When you think about the clitoris, you’re probably picturing that super-sensitive nub that’s visible on the outside of the body, located at the top of the vulva where the inner labia meet.
But there’s a lot more to the clitoris than meets the eye. In addition to the small nub, known as the glans clitoris, and the fold of skin protecting it, known as the clitoral hood, there are internal parts that don’t get the same attention.
“The only part of the clitoris you can see is the glans and hood,” sex therapist and University of Florida emeritus professor Laurie Mintz, and author of the book “Becoming Cliterate,” told HuffPost. “The parts you can’t see — the shaft, legs and bulbs — are inside your pelvis.”
Yep, that’s right: The clitoris has hidden legs called the “crura.”
A quick anatomy lesson: The glans connects to the shaft, which diverges into two clitoral legs that run beneath the outer labia, creating a wishbone shape. The clitoral bulbs “wrap around the urethral opening ― where you pee ― and run down either side of your vaginal opening,” sex therapist Emily Morse explained in a post on her website.
These internal parts of the clitoris are made up of erectile tissue that swells during sexual arousal, which Mintz explained is similar in nature to a penile erection.
“But whereas a man’s erection happens on the outside of his body, where it can be seen, most of a woman’s happens on the inside,” she continued.
As you may know, the clitoris is the main organ for pleasure and orgasm. (Mintz called it “the biological equivalent to the penis.”) But if we’re focusing strictly on the glans, then we may be leaving potential pleasure on the table.
So how can we stimulate the legs and the other internal parts of the clitoris? Read on for some expert-backed tips.
For one, it’s “almost impossible” to only stimulate the clitoral legs because the clitoris is “one interconnected organ,” Mintz explained.
“However, many clitoris-owners only focus on stimulating the outside part — the hood and glans — which will still get the inside parts aroused,” she said. There are some techniques that focus more on the internal portion. You can give some of these a try during solo play or with a partner.
One option: “Take your fingers, or a vibrator, and place them inside your outer and inner lips and rub the middle area of your vulva,” Mintz said, noting this would be the area between your external clitoris and vaginal opening.
“Rub up and down, exerting a bit of pressure. You will be stimulating your [clitoral] legs and bulbs this way,” she said.
Another technique to try: Use your hand to cup the entire length of your vulva.
“Try different ways of moving your hand — up and down, holding firmly in place, applying pressure, squeezing, etc.,” Mintz said.
Kegels are another good way to activate the clitoral legs, since they’re situated in the pelvic floor area. The pelvic floor muscles are responsible for those contractions you feel during orgasm.
“Squeeze like you’re stopping the flow of urine, but see if you can squeeze the muscles closer to your urethral opening, rather than the muscles closer to your anus,” Morse explained on her website. “The squeezing action presses on the internal nerve endings.”
To better access the clitoral legs and other internal parts, you could also play around with a sex toy that stimulates the so-called G-spot — a sensitive area that can be felt through the vaginal wall.
“The ‘G-spot’ is, in fact, accurately called the ‘Clitoral-Urethra-Vaginal Complex’ — or CUV complex — because it encompasses all these organs, including the inner clitoris,” Mintz said.
For some individuals, stimulating the external part of the clitoris can feel too intense, so “knowing how to stimulate the internal clitoris without direct contact with the external clitoris can be very useful,” Mintz said.
And regardless of your personal pleasure preferences, having a better, fuller knowledge of your own body is a good thing. That said, it’s important that learning more about your sexual anatomy doesn’t create pressure to “‘achieve’ different types of orgasms,” Mintz said.
“Knowing about your internal clitoris, or any other part, doesn’t equate to a box to be checked — stimulate this to orgasm — but as a way to experience and experiment with pleasure.”