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News & Current Events Mar 30, 2026 at 3:48 AM

Full network of clitoral nerves mapped out for first time | Women's health

Posted by indy_110

Full network of clitoral nerves mapped out for first time
the Guardian
Full network of clitoral nerves mapped out for first time
Anatomy of one of least studied human organs could improve outcomes for women who have pelvic surgery
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nilyro Mar 30, 2026 +4986
They finally found it 🙌
4986
1877KlownsForKids Mar 30, 2026 +2466
When asked how they felt about this discovery, the lead scientist said simply "fine," and rolled over. The reporters, being all male, asked no followup questions.
2466
azsnaz Mar 30, 2026 +565
"The reporters, not interested in playing games' accepted the answer and moved on"
565
SmallRocks Mar 30, 2026 +170
“*Fine! I’ll report on it myself!*”
170
HendrixHazeWays Mar 30, 2026 +56
"I used the c*** to destroy the c***" 
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BeastofPostTruth Mar 30, 2026 +57
"I am the c*** commander!"
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BlasterShow Mar 30, 2026 +16
“I make that shit *WORK*”
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Myotherself918 Mar 30, 2026 +9
You will bow down to the C***
9
RainSurname Mar 30, 2026 +154
There are several reasons why women say "fine." "Playing games" is at the bottom of that list, behind "how men tend to react when we're actually honest, being tired of repeating ourselves to someone who doesn't listen, being taught to center boys/men at our own expense starting in kindergarten, societal disapproval of women openly pursuing their own sexual pleasure."
154
Rockstar_Zombie Mar 30, 2026 +1
The question isn’t why, the question is whether it’s right to pry in response.
1
Conscious-Refuse8211 Mar 30, 2026 +19
Sure is hard to see why people might think communicating with men is too much effort...
19
ResponsibleRaise9683 Mar 30, 2026 +51
I like how we get good news about women's health for once and some shit for brains dudebro had to come in and make a passive aggressive joke about how women can't communicate
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hawaynicolson Mar 30, 2026 +1
To be fair it's under a comment (the most upvoted one in the thread about women's health) making fun of men not being able to find it, can you really complain? >The reporters, being all male, asked no followup questions. And it's making fun of men as well.
1
indy_110 Mar 30, 2026 +75
Funder Information Declared **Chan Zuckerberg** Initiative (United States), [https://ror.org/02qenvm24](https://ror.org/02qenvm24), 2022-316777, 2024-009938 University College London, [https://ror.org/02jx3x895](https://ror.org/02jx3x895) European Synchrotron Radiation Facility, [https://ror.org/02550n020](https://ror.org/02550n020) Amsterdam University Medical Centers, [https://ror.org/05grdyy37](https://ror.org/05grdyy37) Better check in on Mark and the silicon valley gang.
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XGrayson_DrakeX Mar 30, 2026 +1
Have they published the scans anywhere? I just want to see it
1
Ok-Arachnid-460 Mar 30, 2026 +175
But did they figure out how the pee comes out?
175
d0ctorzaius Mar 30, 2026 +190
Everyone knows pee is stored in the balls, so women don't pee.
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zxc123zxc123 Mar 30, 2026 +11
Have you never had sex ed or just dumb? What are you? 6 or 7 years old? Women pee. They store their pee in their breasts.
11
MishkaShubaly Mar 30, 2026 +18
Toan is stored in the balls
18
appleparkfive Mar 30, 2026 +14
You're a long way from how. There's no Gibsons to save you here
14
HomeAloneToo Mar 30, 2026 +3
No no no, now plastic is stored in the balls for when you become a man and take up 3d printing.
3
angelofox Mar 30, 2026 +44
Interesting, I heard it was the back side of the knee
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TheCh0rt Mar 30, 2026 +26
Not everybody keeps their genitals in the same place, Captain
26
matunos Mar 30, 2026 +6
I understood that reference.
6
brokenringlands Mar 30, 2026 +5
Nothing like foreplay in the original Klingon.
5
dissidentdogie Mar 30, 2026 +21
The wee knee?
21
indy_110 Mar 30, 2026 +11
I thought it was on the weenus
11
No-Dimension856 Mar 30, 2026 +3
Wenis..weenus.. either way that definitely helps to explain why my reading comprehension led me to giving oral in all the wrong places. *I still like gnawing on elbows*
3
demoneyesturbo Mar 30, 2026 +1
Can someone explain the "cant find the c*** meme/joke" to me? Its inconceivable to me that people don't know where it is. Literally front top dead center. You cannot miss it as you head down. I get selfish sexual partners ignoring it, but not finding it is ridiculous. Right?
1
thxxx1337 Mar 30, 2026 +5
Cigars all around
5
wheretohides Mar 30, 2026 +3
Someone needs to make a tutorial on how to read the research paper, I won't believe it until i see the rare, and elusive clitoris for myself.
3
SuspiciousCorner6135 Mar 30, 2026 +4
i never understood this stereotype/meme with "oh He can't find my c***". like really? it's right there at the top. it's like saying he can't find my tongue when kissing. perhaps he didnt' want to because it's too close to the pee hole?
4
DoctorofFeelosophy Mar 30, 2026 +17
I always assumed the "men can't find the c***" thing is a sarcastic way of saying a not insignificant number of them don't bother to look for it.
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indy_110 Mar 30, 2026 +1113
"And in the 38th edition of Gray’s Anatomy in 1995 it was introduced as just “a small version of the p****”." Damn next season goina be crazy.
1113
marxr87 Mar 30, 2026 +257
it's the other way around but this is basically true. the p**** is a larger c***/v***** that had the labia fuse together into a scrotum. pretty wild when you look at diagrams. it's immediately obvious.
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evaned Mar 30, 2026 +46
> the p**** is a larger c***/v***** that had the labia fuse together into a scrotum. In my mind as a lay person (but who has read a *little* about it), both of these seem to me to be making a similar category of error as saying "if humans evolved from apes, why are there still apes?" At least from what I can tell, there seems to be significant development of *both* organs after sexual differentiation. Pretending that one is just further development from the other I think does a disservice to *both*.
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Plthothep Mar 30, 2026 +90
Kind of but not really? Female genitalia is the “default”, at least the visible parts. There’s a small population of people who have XY chromosomes but are insensitive to testosterone, which makes them essentially indistinguishable from other developmentally female individuals, albeit with testes where the ovaries should be and with underdeveloped internal structures. Most of these women don’t even realise they’re genetically male until they start to encounter infertility.
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RobertPham149 Mar 30, 2026 +57
Because the fetus develop as a female first, then develop the coding of Y chromosomes later. The fetus would develop a female sexual organs first, then the Y chromosome trigger the fusing of labia, dropping of ovaries into testes, and enlarging the clitoris. Same reason why males technically have mammary glands, but men don’t use them
57
edeolivita Mar 30, 2026 +42
>The fetus develops as a female first Embryos start with undifferentiated structures, not female ones. >Develop the coding of Y chromosomes later” The chromosomes XX or XY are present from conception, not added later. >Ovaries drop into testes There is no ovary to testes transformation. Instead, early gonads are undifferentiated, then develop into either testes or ovaries. >Labia fuse and clitoris enlarges This isoversimplified. These structures come from shared embryonic tissues, but they don’t start as fully female organs and then convert.
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RobertPham149 Mar 30, 2026 +17
>The chromosomes XX or XY are present from conception, not added later. The transcription of the Y chromosome happens later during fetal development. The transcription of the Y chromosome is the trigger causing sexual differentiation. >This isoversimplified. These structures come from shared embryonic tissues, but they don’t start as fully female organs and then convert. Yes, it is oversimplified. They are no full female organs. The point I am trying to make is the anatomical structure of early fetal development resembles female, but the transcription Y chromosome triggers structural changes to cause sexual differentiation.
17
Nodan_Turtle Mar 30, 2026 +10
Chromosomes being present immediately doesn't mean they activate simultaneously.
10
kaifs98869 Mar 30, 2026 +5
"...males technically have mammary glands, but men don’t use them..." speak for yourself, Mister. These tiddies be poppin'
5
XGrayson_DrakeX Mar 30, 2026 +1
But it's fun to tell men that the seam on their balls is from when they had labia in utero.
1
Jillredhanded Mar 30, 2026 +6
Men being genetically incomplete Females.
6
Yuukiko_ Mar 30, 2026 +111
maybe they mean it's from the same material as t he p****?
111
indy_110 Mar 30, 2026 +224
“This is the first ever 3D map of the nerves within the glans of the clitoris,” said Lee. She is amazed it has taken so long, considering a similar level of knowledge regarding the penile glans was reached back [in 1998](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9698671/), 28 years ago." That is an interesting latency between mapping the two... The sequel to Prometheus can finally have a [calibrated medpod](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsVjDA8mKEE).
224
DystopianRealist Mar 30, 2026 +46
~~Can you link to a free version, or the drawing? I would prefer not to access the p**** article with my personal credentials.~~ Whoops, I got logged in automatically. The p**** drawings are much more boring than the 3d image of the clitoris. You aren't missing much if you don't have access to the full article.
46
blitzkregiel Mar 30, 2026 +21
it's no surprise the men's came first...
21
Yuukiko_ Mar 30, 2026 +5
I meant Grey's anatomy 
5
Dr_Taffy Mar 30, 2026 +189
Except everybody develops as a female at birth, a mutation of a chromosome which triggers the development of their genitalia. Penises are really just large clits with the urethra built in.
189
Persimmon-Mission Mar 30, 2026 +84
Talk dirty to me again
84
Dr_Taffy Mar 30, 2026 +43
Mud, bugs and shit
43
fadingsignal Mar 30, 2026 +21
Somewhere a far right-winger is having a meltdown over this.
21
TwoFingersWhiskey Mar 30, 2026 +8
Yep, as a trans man, taking testosterone literally will activate that and grow it. Not to a huge degree, but it will grow the clitoris, and have the full sensation, responsiveness etc like a d***.
8
Edenz_ Mar 30, 2026 +6
Can you elaborate on this?
6
StevenTM Mar 30, 2026 +44
All human babies start out physically as girls in early development (in the womb). Some babies turn into boys, some don't, some become intersex (very simplified, something in-between a boy and a girl). If you stayed a girl, a certain bundle of tissue would have become your clitoris. If you become a boy, that same bundle of tissue changes a bit and becomes a p****. So all tissue that make up penises was, at some point, tissue that was a very basic version of a clitoris.
44
Edenz_ Mar 30, 2026 +5
Okay thank you this is a better explanation. Further question though on this section: \> "If you stayed a girl, a certain bundle of tissue would have become your clitoris. If you become a boy, that same bundle of tissue changes a bit and becomes a p****." I think I don't quite understand the differentiation in terms of how can you label this very underdeveloped (fetus? i dont know) baby as a female when by your very explanation the genitals are a bundle of tissue? It sounds reductive or perhaps a silly interpretation of what seems more intersex than one or the other.
5
chusssy Mar 30, 2026 +37
It's obviously not really accurate that everybody starts off female, everybody starts off undifferentiated and develops into male, female or intersex. Boys do not develop female sex organs first then turn into males. I think where this misconception comes from is that fetuses, without the presence of androgens, will end up looking more or less female whether they are or not. You can see this in CAIS, where a male fetus develops into a basically 'normal' (though infertile) female, because it doesn't respond to androgens. So you can kind of say that female is the 'default' that a human body goes to, unless specifically acted upon by androgens in the womb. But people saying that everybody starts off female are normally saying it because they want to make some weird point, not because it's the most scientifically accurate way to describe it.
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Dr_Taffy Mar 30, 2026 +14
This is actually the correct and more accurate way to describe it. My comment was mostly leaning towards "female default" but not necessarily that everybody transforms from a female, but transforms from a default (considering no androgen response would likely be considered default or control). Thank you for clarifying this better!
14
StevenTM Mar 30, 2026 +4
Good question! It sounds reductive because it is. All embryos are undifferentiated up to about 6 weeks. Female is the default because it's the standard path - it's what the tissue turns into if there is no external influence (from hormones, chiefly testosterone). Because that default, undeveloped state needs LESS external influence for the tissue to develop into a clitoris than a p****, being a girl (in this regard - sexual organ differentiation) is closer to the "default". The default state of something is usually the state that requires the least energy. Think of riding a bike. Your direction doesn't really change (on level ground and with a balanced bike) unless you turn right or left. So while riding a normal bike on level ground, the default (girl embryo) is that you move forward, UNLESS an external force acts upon you/the bike and makes you change direction (boy embryo) Also, your chromosomal sex (whether you have a Y chromosome or not) is determined at the moment of fertilization. But your phenotypic and gonadal sex can either match your chromosomal sex, or not. Plus, some parts need to shrivel and others need to develop in order for a fetus to develop male sexual organs, and the opposite parts need to shrivel/develop for it to develop female sexual organs (roughly).
4
DNAturation Mar 30, 2026 +7
Regardless of development level of a fetus, it has DNA where the 23rd chromosome pair are usually either XX or XY which determines if the individual is female or male respectively.
7
Jinn_Erik-AoM Mar 30, 2026 +9
It’s more complicated than that. A specific part of the Y chromosome, referred to as the SRY region, has a gene that drives male development. If the individual has a Y chromosome with an inactive SRY region, then they will develop as a female. If there is a crossover event, which is rare in sex chromosomes, you can have an XX individual with the SRY region on an X chromosome, and they will develop as a male. Those are just two of several ways in which chromosomes more the vehicle for genes, but not the determining factor for sex determination.
9
DNAturation Mar 30, 2026 +3
I admit I have not done much in developmental biology but even if the SRY region is recombined onto the X chromosome, wouldn't it still be active? From my memory of a very simplified explanation of the genes, I was under the impression that one entire (well mostly) X chromosome is transcriptionally active, and only the second pair gets shut down through XIST for gene dosing. In the case of XY there's no need for XIST to shut down an X chromosome, so the first one stays up right?
3
Chemical_Building612 Mar 30, 2026 +4
Not necessarily. There are several known genetic and developmental anomalies that lead to apparent development as one sex in spite of being karyotypically encoded for the other. Most notable variant is probably androgen resistance, which causes testosterone and other androgen hormones to not impact development leading to genetic males with external vulva and no p****. It also occurs in incomplete forms, which often leads to external sex markers that are of indeterminate of either nominal sex. Individuals born XY with complete androgen insensitivity are almost universally raised as females. Without compounding comorbidities, it is rarely discovered before the expected onset of puberty and questions of menarche start to come up. Embryonic and fetal development is highly determined by hormones and their receptors, not just raw genetic code.
4
sirron811 Mar 30, 2026 +15
Your genitals are either inside out or outside in.
15
Gurlllllllll- Mar 30, 2026 +2
I think you meant "at conception" instead of "at birth?"
2
JohnBrownSurvivor Mar 30, 2026 +5
Actually, it's the other way around. Look it up.
5
End3rWi99in Mar 30, 2026 +61
It's really neither. Saying you start off as male or female is a bit too reductive, though I can see why someone might think that. You actually start off with both precursor Mullerian and Wolffian ducts that have the potential to develop into either male or female reproductive organs.
61
joepamps Mar 30, 2026 +35
it's just that unless the trigger is there, the default is female development. so it's kinda female always. I get it's reductive though but I think it's a fun thought
35
TheCh0rt Mar 30, 2026 +9
Shows how little you know. Grays Anatomy wasn’t on TV in 1995!!
9
indy_110 Mar 30, 2026 +6
It isn't a serialised show that began in the late 1800's as an Edison tube exclusive then making difficult transition to wireless radio when the deal fell through during the AC/DC wars to its final resting place inside the Farnsworth box?
6
TheCh0rt Mar 30, 2026 +4
It wasn’t on in 1895 either!! It aired in 1795.
4
rv009 Mar 30, 2026 +2
That sounds like something Dwight would say. "Michael everyone knows the clitoris is a small version of the p****, which means all men have large clitorises" 😂
2
Trashy_Cappy Mar 30, 2026 +902
about f****** time. lol. maybe the next thing is believing women when they say IUDs hurt and not numbing the cervix is just unnecessarily cruel?
902
Silvermoon424 Mar 30, 2026 +520
Gynecology is so barbaric it’s insane. They’ll say “It’s just a little pinch, you don’t need numbing!” about some of the most painful and invasive procedures out there.
520
Clownsinmypantz Mar 30, 2026 +95
my mother was told she didnt need numbing for a cervix biopsy by a male gyno because "there are no nerves there" she nearly passed out. My local gyno office proudly displayed "we NOW have laughing gas" for all those painful procedures.
95
NarwhalEmergency9391 Mar 30, 2026 +211
Seriously! They would never take a biopsy of your arm without numbing it but they'll biopsy your uterus or cervix without numbing it cause "there's no nerve endings there so you won't feel anything." LIES!
211
Typical-Blackberry-3 Mar 30, 2026 +134
I'm not a woman, but every woman I've ever been with that had an IUD said the pain was excruciating. I just imagine it would be like pushing one of those brass pushpins up the urethra of my p****.
134
TheCicadasScream Mar 30, 2026 +85
More like through it, the tool that’s used to ‘clamp’ the cervix is called a tenaculum, it’s pushed into the tissue of the cervix and then used to manipulate it out of the way. It’s basically a curved spike. This isn’t a detail they tell people ahead of time, either.
85
Kennyvee98 Mar 30, 2026 +14
howley f***, i just looked that up, if they would come at me with that i would hit them so hard \^\^ get the f*** outta here with that.
14
canteloupy Mar 30, 2026 +39
It's worse than just pain. It triggers hormones or something that make you feel you are going to die, like a sense of impending doom. It's totally crazy. Last time the gyno couldn't reach the threads and had to stop trying. I nearly fainted and then he did it under general anesthesia.
39
DevianttKitten Mar 30, 2026 +9
Yes! It’s so painful your body initiates a full on fight or flight adrenaline dump red alert because *something is deathly wrong*. I’m on my third IUD. First was under general, second was awake without any pain relief, third was under general again because there’s no way in hell I am going through that while conscious ever again.
9
sunkistandsudafed3 Mar 30, 2026 +1
I'm needing something to try to help control my endo and adenomyosis, and said pretty much this exact sentence to my husband yesterday about being conscious. It was f****** excruciating and I'm never going through it awake again. It was 17 years ago and I still feel sick when I think about it.
1
gocharmanda Mar 30, 2026 +1
First time I’ve heard someone else describe that part of the experience—I’ve always described it as your body screaming that someone is very, very *wrong*.
1
West-Season-2713 Mar 30, 2026 +8
Don’t forget how they shove a big metal hook through it to yank it into place.
8
Stats_n_PoliSci Mar 30, 2026 +11
I have seen lots of women say it wasn’t very painful. I’ve also seen a bunch say it was excruciating. My read is that nerve sensitivity varies a lot from woman to woman. Which makes sense if you think about it. In the context of sex, some women have cervical orgasms, some find cervical stimulation excruciating, some find it feels like nothing at all. Some women can o***** from penetration, others cannot. In the context of periods, some women have excruciating pain, some barely feel anything. And the location of period pain is inconsistent from woman to woman. It makes sense to me that IUD insertion will be painful for some, and barely anything for others.
11
sunkistandsudafed3 Mar 30, 2026 +1
Surely the default response in the management of the procedure should be some women find this excruciating, rather than some women dont find this painful. Plus if there are additional risk factors for it being painful, this should be a red flag that it will likely need managing. I had a mirena coil for endometriosis years ago. Endometriosis often causes deep pain with sex, not a stretch to think it might make coil insertion very painful. Add in they wanted to insert it during menstruation as the cervix is open, the most painful time they could do it. Plus not having any children, which they were aware of.
1
thick_granny Mar 30, 2026 +1
Basically, but imagine they’re pinching your p**** with metal spikes and forcing the urethra to stretch open first. I’ve broken bones and had teeth pulled while awake and I would rather repeat those experiences than deal with the 5 minutes of an IUD insertion again. I screamed and passed out, then had to drive myself home because the doctor said it’d just be “some pressure and a pinch”. Women’s healthcare is a joke.
1
Jillredhanded Mar 30, 2026 +26
Absolutely counting my blessings and sending hugs to my sisters who needlessly suffer through this shit. I had a colposcopy followed by an IUD insertion and besides a slight pulling/cramp sensation did not feel a thing. I got to watch the whole thing on a monitor, including the tenaculum grabbing my cervix. Not for the faint hearted but kind of fascinating.
26
AhhGingerKids2 Mar 30, 2026 +13
The crazy thing is the sensitivity can change too! I haven’t had anything that extreme but a smear test pre-kids was more uncomfortable from the pressure of the speculum but really couldn’t feel the ‘swab’. After my 1st, it was excruciating and I nearly threw up. After my 2nd it was uncomfortable but tolerable. All done by the same very lovely and gentle nurse.
13
RainSurname Mar 30, 2026 +5
I'm the *only* person I know IRL that actually did just feel a little pinch. But then I also never had a noticeable menstrual cramp until I got an IUD. They got worse with each successive month, until the only reason I didn't try to claw it out myself instead of waiting for an appointment was fear of making the pain worse. I do not know how women who have cramps like that every month f****** function.
5
Jillredhanded Mar 30, 2026 +2
Samsies too with the easy breezy dots. Super light flow. Same with menopause .. sailed right through it with no interventions while some good friends really struggled. I had the Modena placed after some way unexpected spotting.
2
RainSurname Mar 30, 2026 +3
I probably would have sailed right through menopause if not for the fact that I got evicted right as it began, thanks to a new rent control law that made landlords scramble to push out long term tenants for whatever reason they could find, invent, or in my case, deliberately create. Worst possible time to start living, working, and sleeping in one small room that is not really safe for you to leave. I am beginning to doubt I will ever lose all the weight I gained during the two years I used more weed and alcohol than I had in the previous 10 just to keep from screaming, eating food that did not require a significant amount of time in the kitchen, not moving hardly at all because there was literally no room to do so.
3
magicpastry Mar 30, 2026 +2
Bruh And here I am having to look away from normal vaccinations cuz the needle too scary.
2
firestorm713 Mar 30, 2026 +2
"Fun" reminder that the origins of gynecology was doctors doing experiments on enslaved women as if they were cattle!
2
zincifre Mar 30, 2026 +82
The insertion was fine but the pain that kicked in following the insertion was the most vulnerable moment in my adult life
82
Optimal-Ad-7074 Mar 30, 2026 +40
this varies dramatically.  I almost threw up or fainted when they were putting mine in.   it does something weird to my whole nervous system; the doctor doing it said there's a connection to the vagus nerve that controls heart rate and blood pressure.   my GP told me women have different amounts of nerve endings in their cervices too.    
40
Stories-With-Bears Mar 30, 2026 +8
I was the opposite. The insertion was horrible, I literally yelled “F***!” when they put it in. But I felt like the cramps afterwards were way over exaggerated. They dimmed the lights and told me I could lay down for as long as I needed, but I was ready to get dressed and go home pretty much right away
8
ResponsibleRaise9683 Mar 30, 2026 +6
I bled for days in the bathtub :( 
6
expensive-toes Mar 30, 2026 +29
They actually began officially recommending that last year! Like the findings in this post, it’s horrifically late. But better late than never, I suppose ..? https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/05/20/nx-s1-5403880/iud-insertion-pain-treatment-acog
29
Fit_Celebration7669 Mar 30, 2026 +14
My gawd I thought I had high pain tolerance but an IUD leveled me. Never again.
14
snakeayez Mar 30, 2026 +20
My wife showed me pics and read aloud the process to make sure I knew and understood about IUDs. I never doubted nor questioned, she just wanted to make sure that I never did.
20
Netz_Ausg Mar 30, 2026 +9
After my daughter had an IUD fitted to help her uncontrollable cramping she spent 20 minutes outside the hospital throwing up. That shit is awful.
9
blifflesplick Mar 30, 2026 +6
iirc they got this bs from experimenting on enslaved women with no numbing, but odds are she was so frickin *traumatised* she disassociated. Its not like they'd actually believe her anyways if she did complain.
6
macphile Mar 30, 2026 +5
At this rate, women will be seen as fully people in...what, 2072? Alas that I'll miss it.
5
RedIsAGooner Mar 30, 2026 +3
omg I know right! I had to get it done twice. First time they just gave me something for anxiety. Hurt like hell and for a whole week after. Second time they doped me up but they raised a huge stink about it.
3
sachiprecious Mar 30, 2026 +573
**❗Warning: Sexual violence** This is amazing news, especially for survivors of Female Genital Mutilation. >The mapping of clitoral nerves is likely to inform reconstructive surgery after female genital mutilation, one of the most extreme examples of cultural misogyny. According to the World Health Organization, more than 230 million girls and women alive today in 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia [have undergone such mutilation](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/female-genital-mutilation), in which the visible part of the clitoris may be removed, along with parts of the labia. >The practice has no health benefits and can result in issues including severe bleeding, infection, problems urinating, menstrual difficulties and complications in childbirth. >About [22% of women](https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.14839) who undergo surgical reconstruction after mutilation experience a decline in orgasmic experience after their operation, so a better understanding of how far the nerves extend could reduce that percentage, said Lee. This is huge. Anything that helps FGM survivors is important, because FGM is an ugly stain on humanity and needs to end *today.*
573
-anonthoughts- Mar 30, 2026 +138
Genuinely curious, is FGM a common problem in America? Or is it mostly in African or Asian cultures? EDIT: Being downvoted for what? It’s a serious question. I’ve only ever heard of FGM in places like African tribes, but I’m sure there’s more. Hence, me asking a question, but go ahead and downvote because y’all can’t provide insight.
138
Drop_Release Mar 30, 2026 +120
Its a problem for example because many people come from abroad who may have experienced FGM as a child. Many unfortunately don’t realise what happened to them was even wrong /predatory until after they become teens or go to see a doctor
120
Catfist Mar 30, 2026 +36
It's not common in the Americas but it's not unheard of.
36
MDSPH Mar 30, 2026 +25
Even if this isn't a problem specifically in the US, this has happened to several HUNDRED MILLION women and girls around the world, so we should all be interested when these kinds of discoveries are made
25
Unusualthoughts123 Mar 30, 2026 +93
In ‘Murica it is only culturally normal to genitally mutilate the males.
93
-anonthoughts- Mar 30, 2026 +50
It is odd how that works. I think children should be left alone to make decisions for themselves in adulthood, and you’d probably find that the overwhelming majority wouldn’t even consider a circumcision, because they’ve went their whole lives just fine. Also, if this wasn’t already clear, nobody should be using religion as justification for mutilation. It’s disgusting and vile. Just to make more people aware, there’s a Jewish tradition called metzitzah. You should look it up, it’s absolutely repulsive, and is performed on BABIES!!!
50
UrsusRenata Mar 30, 2026 +8
Lots of dads and moms just want their boys to look like dad. And so it goes, generation after generation.
8
Proper-Beach8368 Mar 30, 2026 +5
I’ve never understood this argument because boys’ penises are not going to even vaguely resemble a man’s p**** until at least puberty; before that they are tiny. And at twelve, who the heck is comparing penises with their dad? We didn’t circumcise our son and it never once even came up. At worst, circumcised men don’t know to teach their uncircumcised sons how to keep their foreskins clean and stretched; to date that info has fallen to every mom I know lol. And it’s not like girls need their labia or breasts to look like their moms’. Such a weird concept.
5
kingofdailynaps Mar 30, 2026 +3
not speaking to your other points, but it should be noted that metzitzah is not a practice the vast majority of jews support or participate it – pretty much only done by a rare subset of ultra-orthodox jews. might be worth pointing out in case people think it's common when it definitely isn't, but agreed it should be eradicated.
3
_selfishPersonReborn Mar 30, 2026 +1
I think it's just funny/depressing that people think that you're insinuating that it's not a relevant problem because it's not American, and all the replies instead of tackling that say 'well there is Americans that had it' as opposed to the simpler 'oh it affects a shit load of people'...
1
tcmart14 Mar 30, 2026 +4
I’ve never heard it be performed in the states, granted that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen, but I am guessing it’s virtually non-existent. As someone else mentioned, probably the biggest, I guess concern or factor, is immigrants who underwent the procedure then immigrated here.
4
Friendly-Olive-3465 Mar 30, 2026 +2
Big in Nigeria from what I remember. Something like 25% of women have gone through some form of FGM.
2
No_City9250 Mar 30, 2026 +1
FGM isn't so common, but IGM (Intersex Genital Mutilation) is common and often practiced without even the parents being informed.
1
aguyfrom208 Mar 30, 2026 +28
Hey everybody, have the “but what about male circumcision???” conversation under this comment. I myself won’t be participating but maybe we can keep it contained.
28
DRMProd Mar 30, 2026 +2
Amen to that!
2
Modern_Bear Mar 30, 2026 +164
>The clitoris, responsible for sexual pleasure, is one of the least studied organs of the human body. Cultural taboo around female sexuality has held back scientific investigations and the clitoris did not even make it into standard anatomy textbooks until the 20th century. And in the 38th edition of Gray’s Anatomy in 1995 it was introduced as just “a small version of the p****”. >A Melbourne urologist, Helen O’Connell, says the clitoris has been ignored by researchers for far too long. “It has been deleted intellectually by the medical and scientific community, presumably aligning attitude to a societal ignorance,” she said. And we can see the societal ignorance (and stupid jokes) in the responses to this story.
164
Zxcc24 Mar 30, 2026 +22
Like genuine question, not trying to be weird: why is it such a taboo thing? Am I the only person that enjoys preforming? Like my only requirement is just basic hygiene. Do guys really just hate it?
22
Modern_Bear Mar 30, 2026 +54
Because this always has been a male dominated world, and men decide on what is acceptable, what is taboo, what to research, and what to spend money on. For the most part, men just want women to do what they're told and they don't care about satisfying them. In the last 50 years we have seen a shift away from these attitudes, thankfully, but the progress is painfully slow. Even now, with the election of Trump, many men saw him as a way to slow or reverse progress on women's rights, as well as the LGBTQ+ people. As for me personally, I like to satisfy my wife and we have both experimented over our 20 year marriage. I don't have an overinflated male ego about sex and relationships.
54
Abandon_Ambition Mar 30, 2026 +35
Culturally, women are expected to be quiet servants of their children, men, and household. Women's joy and pleasure are seen as distractions or even rebellion from their work as servants, so anything acknowledging or amplifying women's joy or pleasure is seen as wrong or bad. 
35
BeastofPostTruth Mar 30, 2026 +13
I think most guys are simply selfish and/or lazy
13
ResponsibleRaise9683 Mar 30, 2026 +9
It freaks insecure men out that women might enjoy sex because then they might go have sex with someone who isn't them 
9
Careless_Jury154 Mar 30, 2026 +87
Cliteracy rates on the rise
87
jackleggjr Mar 30, 2026 +753
Men: "I don't need a map. I know exactly where I'm going." Women: ...
753
mindfulmu Mar 30, 2026 +279
Let me stop real quick and ask this A****** for some directions.
279
Narradisall Mar 30, 2026 +10
Hey, how come that guy knew the directions to your clitorus honey?
10
rawker86 Mar 30, 2026 +167
Kinda surprised this old trope still gets bandied about to be honest, it’s pretty f****** easy to find. Perhaps it’s less about not knowing where it is and more about not bothering to get down there and ring the bell.
167
Infinite_Inflation11 Mar 30, 2026 +113
Indeed, you’re correct. The joke is that they know where it is and don’t bother lol
113
Immersi0nn Mar 30, 2026 +38
It has to be that, thing is like a critical hit zone on a video game boss. It's absolutely *impossible* to miss.
38
ratherbekayaking121 Mar 30, 2026 +71
You'd be surprised.  I had a boyfriend who would *argue* with me about where it was. Mind you, it was *my* c***. 
71
rebbsitor Mar 30, 2026 +26
It's 10pm, do you know where your c*** is?
26
Immersi0nn Mar 30, 2026 +19
yeah like...I really think those people *know* but like...get off on the game of f****** with you? Now if you said they thought the v***** and the urethra were the same orifice...yeah *that* is surprisingly common.
19
Frowny575 Mar 30, 2026 +7
Some people are truly that clueless. Doesn't make sense to me as anatomically, that is where a guy's d*** is considering it is more or less the same tissue just in another format. Same base and all, just went 2 different directions.
7
Immersi0nn Mar 30, 2026 +3
I guess that's possible if you don't spare even a moment to think about it. It's just...so obvious visually.
3
Frowny575 Mar 30, 2026 +4
Don't ever underestimate how dumb someone can be. We like to think we're advanced but we have a lot of idiots out there.
4
Immersi0nn Mar 30, 2026 +3
Sufficiently advanced incompetence is indistinguishable from malice holds true once again lol
3
ChipsAhoiMcCoy Mar 30, 2026 +3
I’m glad that sentence had the word had in it. 😆
3
Ocel0tte Mar 30, 2026 +14
Some do, but when it takes longer than 10sec they get frustrated.
14
Optimal-Ad-7074 Mar 30, 2026 +10
it's knowing what to do with it once they get there.  
10
Soft-Pomelo-4184 Mar 30, 2026 +2
Seriously, I can give instructions on how to get him there in such an e***** way that he'll never forget.
2
Raagun Mar 30, 2026 +2
No man(women?). It works differently depending on excitement level. Clitoris not always just sticks out. And can be not so trivial to find at weird angle and when everything is wet(hopefully) and slippery there.
2
Accomplished-Exit136 Mar 30, 2026 +26
Its amazing how big a difference the map made. Nothing better than being told "wow you actually know what youre doing"
26
Superb_Health9413 Mar 30, 2026 +2
Where we’re going we don’t need roads
2
sarahafskoven Mar 30, 2026 +70
We put robots on f****** Mars before we mapped out a few inches of the female body
70
Fishmyashwhole Mar 30, 2026 +7
>a few inches Speak for yourself
7
sarahafskoven Mar 30, 2026 +4
10/10 response objectively - but since I know this will be seen by countless people who won’t understand the body enough to appreciate the humour, I’m referring to the fact that the clitoris is an organ where substantial parts of it are below the skin. The square inch area the clitoris resides within is several inches. The nub on the surface can come in all sizes, but is typically not several inches.
4
Michael_Gibb Mar 30, 2026 +177
>A Melbourne urologist, Helen O’Connell, says the clitoris has been ignored by researchers for far too long.  Not just the clitoris, but also female anatomy in general. It's a sad reflection of the sexism and misogyny still prevalent in medical science that one of the most distinctly female organs is only now in the 21st century being properly studied.
177
Modern_Bear Mar 30, 2026 +118
>It's a sad reflection of the sexism and misogyny still prevalent in medical science that one of the most distinctly female organs is only now in the 21st century being properly studied. The responses in this thread is also a sad reflection of the sexism and misogyny still prevalent in society in general.
118
Soft-Pomelo-4184 Mar 30, 2026 +156
Well now guys, you have a native guide AND a map. No more excuses 
156
mitch0acan Mar 30, 2026 +43
> a native guide I picked up a drink just so I could spit it out, thank you
43
TheCh0rt Mar 30, 2026 +29
When have men ever paid attention to maps
29
Soft-Pomelo-4184 Mar 30, 2026 +11
Damn, good point 
11
aguyfrom208 Mar 30, 2026 +3
Yeah, and what’s the deal with airplane food, am I right? How’s everybody doing out there? Front row, where y’all from?
3
furrysalesman69 Mar 30, 2026 +8
“It’s cold!”
8
TopChard1274 Mar 30, 2026 +2
George Costanza would still write it on his palm
2
ToddlerPuncher5000 Mar 30, 2026 +4
"Hold on let me consult the map" I say as I jack into a supercomputer, neon green japanese characters flow past me and fade into the distance. A black guy teaches me kung fu. Trinity gets bored and settles for getting dicked down by joey pants.
4
squirreloak Mar 30, 2026 +113
"You're getting on my last nerve" may have a new meaning.
113
mindbodyproblem Mar 30, 2026 +11
You're getting off my last nerve.
11
sirron811 Mar 30, 2026 +4
No, still means youre not finding these nerves tonite
4
avisitingstone Mar 30, 2026 +61
"For the first time" womens' health truly is centuries behind men's health yeesh.
61
taylo7 Mar 30, 2026 +40
For the first time. Classic.
40
CheezTips Mar 30, 2026 +9
If you're interested in the topic, read ["V***** Obscura"](https://www.rachelegross.com/book), 2022, by Rachel Gross. It's pretty great
9
raerae1991 Mar 30, 2026 +40
It’s 2026, this should have been done decades ago! Female healthcare is still in its infancy!!!
40
Wheres_my_wank_sock Mar 30, 2026 +45
I am the c*** f****** commander.
45
Djinnwrath Mar 30, 2026 +6
You see that shit!? I make that shit work!
6
SirNortonOfNoFux Mar 30, 2026 +1
Snoochie Boochies
1
Craigslisteria Mar 30, 2026 +5
Even with it mapped out there will be men who can’t find it.
5
benedictus Mar 30, 2026 +15
Didn’t this happen years ago? I remember reading this before…
15
ag3ntscarn Mar 30, 2026 +43
Mapping via MRI technique was done in 1998, and later studies involved surgical dissection of cadavers, but those studies were limited in how much could be found by those techniques. What's new with this study is the use of Hierarchical Phase-Contrast Tomography (HiP-CT) to get micrometer-resolution images, way higher detail than has ever been possible for conventional CT or MRI.
43
Method412 Mar 30, 2026 +29
I'm trying to understand the article, but it seems like the tissue was mapped out in 1998, but only recently the layout of the nerves. I'm not certain though.
29
obedientfag Mar 30, 2026 +9
a lot of other universes are ahead of this one on scientific progress, for better or worse. you just remember it from that
9
Objective-Amount1379 Mar 30, 2026 +8
Did you read the article? And no, this is new.
8
ArguesOnReddit Mar 30, 2026 +35
Schrodinger's C***. It's in a box and simultaneously doesn't exist and yet is mapped out.
35
Optimal-Ad-7074 Mar 30, 2026 +7
it's, um, technically outside the box.  
7
steve_ample Mar 30, 2026 +18
Nothing on Google maps so far.
18
ImBadAtJumping Mar 30, 2026 +5
Surely can't miss on an app called G Maps
5
HobbesNJ Mar 30, 2026 +14
"I'm sorry, mayor. I couldn't find the little man in the boat." \- Officer Barbrady
14
SpIcIchatter Mar 30, 2026 +6
Guys you don’t have any more excuses They f****** mapped it for you now 💀
6
StarvingVenom Mar 30, 2026 +6
I can not read map tho
6
Busterlimes Mar 30, 2026 +7
Maybe its the least studied organ by you. . . .
7
laz10 Mar 30, 2026 +3
pretty insane to be ok with doing surgery without knowing about an organ right there, let's just ignore it dw i guess
3
jdbway Mar 30, 2026 +1
The article starts: "Almost 30 years after the intricate web of nerves inside the p**** was plotted out..."
1
Blueberry_Mancakes Mar 30, 2026 +8
Siri, navigate to the clitoris.
8
dreamgirl2286 Mar 30, 2026 +9
It’s wild how we’ve mapped the entire surface of Mars but only just got around to figuring out our own basic anatomy. Better late than never for science to finally prioritize the girls!
9
RadicalOrganizer Mar 30, 2026 +17
And Republican men still won't find it.
17
Brrrrraaaaap Mar 30, 2026 +14
They definitely won't on Grindr.
14
Harak_June Mar 30, 2026 +4
A report from Bobby Jr has established that the female o***** is a woke agenda hoax. They haven't finished any research, but when they do it will show a link with vaccines. /s (just in case)
4
tiggertom66 Mar 30, 2026 +4
> “This is the first ever 3D map of the nerves within the glans of the clitoris,” said Lee. She is amazed it has taken so long, considering a similar level of knowledge regarding the penile glans was reached back in 1998, 28 years ago. The reason why it’s taken so much longer is actually discussed in the [original study](https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.03.18.712572v1.full) (Lee, R. Y. Et. Al - Neuroanatomy of the Clitoris) which has not been peer reviewed yet, but is available to read for free without any restriction. > However, the full 3D trajectory from the clitoral nerve is yet to be described, as the nerves are largely embedded deep inside the body and are therefore more challenging to dissect compared to the p****. Which is exactly how the nerves of the p**** were mapped in the cited [1998 study](https://www.ovid.com/journals/bjou/abstract/00002414-199807000-00019~neuroanatomy-of-the-penile-portion-of-the-human-dorsal-nerve?redirectionsource=fulltextview) (Yang & Bradley - Neuroanatomy of the penile portion of the human dorsal nerve of the p****) > The DNP was dissected in human autopsy specimens, using low magnification, following the course of the nerve from the symphysis pubis into the glans p****. Per Lee’s own account, this method would have been prohibitively difficult in studying female anatomy compared to male anatomy. Her paper also cites 3 studies from Helen O’Connell. The first of which was another [1998 study](https://www.auajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1016/S0022-5347(01)63188-4) that had used this dissection method to explore female anatomy. And as Lee’s paper points out, it was methodically insufficient to gain the same level of understanding as male anatomy. Both of O’Connell’s 2005 papers: [Anatomy of the Clitoris](https://oce-ovid-com.gate.lib.buffalo.edu/article/00076734-200510010-00010/HTML) and [Clitoral Anatomy…Magnetic Resonance Imaging](https://www.auajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1097/01.ju.0000158446.21396.c0) had supported that existing understanding of the anatomy of the clitoris dating as far back as 1844 was mostly accurate. However she still did not have the appropriate equipment and techniques at her disposal to reach this level of understanding. So how did Lee’s team study the clitoris? > In this research, we used Hierarchical Phase-Contrast Tomography (HiP-CT), a synchrotron-based X-ray phase-contrast microtomography method. A synchrotron is a cyclic particle accelerator that generates high-energy, coherent X-rays. Synchrotron light sources can be used to scan 3D images with voxel sizes down to the micrometre scale. The coherent X-rays enable the phase-contrast technique, providing sufficient contrast to determine biological compartments from soft tissue. So in order to supposedly find a similar level of understanding on the innervation of the p**** and clitoris… researchers needed simple dissection to map male anatomy, but needed a particle accelerator to map female anatomy. HiP-CT wasn’t even around until 5 years ago. Here’s the [2021 study] that discussed the novel technique.
4
Temporary-Outside-13 Mar 30, 2026 +6
Fun fact, Women were not allowed in FDA approval medical studies until 1990….
6
cohaolain Mar 30, 2026 +1
It's bean, a long time coming
1
Mountain-Union2347 Mar 30, 2026 +3
Finally they can start developing C*** 2
3
premgirlnz Mar 30, 2026 +2
Every year I get disappointed at what we’re only just learning about women’s bodies. Maybe one day we will get mapping of the cervix so they can stop doing medical procedures without anaesthetic.
2
Czar1987 Mar 30, 2026 +3
Conservative men will say this is fake news
3
Clownsinmypantz Mar 30, 2026 +4
let this title be a reminder to men about how little womens health is studied.
4
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