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News & ArtsMonday, January 4, 2010
Sex Researcher Sets Out To Prove That the G-Spot Does Not Exist
Posted by Dan Savage on Mon, Jan 4, 2010 at 10:09 AM
...and succeeds, according to the researcher.
A study by British scientists has found that the mysterious G-spot, the sexual pleasure zone said to be possessed by some women but denied to others, may not exist at all.... In the research, 1,804 British women aged 23-83 answered questionnaires. All were pairs of identical or non-identical twins. Identical twins share all their genes, while non-identical pairs share 50% of theirs. If one identical twin reported having a G-spot, this would make it far more likely that her sister would give the same answer. But no such pattern emerged, suggesting the G-spot is a matter of the woman’s subjective opinion.While 56% of women overall claimed to have a G-spot, they tended to be younger and more sexually active. Identical twins were no more likely to share the characteristic than non-identical twins. Andrea Burri, who led the research, said she was anxious to remove feelings of “inadequacy or underachievement” that might affect women who feared they lacked a G-spot.
I'm not saying the G-spot exists. I'm not emotionally invested in this debate, as you can well imagine—I don't have a dog in this fight. But I do know that it's possible to carve a groove into yourself, nerve-ending-wise. Some folks have "wired nips," as they say, but many people with sensitive nipples claim that their nipples became sensitive—or became much more sensitive—after playing with them regularly. Could the same dynamic be at work with the G-spot? Have some women with G-spots managed to activate nerve endings that their sisters—even their identical twin sisters—haven't or haven't yet?
Carnal Nation has a good rundown of the researchers who have found some (vague) evidence of the G-spot.
2
Evidence of the G-Spot isn't going to be found or not found by these researchers. You don't find physical features by asking about them; you LOOK for them. My understanding is that the so-called G-Spot is really nothing more (or less) than an outcropping of the clitoris, which is not just that little nubbin you can see but a surprisingly vast organ that creeps into all sorts of spots and is shaped differently for every woman.
3
So....um. Isn't it possible that these women have G-spots and don't know it? Doesn't this seem like a crazy flaw in this research?
4
Maybe no one's properly stimulated their G spots yet. Considering how many mediocre lovers there are out there, this doesn't seem like an impossibility.
5
@3 It's a huge flaw: and how much of a coincidence is it that women who said they had one tended to be more sexually active? Maybe these women are more comfortable sexually and have actually explored/ looked for a g-spot.
And it's hard to say a study is objective when the head researcher says that they are "anxious" to prove it one way or another.
And it's hard to say a study is objective when the head researcher says that they are "anxious" to prove it one way or another.
6
That study seems ridiculous to me. As above, it can be hard to find and it's entirely plausible that they just haven't discovered theirs. Also, people like different things sexually, so not every woman who has a g-spot is going to want it stimulated or want sex that is going to make it obvious to her.
7
Researcher: "Have you ever seen your clitoris?"
Woman: "Yes"
Researcher to other woman: "How about you?"
Other woman: "No"
Conclusion: Clitoris does not exist.
Woman: "Yes"
Researcher to other woman: "How about you?"
Other woman: "No"
Conclusion: Clitoris does not exist.
8
I think that during the Victorian era, it would have been just as scientific to say that "Studies show that the female orgasm does not exist."
10
I think the shape of the penis indicates there is a particular spot in the vagina that is more sensitive.
12
Who uses a questionnaire to determine the existence of an anatomical feature? What a bogus study.
13
Has anyone of you read that article that Dan linked to?
"Delvin and Webber admitted that most standard gynaecological textbooks make no mention of the G-spot at all; that anatomy manuals used by medical students and postgraduates do not show such a structure; no gynae surgeon has seen a G-spot during an operation; and no anatomist has yet found one while dissecting a human body. Yet they were quick to emphasize that these do not erase the evidence from women’s personal experiences of sex that there is a particular area, located very close to the front wall of the vagina, which seems to give some females a remarkable amount of pleasure. They acknowledged that there are women who claim that stimulation of this area helps them to reach orgasm – and sometimes an orgasm of an unusual kind."
I don't mind so much the lack of g-spots in textbooks and manuals. But that no gynae surgeon nor anatomist has ever found one, might really mean that there isn't any, at least not in the sense of a distinct tissue or feature.
That doesn't mean that women can't like certain vaginal intercourse techniques because they stimulate the clitoris, via vaginal muscles and skin.
"Delvin and Webber admitted that most standard gynaecological textbooks make no mention of the G-spot at all; that anatomy manuals used by medical students and postgraduates do not show such a structure; no gynae surgeon has seen a G-spot during an operation; and no anatomist has yet found one while dissecting a human body. Yet they were quick to emphasize that these do not erase the evidence from women’s personal experiences of sex that there is a particular area, located very close to the front wall of the vagina, which seems to give some females a remarkable amount of pleasure. They acknowledged that there are women who claim that stimulation of this area helps them to reach orgasm – and sometimes an orgasm of an unusual kind."
I don't mind so much the lack of g-spots in textbooks and manuals. But that no gynae surgeon nor anatomist has ever found one, might really mean that there isn't any, at least not in the sense of a distinct tissue or feature.
That doesn't mean that women can't like certain vaginal intercourse techniques because they stimulate the clitoris, via vaginal muscles and skin.
15
This is bad science period. You can't interview people about their anatomy.
Also the authors of the study CLEARLY have an axe to grind. They start out by mentioning this mythical part of anatomy that may or may not exist. They then go on to say no evidence exists of it and the real money line is where they declare that it is a good thing it does not exist. They already had their answer before the study and were just looking to back it up.
Also science has a long history of fucking up studies of sexual issues. Remember that female hysteria was a diagnosable and proven condition. It was believed that the uterus traveled inside the body and literally chocked the women when it got near the throat and heart. Once again all the study of female hysteria was done by people with an agenda.
Also the authors of the study CLEARLY have an axe to grind. They start out by mentioning this mythical part of anatomy that may or may not exist. They then go on to say no evidence exists of it and the real money line is where they declare that it is a good thing it does not exist. They already had their answer before the study and were just looking to back it up.
Also science has a long history of fucking up studies of sexual issues. Remember that female hysteria was a diagnosable and proven condition. It was believed that the uterus traveled inside the body and literally chocked the women when it got near the throat and heart. Once again all the study of female hysteria was done by people with an agenda.
17
so: in my experience, the main scientific/medical answer for any question about women's sexual and reproductive issues boils down to "iunno, it's dark in there".
the g-spot debate is just another head of the hydra. and fnarfily, i think there doesn't need to be a single, "empirically" proven g-spot, but a better understanding of female sexual anatomy. clitoral tissue/nerves are fairly extensively dispersed through the vulva and vagina. having or not having one particularly concentrated spot of sensors isn't that controversial.
the g-spot debate is just another head of the hydra. and fnarfily, i think there doesn't need to be a single, "empirically" proven g-spot, but a better understanding of female sexual anatomy. clitoral tissue/nerves are fairly extensively dispersed through the vulva and vagina. having or not having one particularly concentrated spot of sensors isn't that controversial.
18
Vince of the #10 post, you are aware that a vagina is not simply an inverted penis? I mean, unless the vagina has been surgically constructed from a penis. They are not homologous organs the way you seem to think they are, the clitoris and the penis are homologous. And it's also true what Fnarf in #2 posted. The clitoris is a vast subterranian structure that is shaped like a star. One small tip extends out as a clitoris, two branches wrap around the opening inside the labia, and one extends along the top part of the tunnel exactly where one would expect the G-spot to be. And yes, this structure is sized differently in different women, and it atrophies as we get old, just like penises, and labia, and all other human body parts.
Unbelievable.
Unbelievable.
19
I don't get the need to find (or to not find) the g-spot. If you have a certain spot down there that really gets you going: It doesn't matter if all women have the same spot at the same place or that scientists have a name for it - it's only important that you and your sex-partner(s) know where it is.
20
@18: Penises don't "atrophy" as you get older (and I'm old enough to know). If yours has, I'd suggest that you see a doctor.
21
@18: I thought 10 was implying that since the penis is shaped a way that may serve to stimulate the vagina in a particular fashion, this is possible evidence for a G-spot. Not that a vagina = a penis.
24
Since when does an anxiousness "to remove feelings of 'inadequacy or underachievement' that might affect women who feared they lacked a G-spot" translate to a necessity to prove that no one has or has ever had a G-spot? This is not youth soccer, and the motto of science is not, "If I can't have one, then no one can." This whole thing strikes me as unbelievably whiny.
25
@13 - I don't particularly care whether there is or is not a G-Spot, honestly. But, if the G-spot exists, it is either one of two things:
#1. A physical thing in the body that we can see/touch/find via autopsy
#2. An area of the body that happens to be more sensitive to some women for some reason (either it's an extension of the clitoris or it's something else), the stimulation of which can cause an orgasm.
So, the evidence you cite in your comment from the link argues against #1. Fine. But, the study in this post absolutely does nothing to prove that #2 doesn't exist. Just because a woman doesn't know she has a sensitive spot doesn't mean it isn't there. To prove this once and for all, you'd probably have to stimulate a large number of women in the area you think the G-Spot is, and see what happens.
#1. A physical thing in the body that we can see/touch/find via autopsy
#2. An area of the body that happens to be more sensitive to some women for some reason (either it's an extension of the clitoris or it's something else), the stimulation of which can cause an orgasm.
So, the evidence you cite in your comment from the link argues against #1. Fine. But, the study in this post absolutely does nothing to prove that #2 doesn't exist. Just because a woman doesn't know she has a sensitive spot doesn't mean it isn't there. To prove this once and for all, you'd probably have to stimulate a large number of women in the area you think the G-Spot is, and see what happens.
27
I don't really care if I have a medically-provable G-spot or not. All I know is my bf's penis feels quite nice in there, and if he uses his fingers I come (from the apocryphal g-spot, not the clit). Does it matter what we call it? Why are we having this debate? Can't we just be happy that different women can get off from different kinds of stimulation?
28
13: It's just not some separate organ that a surgeon can see. I think it's simply a particular area of the vaginal wall that, when pressured, stimulates the base (internal "shaft") of the clitoris quite well. So it's not it's own thing; it's just a certain area that is very effective to stimulate sexually, which is not something that a gyno or surgeon (or sexually inactive woman or lousy lover) ever WOULD "find." A surgeon just sees the clitoris, its shaft, and the vaginal wall that have been there all along. This doesn't mean that the g-spot doesn't exist.
29
The real problem with the study, and many of these comments, is the idea that the G-Spot is such a mysterious "magic button" that is difficult to find but once you do, shazam! Orgasm!
Here is a good definition from the G-Spot Center
"The G-spot, also called the urethral sponge, is the tissue that wraps around the urethra and swells with fluid during sexual arousal. The urethra is the tube through which we urinate, and the vagina and the urethra run parallel to each other inside the body, like little train tracks that are very close together. As the spongy tissue around the urethra fills with fluid, the swelling pushes into the vagina, and can be felt through the vaginal wall."
http://www.gspotcenter.com/facts/what-is…
The G-Spot is a misnomer because its not realy a spot, more of an area on the vaginal wall where you can feel the urethral sponge. THis is part of why its not in any anatomy text books.
Any woman can find her G-Spot and many have, but often we don't know to associate the feelings we experience with G-Spot stimulation. Often the first sensation is of having to pee, because you are putting presure on the urethral wall. It can feel different for everyone, and like Dan said, as with nipple of other erogenous zones some women hare more sensitive to G-Spot stimulation than others.
Its really not so mysterious.
Okay- obiously i could talk about this for days. And I do, I work at Babeland. so please stop by if you've got questions :)
Here is a good definition from the G-Spot Center
"The G-spot, also called the urethral sponge, is the tissue that wraps around the urethra and swells with fluid during sexual arousal. The urethra is the tube through which we urinate, and the vagina and the urethra run parallel to each other inside the body, like little train tracks that are very close together. As the spongy tissue around the urethra fills with fluid, the swelling pushes into the vagina, and can be felt through the vaginal wall."
http://www.gspotcenter.com/facts/what-is…
The G-Spot is a misnomer because its not realy a spot, more of an area on the vaginal wall where you can feel the urethral sponge. THis is part of why its not in any anatomy text books.
Any woman can find her G-Spot and many have, but often we don't know to associate the feelings we experience with G-Spot stimulation. Often the first sensation is of having to pee, because you are putting presure on the urethral wall. It can feel different for everyone, and like Dan said, as with nipple of other erogenous zones some women hare more sensitive to G-Spot stimulation than others.
Its really not so mysterious.
Okay- obiously i could talk about this for days. And I do, I work at Babeland. so please stop by if you've got questions :)
31
All I know is there's a little spot on the front side of my vaginal wall that if pressed/rubbed makes me go, 'Woowoowoo' a bit extra when I'm approaching orgasm or having an orgasm. Though, it doesn't do much for me before that point.
32
Ok, looking up, 29 clearly beat me to this, but I'm posting anyway. I completely agree that the "magic button" concept is a huge problem.
There is clearly a dime-to-quarter-sized area of tissue located just inside the vagina. My college textbook for Human Sexuality contained illustrations showing how to locate it with one's finger. Cosmopolitan Magazine even knows how to locate it. It's there, and has a very noticeably different texture than the regular vaginal skin around it.
Is anyone actually disputing the existence of that area of tissue? (It comes in different sizes, kind of like prostates.) Or are they just calling into question whether or not it's a "pleasure center" for all women? (Some women may not consider it a pleasure zone, kind of like men and their prostates.)
Personally, I can't imagine thinking the g-spot is a myth. When I feel "horny," that feeling is mostly concentrated in my g-spot. And I cannot achieve an orgasm without that spot and my clit being simultaneously stimulated over and over. I know everyone is different, but I'm an incredibly average person in most aspects, so I can't really believe that I have an extraordinary g-spot. I'm pretty sure I have an average one, and lots of women just haven't properly discovered their average g-spots.
There is clearly a dime-to-quarter-sized area of tissue located just inside the vagina. My college textbook for Human Sexuality contained illustrations showing how to locate it with one's finger. Cosmopolitan Magazine even knows how to locate it. It's there, and has a very noticeably different texture than the regular vaginal skin around it.
Is anyone actually disputing the existence of that area of tissue? (It comes in different sizes, kind of like prostates.) Or are they just calling into question whether or not it's a "pleasure center" for all women? (Some women may not consider it a pleasure zone, kind of like men and their prostates.)
Personally, I can't imagine thinking the g-spot is a myth. When I feel "horny," that feeling is mostly concentrated in my g-spot. And I cannot achieve an orgasm without that spot and my clit being simultaneously stimulated over and over. I know everyone is different, but I'm an incredibly average person in most aspects, so I can't really believe that I have an extraordinary g-spot. I'm pretty sure I have an average one, and lots of women just haven't properly discovered their average g-spots.
33
I found my G-spot pretty quickly when I started looking for it. I also did research on WHERE to find it.
We're good friends now. ^w^
We're good friends now. ^w^
34
@32
I know what you mean. Once I started stimulating both, it became very hard to come just from clitorial stimulus alone.
I know what you mean. Once I started stimulating both, it became very hard to come just from clitorial stimulus alone.
35
@5
You don't have to look for the g-spot, it finds you. And, yes, that shit EXISTS, without a doubt.
You don't have to look for the g-spot, it finds you. And, yes, that shit EXISTS, without a doubt.
36
So, identical twins who were fucking different people had different sexual responses? That's a real head-scratcher, isn't it? A real survey would have pairs of identical twins fucking the same guy, so the cock would be at least close to the same size and shape in any given sexual encounter. Any volunteers for such a study?
37
After finding a particular happy spot (happy to my partner when stimulated) just to the the posterior of (tucked under) the cervix, I would subsequently seek out a similar place in my future partners. One out of six found it less than thrilling; to the rest it was a wild party.
Considering the blasé response to the orgasm pill, I wouldn't turn to medical research to find out how to make women go ooh! until they decide to take women as patients seriously.
Considering the blasé response to the orgasm pill, I wouldn't turn to medical research to find out how to make women go ooh! until they decide to take women as patients seriously.
38
Oh, yes, let's see if the G-spot exists by rounding up a bunch of women and asking them if they think they have one. That's scientific.
40
The G-Spot is real, and it's delicious. you find a woman, lay her down and spread her legs apart gently, lick her pussy and clit until she becomes moist, slowly push a finger or two inside of her until you feel that rough spot, rub and prod that rough spot while sucking on her clit until she begins to moan, then you curl your fingers outward and keep on pushing against it and sucking her clit harder until she either pushes herself up and tries her best to run to the bathroom (usually appearing a minute later saying "Well, that was weird, nothing came out.) or she lets herself go and this sweet and tangy juice squirts into your mouth every time you curl your finger against it and her hips move. Sometimes, if I'm really thirsty or horny, I just keep on doing it until her voice breaks and she begins to beg for water. Damn, now I'm horny. Fucking scientists, making me all thirsty and shit...
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