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Illustrates the measurements used to determine the clitoral-urinary meatus distance (CUMD) in a sample of adult women. C, C′, and C″ are the location of the clitoris, M is the location of the urinary meatus, p.l. are the labia minora (petites lèvres in French), F is the fourchette of the vagina, and a,b is the arch of the symphysis pubis. Bonaparte's CUMD measure was from the frenulum of the clitoris (underside of the clitoral glans) to the center of the urinary meatus (adapted from Narjani, 1924).
Source publication
In men and women sexual arousal culminates in orgasm, with female orgasm solely from sexual intercourse often regarded as a unique feature of human sexuality. However, orgasm from sexual intercourse occurs more reliably in men than in women, likely reflecting the different types of physical stimulation men and women require for orgasm. In men, orga...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... detailed description of how the genital measurements were obtained was included in the 1924 article. Fig. 2, derived from the original article, illustrates how the distance from the glans clitoris to the center of the urinary meatus (CUMD) was measured. The distance from the clitoral glans to the urethral meatus is the primary independent measure in this study. Bonaparte described that the distance measured was from a small triangular area on the underside of the clitoris delineated to the left and right by convergence of the labia minora, which would correspond to the frenulum of the clitoris, to the middle of the urinary meatus. Thus Bonaparte's measurements did not include the clitoral glans itself, but were taken from its base or underside. The arc in Fig. 2 illustrates the pubic arch but the relationship between the arch and the clitoral glans is either poorly illustrated or in error. As drawn it would suggest that in some women the clitoral glans is actually well above the pubic arch, a location which has never been reported for women's ...
Context 2
... detailed description of how the genital measurements were obtained was included in the 1924 article. Fig. 2, derived from the original article, illustrates how the distance from the glans clitoris to the center of the urinary meatus (CUMD) was measured. The distance from the clitoral glans to the urethral meatus is the primary independent measure in this study. Bonaparte described that the distance measured was from a small triangular area on the underside of the clitoris delineated to the left and right by convergence of the labia minora, which would correspond to the frenulum of the clitoris, to the middle of the urinary meatus. Thus Bonaparte's measurements did not include the clitoral glans itself, but were taken from its base or underside. The arc in Fig. 2 illustrates the pubic arch but the relationship between the arch and the clitoral glans is either poorly illustrated or in error. As drawn it would suggest that in some women the clitoral glans is actually well above the pubic arch, a location which has never been reported for women's ...
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Background:
During the course of a previous study, our laboratory made a serendipitous finding that just thinking about genital stimulation resulted in brain activations that overlapped with, and differed from, those generated by physical genital stimulation.
Objective:
This study extends our previous findings by further characterizing how the b...
Citations
... This is consistent with studies that have examined orgasmic latency, in which women take nearly twice as long to reach orgasm with a partner as they do with solitary masturbation [48], a context in which orgasm is typically reached in 7-8 min. This may be explained by the fact that clitoral stimulation is more direct in masturbation versus shared sexual encounters, resulting in faster orgasm achievement [49,50], or in their ability to experience multiple orgasms, a fact that, although it also exists in men [51], is much more documented in women [52,53]. In the case of men, this could be explained by the tendency to instrumentalize orgasm to obtain something derived from it [10,22], such as relaxing or falling asleep. ...
The subjective orgasm experience (SOE) refers to its perception and/or assessment from a psychological viewpoint. Few works have approached this construct from a qualitative perspective and have never taken a consolidated theoretical model as a reference. This study aims to provide qualitative validity evidence to the Multidimensional Model of Subjective Orgasmic Experience, derived from the Orgasm Rating Scale (ORS), to qualitatively address SOE in the contexts of sexual relationships and solitary masturbation, analyzing the terms self-generated by individuals and examining the coincidence with the semantic descriptions of orgasm proposed by the ORS. Four hundred Spanish adults aged 18 to 64 years participated. The Technique of Free Association of Words was applied, and prototypical, frequency, and similitude analyses were performed. A similar description was observed concerning the terms generated in both contexts, with a higher frequency and intensity in the context of sexual relationships. In the context of solitary masturbation, negative orgasmic descriptions were evoked. Participants were able to elicit the vast majority of ORS adjectives, with Affective being the most notable dimension, followed closely by Rewards, especially in masturbation. Most of the adjectives were evoked simultaneously with those of the Affective, with “pleasurable” standing out as the most predominant one. This work provides qualitative evidence to the SOE study, ratifying the semantic composition of the ORS and thus endorsing the Multidimensional Model of Subjective Orgasmic Experience as a good theoretical model from which to continue studying the subjective orgasmic experience.
... The vulva serves to protect the female sexual organs and is an important part of the female sexual response (Wallen & Lloyd, 2011). The vagina is an elastic and muscular tube that connects the vulva to the cervix (Sacher & Bornstein, 2019). ...
Vulvovaginal laceration and pelvic fracture with symphysis disruption represent a complex and challenging clinical scenario in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. This study aims to examine the incidence, clinical characteristics, and management strategies for cases involving simultaneous vulvovaginal lacerations and pelvic fractures with symphysis disruption. A retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of patients presenting with these combined injuries over a specified period. Demographic data, obstetric history, mode of delivery, associated risk factors, clinical presentation, radiological findings, and management outcomes were systematically reviewed. Results revealed that the occurrence of vulvovaginal laceration and pelvic fracture with symphysis disruption is relatively rare but can lead to significant morbidity. The majority of cases were associated with traumatic childbirth, instrumental deliveries, or pelvic trauma. Prompt diagnosis through a multidisciplinary approach involving obstetricians, orthopedic surgeons, and radiologists is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes. In conclusion, vulvovaginal laceration and pelvic fracture with symphysis disruption present a complex clinical scenario that requires a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach. Further research and collaborative efforts are warranted to enhance our understanding of risk factors, refine diagnostic protocols, and establish evidence-based guidelines for optimal management of this unique obstetric and gynecologic challenge.
... A recent study found that sexual inactivity and single status was associated with and obesity, indicators of poor health, and physical inactivity [16]. However, this is not unique to physicians in-training; some associations align with those in the general population, such as cis males having a greater ability to achieve orgasm and higher masturbation frequency [17,18]. ...
... While there was significant evidence against adaptationist accounts at that time, conceptual critiques by Lloyd directly inspired further empirical studies (e.g., Wallen & Lloyd, 2011, p. 780;Zietsch & Santtila, 2011, p. 1097Shirazi et al., 2018, p. 606;Blair et al., 2018, p. 2), eventually building the capacity to more directly empirically evaluate these heuristics. 14 For example, the androcentrism that had anchored early adaptationist accounts was decisively challenged by later studies demonstrating the anatomical reason for why some cisgender women have orgasm reliably with (unassisted) vaginal intercourse while most do not (Oakley et al., 2014;Shirazi et al., 2018;Vaccaro, 2015;Wallen & Lloyd, 2011). ...
... Recalling the idea of interested inquiry (see Sect. 3.3), feminist heuristics guide us toward creating a world that promotes sexual pleasure for all genders and sexualities and, thus, a world free from sexual guilt, shame, and frustration. Many cisgender women have been made to feel shame at not having orgasm from unassisted heterosexual intercourse; yet, through feminist guided-research, we can now show empirically that variation in women's orgasm frequency is partially explained by anatomy and cultural attitudes: these include the distance between the clitoris and the vagina and the likelihood of penile stimulation with penetration (Vaccaro, 2015;Wallen & Lloyd, 2011), as well as androcentric, heteronormative attitudes toward sex that prioritize vagina-around-penis/penis-in-vagina intercourse over more direct clitoral stimulation (Mahar et al., 2020). ...
Feminist philosophers have discussed the prospects for assessing values empirically, particularly given the ongoing threat of sexism and other oppressive values influencing science and society. Some advocates of such tests now champion a “values as evidence” approach, and they criticize Helen Longino’s contextual empiricism for not holding values to the same level of empirical scrutiny as other claims. In this paper, we defend contextual empiricism by arguing that many of these criticisms are based on mischaracterizations of Longino’s position, overstatements of certain claims, and false dichotomies. Her contextual empiricism not only allows for the empirical support and disconfirmation of values, but Longino explicitly discusses when values can be empirically adjudicated and emphasizes the crucial role of the community for standards of evidence. We support contextual empiricism and elaborate a less direct account of “values as heuristics” by reviewing Longino’s theory of evidence and then using a case study from Elisabeth Lloyd on the biology of female orgasm, demonstrating the disconfirmation of androcentric values in evolutionary science. Within Longino’s and Lloyd’s contextual empiricism, values do not get treated as empirical evidence to be directly assessed by individuals, but rather values are heuristic tools to build models whose use can be validated or invalidated by communities based on their empirical fruitfulness in the logic and pragmatics of research questions in specific historical and cultural contexts.
... The notion that women's orgasm during intercourse is related to the location of the clitoral glans in relation to a woman's vagina was suggested more than 90 years ago when Marie Bonaparte, using the pseudonym Narjani, published the first data. Bonaparte measured the distance between the underside of the clitoral glans and the center of the urinary meatus and related this distance to the likelihood that the woman would experience orgasm during sexual intercourse [2]. ...
... As evidenced in studies on AFAB, the closer proximity of the clitoris to the vaginal introitus could increase mechanical stimulation during penetrative intercourse [1,19]. Other studies have examined distances between clitoris and urethra, reporting that a shorter distance increased a woman's likelihood of experiencing orgasm in intercourse [2]. With the limit of the small sample size, even in oMTFs there seems to be a correlation between shorter neoclitoris-neovagina distance and better sexual function. ...
Assigned female at birth with anorgasmia possess a smaller clitoral glans and clitoral components farther from the vagina lumen than women with normal orgasmic function. There are no studies evaluating this correlation in operated transgender women. We evaluated whether differences in MRI measurements of neoclitoris volume and distance between the neoclitoris and the neovagina were correlated with differences in sexual function. We recruited for a prospective survey study 40 operated male to female patients (oMtF) who had undergone genital gender affirming surgery and postoperative pelvic MRI. Individual pelvic MRIs were reviewed by two blinded investigators, the three axes of the neoclitoris were measured and the volume was calculated using the ellipsoid formula. The distance between the neoclitoris and the neovagina was also measured. Sexual functioning was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the operated Male to Female Sexual Function Index (oMtFSFI). Mean scores differences in FSFI, oMtFSFI were examined; associations with clitoral size, location, sexual functioning and demographical variables were investigated as well. The response rate was 55%, 11 MtFs operated with pubic neoclitoris technique (PNT) and 11 with neo-urethroclitoroplasty according to Petrović (NCP). The NCP group presented a neoclitoris mean volume of 1.04 (SD 0.39) cc vs 1.31 (SD 0.78) cc of the other group (p = 0.55). The mean distance between neoclitoris and neovagina was 4.20 (SD 0.57) cm in the PNT group and 2.55 (SD 0.45) in the NCP group (p < 0.001). Patients who had undergone NCP achieved a higher FSFI and oMtFSFI mean Total Score than those operated with the previous technique (FSFI 25.81 SD 3.02 vs 18.62 SD 9.92 p = 0.08; oMtFSFI 37.63 SD 8.28 vs 43.36 SD 13.02 p = 0.23). According to pelvic MRI measurements, this study suggests a correlation between neoclitoral location and oMtF sexual satisfaction.
... It has been hypothesized that the reason behind improved sexual physiology could be the filtration of waste and by-products from the blood through dialysis, which ultimately led to sex hormonal correction as well as psychological well-being, which are crucial factors for sexual arousal [22]. Wallen and Lloyd announced a statistical association of sexual arousal with the duration and frequency of dialysis [23]. Soykan et al. also stated a significant association of sexual desire with the duration and frequency of dialysis in patients with CKD [24]. ...
Introduction:
In the recent past, the procedure of hemodialysis has frequently been opted for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) around the globe. In such patients, the concern of sexual dysfunction is highly prevalent, which causes psychological as well as social deterioration in these patients. Wretchedly, this issue has been ignored in developing countries like Pakistan because of social and cultural constraints. Objectives: The aim was to measure and compare Female Sexual Functions of Dialysis (FSFI) scores among three comparative groups: healthy controls, pre-dialysis patients, and hemodialysis patients.
Methods:
A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out with 60 females aged 22-50 years in which 20 were healthy (controls) and 40 were patients with ESRD; of these 40, 20 were taking only oral medicines (pre-dialysis) and 20 were also receiving hemodialysis (hemodialysis). Married women who could read Urdu and were living with live spouses were included, and those with any psychological or psychiatric illness were excluded. Data was collected through a Likert-scaled questionnaire, Urdu translation of the FSFI questionnaire, and scores of each domain were analyzed. Single-tail one-way ANOVA was used to observe the significant difference among the three comparative groups.
Results:
A strong statistical difference was observed among the hemodialysis, pre-dialysis, and healthy control groups when these three study groups were compared for the mean scores of all related domains of FSFI questtionarie. In each female sexual domain, i.e. Desire, Arousal, Lubrication, Orgasm, Satisfaction, and Pain, the diseased groups (pre-dialysis and hemodialysis) showed lower sexual scores than the healthy group. The lowest scores were observed in the pre-dialysis group (16.4 ± 6.8) and the highest were noticed in the healthy group (29.9 ± 1.8); the hemodialysis group (23.3 ± 5.0) expressed a moderate pattern of scores in each sexual domain.
Conclusion:
ESRD female patients who were receiving hemodialysis along with routine oral medications showed improved sexual physiology (with better FSFI scores) compared to those who were without hemodialysis.
... Anatomical make-up talk about the physical structure of your sexual partner that attracted you (Schmitt, 2002;. During sexual intercourse these physical structures like the vagina, penis, breasts, or lips are stimulated for sexual satisfaction (Wallen & Lioyd, 2011). In a video that is trending online, a lady is seen holding to examine a man's penis before they have sexual intercourse . ...
The recent increases in legally married couple ignoring each other’s sexual needs though it is one of the pillars for happy marriage must be a headache to all. It is an open secret nowadays to see and hear married partners complaining bitterly about being sexually neglected. Though men were not known for ignoring sexual demands of their wives, now women also complaint of their husbands avoiding them. But they are mostly later caught red handed cheating. Cheating used to be popular amongst only men but now women are also well known for cheating on their husbands. But shockingly, women who cheat have rebranded cheating; especially with their co-workers as “Office husbands”. Many men have also shared their painful experiences of catching their wives whilst they were also in the act of cheating. These are mostly as a result of partners’ inability to fully sexually satisfy each other in bed. Increasing refusal of partners to have sexual intimacy has not only contributed to increasing breaking homes and domestic violence, but homicides. Homicide especially in the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region is the highest in the world that targets mostly young males. Evidence shows that sexual satisfaction during intercourse is one of the oils of family peace. One of the ways partners would surprise themselves often in bed and have stronger bonds; is by appreciating the roles that sensitive anatomical structures of their bodies play in making them sexually satisfied. But there is little available literature linking the anatomy, physiology and psychology of humans’ love, romance, and sexual satisfaction. To help promote individuals and family peace for global peace, quality health and entrepreneurship; this review was done help to educate couples and the public on how the anatomies and physiologies of their bodies after helping them win love can also help them maintain it. Through this review too, partners would also appreciate their anatomical structures and how they can help them not to only enjoy sexual intercourse but have orgasm. This review is also to encourage couples to freely communicate their feelings and how their partners should satisfy them. Sexual rejection by married partners would further increase with associated increasing cheatings, incest, break ups, and even homicides if nothing is done. This review would help legally married people identify how to satisfy their sexual needs and stay strongly bonded in their marriages. This will also contributes to peaceful and healthy families who can work for economic development.
... Bonaparte measured the distance between the underside of the clitoral glans and the center of the urinary meatus and related this distance to the likelihood that the woman would experience orgasm during sexual intercourse. (2) Since only the external clitoral glans is easily accessible for direct measurement, the complete anatomy of the clitoris including the internal corpora, crura and bulbs has only recently been described, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) providing the most sensitive method of distinguishing between the various soft tissue planes. (3) Although adequate sexual function is complex, it was documented that clitoral size and location may be paramount in impacting sexual function. ...
Natal women with anorgasmia possess a smaller clitoral glans and clitoral components farther from the vagina lumen than women with normal orgasmic function. There are no studies evaluating this correlation in operated transgender women. We evaluated whether differences in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements of neoclitoris volume and distance between the neoclitoris and the neo-vagina were correlated with differences in sexual function. We recruited for a prospective survey study 40 operated male to female patients (oMtF) who had undergone gender affirming surgery (GAS), using two different techniques, the pubic neoclitoris technique (PNT) and the neourethroclitoroplasty according to Petrović (NCP), and postoperative pelvic MRI. Individual pelvic MRIs were reviewed by two blinded investigators, the three axes of the neoclitoris were measured and the volume was calculated using the ellipsoid formula. The distance between the neoclitoris and the neovagina was also measured. Sexual functioning was assessed using the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and the operated Male to Female Sexual Function Index (oMtFSFI). Mean scores differences in FSFI, oMtFSFI were examined; associations with clitoral size, location, sexual functioning and demographical variables were investigated as well. The response rate was 55%, 11 oMtFs were operated with PNT and 11 with NCP. The PNT group presented a neo-clitoris mean volume of 1.04 cc vs 1.31 cc of the other group (p = 0.55). The mean distance between neo-clitoris and neovagina was 4.20 cm in the PNT group and 2.55 in the NCP group (p < 0.001). Patients who had undergone NCP achieved a higher FSFI and oMtFSFI mean Total Score than those operated with the previous used PNT (FSFI 25.8 vs 18.6 p = 0.08; oMtFSFI 23.36 vs 27.18 p > 0.20). According to pelvic MRI measurements, this study suggests a correlation between neoclitoris location and operated male to female sexual satisfaction.
... Both AGD-AC and AGD-AF are reliable and replicable measurements among examiners using a standard way, but they are probably affected by body mass index/adiposity, particularly the AGD-AC [1,25,26]. Besides AGD-AC and AGD-AF, clitoris to urethral meatus distance (CUMD) has been also considered to likely reflect the extent of prenatal androgen exposure [27], but it was less studied. Women with longer CUMD measures are supposed to be exposed to higher levels of prenatal androgens than women with shorter distances, and a shorter CUMD in a woman was deemed to increase her likelihood of experi-encing orgasm in sexual intercourse [27]. ...
... Besides AGD-AC and AGD-AF, clitoris to urethral meatus distance (CUMD) has been also considered to likely reflect the extent of prenatal androgen exposure [27], but it was less studied. Women with longer CUMD measures are supposed to be exposed to higher levels of prenatal androgens than women with shorter distances, and a shorter CUMD in a woman was deemed to increase her likelihood of experi-encing orgasm in sexual intercourse [27]. ...
... The AGD and CUMD were measured using a digital caliper (Carbon Fiber Composites Digital Caliper, Wuxi Kaibaoding Tool Limited Company, Jiangsu, China), the procedures were described in the literature and our previous studies [22,27,28]. The subjects were in the supine position, then changed to the lithotomy position in which the legs are spread apart to be accessed for measurements. ...
Background
The distance between clitoris and urethral meatus (CUMD) for women has been considered to likely reflect the extent of prenatal androgen exposure, being similar to the anogenital distance (AGD) and the digit length ratio. But no published work has examined the association between CUMD and AGD or digit ratio, and the effects of body weight on the CUMD and AGD.
Methods
The CUMD and two AGD measurements, including the anus to the anterior clitoris (AGD-AC) and the anus to the posterior fourchette (AGD-AF), were taken in 117 Chinese women (18–45 years), using a digital caliper. The digit ratios were measured from photos by a digital camera. Meanwhile, data of their height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) were collected.
Results
In bivariate correlation analyses of all 117 subjects, two AGD measurements (AGD-AC and AGD-AF) were moderately correlated with one another (r = 0.474, p < 0.001), but the correlation between AGD-AC and CUMD was weak (r = 0.172, p = 0.063). Both AGD-AC and AGD-AF were notably correlated with weight (r = 0.290, p = 0.002 and r = 0.189, p = 0.041; respectively) and BMI (r = 0.341, p < 0.001 and r = 0.204, p = 0.027; respectively), whereas the CUMD did not differ based on weight or BMI. Exclusion of obese individuals, the CUMD of 86 non-overweight subjects was correlated with the AGD-AC (r = 0.236, p = 0.028).
Conclusions
These results indicated that the CUMD, as an assumed marker of prenatal androgen exposure, was not affected by the body weight, thus being superior to AGD-AC or AGD-AF.
... Herself a psychoanalyst, she openly opposed Freud's concept, arguing that glans clitoris remains the main source of mature female orgasm, and that the lack of orgasm during reproductive sex is due to the lack of clitoral stimulation during penetrative sex, deriving from the placement of the clitoris at distance from the vagina. Remarkably, she collected over 200 individual measurements of the distance between vagina and clitoris in 1930s, and found a correlation between that distance and a decreased rate of copulatory orgasm (a dataset more recently re-evaluated by Wallen and Lloyd, 2011). Best known empirical research on human sexuality and orgasm from the 20th century is undoubtedly that by the zoologist Alfred Kinsey from Indiana University (Kinsey et al., 1948(Kinsey et al., , 1953, followed by the rich work of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, at Washington University in St. Louis (Masters and Johnson, 1960;Masters et al., 1966Masters et al., , 1974Masters et al., , 1993Kolodny et al., 1979). ...
