In the absence of testosterone, the genital tubercle forms the female phallus, called the clitoris. The clitoris is made up of the glans and the body of the internal organ. Unfortunately, the clitoris does not respond with a lover. Women also do not respond to erotic stimuli (mental arousal experience) with a lover as men do. Even for a receptive woman, orgasm is an occasional pleasure that she enjoys alone by concentrating on surreal fantasies.
A woman’s sexual organ (clitoris) is separate from her internal reproductive anatomy (ovaries, uterus, and vagina). The only function of the clitoris is to be a sexual organ. Unlike men, women have a separate anatomy for urination (the urethra), reproduction (the vagina), and orgasm (the clitoris). These three functions are combined for a man and are provided by the penis. The woman’s anatomy is more evolved (because each part of her anatomy has only one function) but the man’s anatomy is more practical and convenient.
The sexual organ (penis or clitoris) is the only erectile organ in the body. When a person is aroused (their mind responds positively to eroticism), the brain causes an increase in the rate of blood flow around the body. Our physical arousal, which involves blood flowing into the corpus cavernosum, causes varying degrees of swelling, called tumescence, of the sexual organ.
The clitoris is largely an internal organ. Only the glans (or yolk) is externally visible. The glans is hidden by the labia majora and pubic hair. The glans is covered by a clitoral hood formed in part by the fusion of the upper part of the two labia minora. The clitoris has corpora cavernosa that are smaller but analogous to those of the penis. During arousal, these tissues trap blood. After orgasm, the blood returns to circulation.
The clitoris is the counterpart of the penis, but the two organs develop very differently. The body of the clitoris consists of two parallel corpora cavernosa of erectile tissue that are up to 5 inches long, smooth muscle, and connective tissue (collagen and elastin) surrounded by a fibrous sheath (tunica albuginea). The clitoris is not an external phallus that can be used for penetration. The clitoris becomes tumescent (swollen) but not erect (rigid). Female arousal is largely subconscious. Even a receptive woman needs to use a conscious technique (surreal fantasy) to harness and use her arousal to reach orgasm.
As a consequence of never being rigid, the clitoris lacks the erotic sensitivity of the penis. Stimulation by a lover of the clitoral bud (even over the clitoral hood) causes women to have a variety of responses ranging from indifference to pain and discomfort. When a woman casually stimulates herself on the clitoral glans, she gets little pleasure because she is normally not aroused. The clitoris is not involved in reproduction. The clitoris is like a piece of penis. The clitoris does not function as a phallus capable of penetrating and fertilizing another person. therefore, women do not have a sexual drive to have sex. Female orgasm is also not a requirement with a lover, so women are not mentally aroused by a lover.
The stimulation used by a receptive woman (when masturbating alone) consists of massaging the skin over the glans and pressing her fingers against the internal organ (either side of the vaginal opening). This external manual massage is combined with internal pressure on the clitoral organ, achieved through a rhythmic thrusting motion and squeezing of the buttock muscles. Neither of these stimuli is sensationally pleasurable in and of itself. Mental arousal (focusing on conceptual fantasy) and physical arousal (tumescence) provide mild pleasure. The key pleasure of female masturbation revolves around the sensations of sexual release at the end.
The female orgasm is a hangover from how the sexes evolved. The female orgasm is a miracle because normally we only develop characteristics that have a purpose. We are also likely to lose features that have no useful function. The male orgasm triggers ejaculation, but the female orgasm has no role in reproduction. The clitoris is the source of the female orgasm, providing the woman with personal pleasure. The clitoris only responds when a woman consciously focuses on getting aroused using fantasy.
Both the penis and the clitoris extend into the pelvis between the muscles of the lower abdomen. Since it is largely internal, the clitoris does not have the same meaning to a woman as the penis does to a man. Unless a woman responds, she doesn’t realize that she has a clitoris. Similar to an iceberg, what we see on the outside is only a small portion of the total organ. Both sexes activate the muscles of the buttocks in preparation for orgasm to put pressure on the internal organ and thus achieve orgasm.
During subconscious periods of arousal, increased blood flow (in older women) can cause the internal clitoral organ to swell. The swollen pubic area is very noticeable both to the eye and to the touch (by pressing down on either side of the lips). Clitoral tumescence does not indicate conscious arousal or help with orgasm. The main benefit of clitoral tumescence is an increased sensitivity in the internal pelvic organs during intercourse. In younger women there is little noticeable swelling of the clitoris.
The clitoris, which is the female phallus, is the counterpart of the male penis. (Alfred Kinsey 1953)