contested [2] [4] [6]. Where sources do not converge on a single answer, the literature calls for clearer terminology, more imaging and electrophysiological work, and caution against simplifying human sexual experience into rigid binary categories [14] [5].