It’s actually wild how much we didn't know about human anatomy until, like, yesterday. For decades, if you opened a medical textbook, you’d see a tiny little button. A nub. Maybe a "pea-sized" organ if the illustrator was feeling generous that day. But that's not even close to the truth. The reality of the model of the clitoris—the actual, full-sized, 3D reality—is something most doctors didn't even see until the late 1990s.
Think about that. We put a man on the moon in 1969, but we didn't have a complete anatomical map of an organ that belongs to half the population until Bill Clinton was in office.
The 1998 Breakthrough That Changed Everything
Helen O'Connell is a name you should probably know. She’s an Australian urologist who basically got fed up with the lack of detail in surgical texts. She realized that surgeons were performing operations in the pelvic region with a map that was basically missing an entire continent. In 1998, she published a study that used MRI imaging to show that the clitoris isn't just an external tip. It’s huge. It’s a wishbone-shaped powerhouse that wraps around the vaginal canal.
It has legs. Literally. They’re called crura.
When O'Connell published her findings, it wasn't just a minor update. It was a localized earthquake in the medical community. The model of the clitoris we use today—the one that looks like a deep-sea creature or a sprawling orchid—comes directly from her work. Before her, the "standard" was often based on 19th-century dissections that were... let's just say, heavily influenced by the Victorian idea that female pleasure wasn't a "functional" part of biology.
Why the 3D Printed Version Matters So Much
In 2016, a French researcher named Odile Fillod took this a step further. She realized that looking at a 2D drawing on a screen or a page doesn't really help people understand how this thing fits into the body. She developed a 1:1 scale model of the clitoris for 3D printing. It was open-source. Anyone with a printer could make one.
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This was a massive deal for sex education.
Most people are visual learners. When you hold a physical model in your hand, you see that the "glans" (the part you can see on the outside) is just the tip of the iceberg. The bulbs and the crura extend four or five inches into the body. This helps explain why "internal" and "external" stimulation aren't really separate things. It’s all the same organ.
The Anatomy You Weren't Taught in Gym Class
Okay, let's break down what this thing actually looks like because it’s honestly pretty cool. If you’re looking at a modern model of the clitoris, you’re going to see four main parts.
First, the glans. That’s the external part. It has more nerve endings than the head of a penis—somewhere in the neighborhood of 8,000 to 10,000. Some recent studies even suggest it could be more. Then you have the body, or the shaft, which points inward.
Then it gets interesting.
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The bulbs of the vestibule sit on either side of the vaginal opening. When someone is aroused, these fill with blood, just like a penis does. They get firm. They hug the vaginal canal. Then you have the crura—those long "legs" that flare out like a wishbone. They can be up to 9 centimeters long.
- The Glans: The visible "button."
- The Body: The connective bridge.
- The Bulbs: The internal erectile tissue.
- The Crura: The structural "legs."
It’s a complex, multi-layered system. It’s not a "spot." It’s an entire region. When people talk about the "G-spot," many researchers, including Dr. O'Connell, argue that what they're actually feeling through the vaginal wall is the internal structure of the clitoris.
Why Was It "Lost" for So Long?
You might be wondering how we just... forgot... where an organ was. It sounds like a bad joke. But the history of the model of the clitoris is actually a bit dark. In the 1500s, anatomists like Realdo Colombo and Gabriele Falloppio (yes, the Fallopian tubes guy) "discovered" it and wrote about it quite accurately.
But then came the 1800s and early 1900s.
Psychology started to dominate the conversation. Sigmund Freud famously claimed there were two types of orgasms: "immature" (clitoral) and "mature" (vaginal). This wasn't based on biology. He just made it up. But because he was Freud, people believed him. Medical textbooks started shrinking the clitoris in their diagrams because it was seen as unimportant to reproduction. If it didn't help make a baby, the Victorian-era scientists didn't think it deserved a detailed map.
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By the 1940s, many textbooks had removed it entirely.
It took the feminist movement of the 70s and the technological boom of the 90s to bring it back. Today, if you go to a progressive doctor’s office, you might see a 3D model of the clitoris on their desk. It’s a tool for empowerment, sure, but it’s also just basic medical accuracy. If a surgeon is performing a hysterectomy or treating pelvic floor dysfunction, they need to know where those nerves and erectile tissues are located to avoid causing permanent numbness or pain.
How to Use This Knowledge
Honestly, just knowing this exists changes the way you think about the body. It removes a lot of the mystery and the "why isn't this working?" frustration that many people feel.
- Check the Source: If you’re looking at an anatomy app or a book, look for the wishbone shape. If it just shows a little dot, that resource is outdated. Toss it.
- 3D Printing: If you’re an educator, you can find Odile Fillod’s files online for free. Printing a model of the clitoris is one of the best ways to teach pelvic anatomy.
- Communication: For couples, understanding the internal structure helps explain why different angles or types of pressure work better than others. It’s not magic; it’s geometry.
The "lost" organ isn't lost anymore. We have the maps. We have the 3D prints. We have the MRI data. The only thing left is to make sure this information becomes common knowledge rather than a "fun fact" people share on social media.
Moving Toward Better Pelvic Health
The shift toward an accurate model of the clitoris is part of a larger movement in healthcare called "inclusive anatomy." It’s about recognizing that we can't provide good medical care if we're using incomplete charts. This applies to everything from sexual health to gender-affirming care to simple urinary tract health.
When we hide anatomy, we create shame. When we map it, we create agency.
To take this further, start by advocating for comprehensive anatomical education in your local schools or even just within your own social circles. If you're a healthcare provider, ensure your office uses up-to-date visual aids that reflect the 1998 O'Connell findings. You can also support organizations like the Clitoris Awareness Network or researchers who continue to investigate the nervous system's role in pelvic sensation. Understanding the full scope of the internal structures is the first step in dismantling centuries of medical bias and improving physical well-being for everyone.