8 Fun Facts About the Female Erection Every Man With An Erection Should Know
Male and female erections are similar. It’s time we started talking about them the same.
This article first appeared on Sexography on Jan 2, 2023. If you are a Medium subscriber, you can read my full collection of sex education essays here. Or you can wait for them to be recycled every Wednesday.
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Every woman knows when a man has an erection, but do men know when a woman has an erection?
Or, to put a philosophical slant on this question…If an erection happens in the forest and you can’t see, touch, taste, or hear the moans, did it happen? Unfortunately, most of a woman’s erection occurs beneath the surface, hidden beneath the folds of her labia. That’s a lot of unheard trees falling (or not).
Many argue that the penis and clitoris are too different to compare, but science says differently.
When aroused, both structures increase in size as they engorge with blood. Both get harder and darken during that engorgement. And both genders need an erection for sex to be pleasurable enough to reach climax.
It’s time we peel back the layers and change how we discuss erections to include clitorises.
Fun Fact #1: Male and female parts are homologous.
Let’s start with a Miller Analogies Test (MAT) question.
Man: Penis:: Women: _________
Scroll for the answer…
Keep scrolling, my little budding sexologists.
I love this game.
I could never do this on Medium.
But Substack doesn’t have any rules against being annoying. Yay!
Work that wrist. You are almost there.
Right there.
Keep going.
Don’t stop.
Please don’t stop.
Yes! Yes! Yes! The answer is…
If you answered vagina, you would be wrong, at least from an anatomical perspective.
The correct answer is the clitoris.
The clitoris and penis are homologous — they have the same relation, relative position, or structure. Homologous structures also share a similar embryonic origin. For example, during gestation, male and female genitals are indistinguishable until about 8–9 weeks.
If we label the different parts of the clitoris and penis, they are also homologous. Here are a few examples:
The glans clitoris is homologous to the glans of the penis.
The penis’ prepuce or foreskin is homologous to the clitoral hood.
The shaft of the penis is homologous to the clitoris’ shaft.
The crura or legs of the penis are homologous to the clitoral crura.
The bulbs of the penis are homologous to the clitoris’ bulbs.
This will make sense with another of my bubble gum anatomy illustrations.
Hide the kids. Dick pic coming…
But the main reason the clitoris and penis are soul sisters is that they have similar erectile tissue.
Fun Fact #2: Male and female erections work the same.
The mechanics of the female and male erection are also remarkably similar.
The visible head of the clitoris — the glans clitoris — is packed with the most nerve endings, similar to how the head or glans of the penis is the sensitive area for most penis owners. When that area is aroused through oral or tactile stimulation (or conjuring up Jason Momoa in your bed), the glans clitoris engorges with blood. If you pay attention, you may notice the glans increasing in size and darkening. (The labia minora also enlarges and darkens.)
But the fun doesn’t stop there. As the ischiocavernosus muscles contract, the vestibular bulbs swell (see illustration). During this process, sponge-like regions of erectile tissue called the corpora cavernosa fill with blood, allowing a woman to maintain an erection.
A similar process happens in the male erection. Like the clitoris, when a man is aroused, the ischiocavernosus muscle forces blood into the crura and corpora cavernosa.
If you look at a cross-section of the penis vs. the clitoris, they have similar erectile tissue.
Incidentally, my most recent version of Gray’s Anatomy does not have a cross-section of the clitoris, but it had a very detailed one of the penis. I wonder why? Let’s change that…
Fun Fact #3: The male and female erections are homologous but not analogous…sort of.
Homologous structures share similar traits. Analogous structures share similar functions.
For example, your dog’s leg is homologous to your arm because it shares the same bone structure — carpals, metacarpals, phalanges, radius, and humerus.
But a dog’s leg is not analogous to a human’s arm because they have different functions. (Unless your dog can open pickle jars…in which case, I should just get a dog and forget this boyfriend hunt!)
Now, let’s circle back to our genitals. One of the reasons why the female erection doesn’t get as much attention as the male erection is because the female erection’s role in reproduction is unclear. Technically, a female erection is not needed for reproduction.
But it sure does help.
To start, if a woman never gets aroused, is she coming back for more? I am not saying the problem is always the man’s fault. Many women have hormone, trauma, or body issues that prevent an erection.
But often, a woman is not aroused because her partner has learned sexual techniques through porn or is simply clueless about female anatomy. Better yet, think of it this way. How would you feel if a woman tried to stuff your flaccid penis into her vagina? Well, women don’t like it either.
Unfortunately, an unerect clitoris is also not fun for penis owners. This brings me to my next fun fact…
Fun Fact #4: If her vagina doesn’t feel tight, she is probably not aroused.
I always chuckle at the incels complaining about “loose vaginas” because they basically just admitted that they suck in bed.
First off, let’s bust one of the most common vagina myths. The vagina does not widen when aroused. It does “tent” — the cervix and uterus pull up and back, out of the way for the incoming fun. Vaginal tenting is like a penis rising — there’s no party without the party tent.
During female arousal, the clitoris’ vestibular bulbs on either side of the vaginal opening enlarge. (See illustration) This enlargement narrows the vaginal opening creating a snugger grip on the penis.
To be clear, some women’s vaginas may feel tighter if they are anxious or have vaginismus — a tightening of the vaginal opening caused by fear of penetration. Another reason why a vagina may feel tighter is due to a lack of lubrication. Ever play Slip and Slide without the water? Ouch. Not fun.
And yes, there are other reasons a penis might not get a snug fit. Sometimes, a woman’s pubococcygeus (PC) muscles weaken due to childbirth (most snap back), age, or pelvic floor trauma. But in most vaginas, a woman feels loose when she is not aroused.
Let’s repeat that for the incels at the back of the bus…
If her vagina feels loose, she is not aroused.
And sorry, but a sex hiatus does not tighten a vagina. (If only!) Actually, not having sex could possibly weaken the PC muscles, making penetration less enjoyable for both parties.
Fun Fact #5: Stimulating the female prostate can also cause a lady boner and ejaculation.
I will probably get some pushback on this one, but women have a prostate. And similar to men, stimulating it can lead to an erection and ejaculation.
The female prostate can be found 1–3 inches inside the front wall of the vagina, toward the belly button, not the buttocks. (Some people call this area the Gräfenberg spot or G-spot, but those people usually still refer to women as “gals.”)
The female prostate comprises the urethral sponge and Skene’s glands — the small openings on either side of the urethra (see illustration below). The Skene’s glands are homologous to a man’s prostate glands.
Although Skene’s glands and prostate glands are homologous, they are not analogous. The primary purpose of a man’s prostate gland is to produce the fluid that nourishes and transports sperm.
But the Skene’s glands also serve a purpose. During orgasm, these glands also sometimes release a milky, white substance known as female ejaculate. Female ejaculate (different from squirting) lubricates the urethra opening and acts as an antimicrobial to prevent urinary tract infections. So, if your partner is prone to UTIs, an orgasm may help prevent them. Sign the petition: #StopUTIsWithOrgasms.
Just remember that similar to how different men are sensitive in different parts of their penis, not all women like this area stimulated.
*Note: Only people assigned female at birth (AFAB) have Skene’s glands.
Fun Fact #6: The female erection happens just as fast as the male erection.
Sex researchers used to stick tampon-like electrodes into the vaginal canal to measure arousal levels. This method was ineffective because most of the clitoris’ nerve endings are on the glans — the nub of erectile tissue outside the body. (Not to mention, there is nothing sexy about electrodes in your lady bits.)
When researchers used thermal imaging, the story changed. In one small study, researchers had male and female participants watch pornography and then measured arousal levels by recording raised temperatures in subjects’ genital areas. (Incidentally, the control group watched Best Bits of Mr. Bean — a guaranteed lady boner killer.)
Their results were not surprising. Men’s sexual arousal peaked in 665 seconds (about 10 minutes), while women peaked at 743 seconds — a statistically insignificant difference.
So next time you hear a guy complaining that women take longer to get aroused, whip out your electrode thermal imaging device and prove him wrong.
Fun Fact #7: Not orgasming is painful for women too.
We always hear those comical tales of men having a neverending erection, but priapism — a prolonged erection — happens in women too.
Priapism or “blue balls” occurs when the blood flowing to the genitals becomes entrapped, causing an erection that just won’t quit.
Although priapism is rare in women, it is equally painful. One woman experienced an erect clitoris for five days before going to her physician. (The woman’s erection was tamed by taking Sudafed — a cure that kills men’s erections too.)
Fun Fact 8: Yes, women wake up with a boner too.
While we are all familiar with men’s “morning wood,” women get erections in the morning too. When awake, your body releases hormones that suppress erections, so we can all get something done during the day. (Some of us…less so.)
During REM sleep, norepinephrine decreases. Norepinephrine is the frisky hormone and neurotransmitter that allows your brain to turn off and your body to take over. At the same time, Nitric Oxide (NO) increases and relaxes the corporal cavernosal smooth muscle tissue so the party can get started.
By the time the sun is up, so are testosterone levels. In both genders, testosterone is highest in the morning hours. This chemical cocktail causes increased blood flow to the genitals and…voila — an erection.
This increased blood flow may lubricate the vagina, but not always. Wetness or dryness is never a definite sign of arousal levels.
And men are not the only ones having “wet dreams.” One older study found that 37% of women have orgasms while they sleep.
In many K-12 anatomy books, the penis and vagina are labeled, and the clitoris is oddly missing. Better yet, ask a five-year-old boy where his penis is located, and he will have no problem pointing in the right direction. But ask a five-year-old girl where her clitoris is, and she probably will look at you confusingly.
We can do better. It’s time we discuss erect clitorises like we do erect penises.
Carlyn Beccia is an award-winning author and illustrator of 13 books. Subscribe to Conversations with Carlyn for free content every Wednesday, or become a paid subscriber to get the juicy stuff on Sundays.
Thank you very much for this. As a male writer writing about female characters, I want to make sure my writing of these things is realistic so I won't be criticized for doing it "wrong".
I read this on before on medium. And for the second time it really made me smile.