Most people who have a clitoris were taught only about the external portion — the glans, the visible tip at the top of the vulva. The full clitoral structure is significantly larger and was not comprehensively mapped until 1998, when Australian urologist Helen O’Connell published the first MRI-based anatomical study of the complete structure.
The implications for understanding sexual stimulation are substantial.
The Full Clitoral Structure
The clitoris is not a small button. It is an internal-external organ roughly 10 centimeters long in total.
The glans — the only portion typically visible externally, located at the top of the vulva beneath the clitoral hood. This is the most densely innervated part of the structure, with approximately 8,000 nerve endings in a structure roughly the size of a pea.
The clitoral shaft — extends internally from the glans, running along the pubic bone. This portion is not visible but can be felt as a firm cord just beneath the skin above the glans.
The crura — two “legs” of the clitoris that extend inward and downward, flanking the vaginal opening on both sides. The crura can be several centimeters long. They are composed of erectile tissue that engorges with arousal.
The vestibular bulbs — two structures flanking the vaginal opening, below the crura. Also erectile tissue. When fully engorged during arousal, the vestibular bulbs surround much of the vaginal canal.
What This Means for Stimulation
The full clitoral structure surrounds and interacts with the vaginal canal. When the entire structure is engorged through extended arousal, penetration stimulates parts of the clitoral body through the vaginal walls — which is the anatomical basis for penetration feeling different (and often better) after significant arousal than it does without arousal.
This also explains why different positions and angles of penetration feel different: some create more contact with the internal portions of the clitoral structure than others.
The “G-Spot” Question
The “G-spot” as a discrete anatomical structure has been debated for decades. Current research suggests that the highly sensitive area approximately 5 cm along the anterior vaginal wall (what is typically called the G-spot) is the area where the vaginal wall is closest to the internal clitoral structure — specifically the vestibular bulbs and crura.
This reframing has practical implications. What’s being stimulated there is likely the internal clitoral body, not a separate structure. This is consistent with the research finding that the G-spot area becomes more responsive after arousal — because arousal causes the surrounding clitoral structures to engorge and move closer to the vaginal wall.
Orgasm Types
The debate about vaginal vs. clitoral orgasms largely dissolves with accurate anatomy. Research by Barry Komisaruk and others using MRI brain imaging has found that orgasms produced by vaginal stimulation activate the same brain regions as orgasms produced by clitoral glans stimulation — they’re not neurologically distinct.
Both “clitoral” and “vaginal” orgasms involve the clitoral structure. The difference is which part of it is most directly stimulated.
Practical Implications for Toy Choice
Understanding the anatomy changes how to think about sex toy selection:
External stimulation toys (vibrators, sonic toys like the Sona 2 Cruise) directly stimulate the clitoral glans and shaft near the surface. These are the most reliably orgasmic for most people because the glans is the most densely innervated part of the structure.
Sonic/pressure wave technology (used in LELO’s Sona series) works by creating pressure waves that reach the internal portions of the clitoral structure through tissue — not just the surface. This is why many users describe sonic stimulation as feeling “deeper” than vibration.
Rabbit vibrators provide both external glans stimulation and internal vaginal stimulation simultaneously — stimulating different portions of the clitoral structure at once, which explains their popularity.
G-spot vibrators target the anterior wall — the area closest to the internal clitoral structures. Curved tips and targeted vibration at this location stimulate the internal portions from the inside.
Anatomy education is practical, not merely informational. Knowing what’s actually there makes clearer choices about what kind of stimulation is most likely to work for a given body.