For the longest time I thought my oversized clitoris was wrong, abnormal and gross. The only organ in my body whose sole purpose was sexual pleasure was the thing bringing me the most displeasure. When I was a preteen, part of me thought I might be intersex. All I saw was tiny, almost nonexistent and neatly tucked clits that looked nothing like mine. I spent most of my formative years avoiding sexual encounters because I was afraid guys would be disgusted by my clit. Outside of porn and very disappointing sex ed, nobody had taught me that vulvas come in all shapes, sizes, textures and hues. None of my girlfriends were walking around proudly bantering about how big their clit was the way my male friends did about their dicks. All I knew was that supposedly men could never find it, which was confusing because mine was definitely not hard to spot. The taboo surrounding female sexual and reproductive health means a lot of women and people with vulvas have a warped perception of what their genitals should look like. Society, unfortunately tells us vulvas should look neat, symmetrical and as inoffensive as possible.
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Three ambiguously genitalled intersexuals, or hermaphrodites, are calling for an end to the gender-assignment surgery that has long maimed their "third sex," according to Sunday's New Orleans Times Picayune. One of the intersexuals, Hale Hawbecker, 38, of Washington, was born with a micropenis. When he was a child, doctors wanted to completely remove it. They would have given Hawbecker a vagina and have prescribed female hormones, but Hawbecker's parents refused to consent. Today, Hawbecker is a happily married ethics lawyer with a satisfying sex life. He is living proof that male studs and attorneys don't have to be heavily hung.
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Since the dawn of time, men have been comparing penis sizes for sport and, cough, reminding themselves that size doesn't always matter. Women aren't immune to comparisons — one in seven, according to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists , has actually considered getting the lips of her vagina surgically trimmed. Does the size of that matter? I recently discovered I have a small clitoris, after interviewing a famous gynecologist about the mysterious clitoris and begging her to take a quick peek at mine. This was something I had never thought about before, and I had to know: What does it mean for my sex life?! First off: a refresher on the clitoris. It's bigger internally than it is externally, is shaped like a wishbone that extends all the way down to the vagina , and it is massively important to a woman's climax. In fact, "the clitoris is the way that 90 percent of women have orgasms," says Rachel Carlton Abrams, M. We think it still might be responsible for vaginal orgasms — research shows that women who have a clitoris located closer to the vagina about half a centimeter find it easier to have a vaginal orgasm. There's still a lot that's unknown about the clitoris, Abrams says, including whether your clitoris size is genetic and how size may or may not affect sexual pleasure — and unfortunately, she says, not a lot of time or money is spent on researching the clitoris itself.
Enlargement is usually caused by sexual arousal, but there are a few conditions that may cause your clitoris to stay enlarged for a longer period of time. These symptoms may be due to an underlying infection or medical issue. Keep reading to learn more about what may be behind your symptoms and when you should make an appointment with your doctor. Temporary enlargement is usually tied to sexual arousal. Your clitoris and labia will swell as pleasure builds up. Once you orgasm, the size of your clitoris will decrease, and your genitals will go back to their unaroused state more quickly.
