5 misconceptions about the clitoris: the truth finally set free

The clitoris — a word that should be as ordinary as "penis", as celebrated as so many other parts of the body. Except it isn't. At 1969, we believe it is time to lift this fog and tell the true story of this extraordinary organ.

For centuries, the clitoris was ignored, distorted, reinvented by male imaginaries that simply didn't know where to look for it. It was believed to be absent, then minuscule, then less important than everything else. It was even mutilated in the name of civilization, excised in the name of tradition, forgotten in the name of science. It is a shameful history — and, thankfully, the story of those lies is finally beginning to be written differently.

Here are five misconceptions about the clitoris that it is truly time to leave behind.

Misconception #1: "The clitoris is a small button, a sort of tiny pearl"

Wait. Come discover instead the anatomical truth waiting beneath the surface. What you see on the outside is approximately 10% of the organ. The rest is a hidden world: roots, bulbs, a complex and absolutely sophisticated structure that extends over more than 10 centimeters.

Imagine an iceberg. The small glans visible between the labia — the one that seems so fragile, so delicate? That is merely the emerging tip of an invisible architecture. Beneath it extends an entire system of cavernous bodies, vestibular bulbs, and roots that wrap around the urethra and vagina like the arms of a gentle octopus. This invisible majority of the organ is no less sensitive, no less powerful, no less capable of pleasure than its visible part.

Historical and anatomical research (Idées reçues sur le clitoris: Histoire et anatomie politique d'un organe méconnu, Sylvie Chaperon & Odile Fillod) shows that this ignorance is far from accidental: it reflects centuries of deliberate underestimation of female pleasure.

What science is only now rediscovering, women who take the time to explore themselves already know: the clitoris is not a button. It is a continent that deserves to be traversed with curiosity, slowness, and respect.

Misconception #2: "There are clitoral women and vaginal women"

Freud has a great deal to answer for here. Despite all his influence, he was spectacularly wrong to divide female orgasms into two opposing categories, suggesting that a "true woman" should orgasm from vaginal penetration rather than clitoral stimulation. It was false. It remained false. It remains a male invention designed to valorize penetration and minimize the role of the clitoris.

Here is the anatomical truth: the clitoris and the vagina are not two independent systems (Anatomy of the clitoris). The G-spot, the one some searched for frantically like a hidden treasure, only exists because the clitoris manifests itself there. Vaginal stimulation works precisely because it touches the internal branches of the clitoris — not in spite of them.

For the majority of women, orgasm arrives through direct stimulation of the clitoral glans. For others, it is triggered by external friction that activates the internal branches of the clitoris. There is therefore only one form of female orgasm: the clitoral orgasm. The variations are simply different paths to get there — personal rhythms, individual preferences.

No one has to choose between one or the other, and no one has to feel guilty for coming differently from their neighbor.

Misconception #3: "The clitoris is a useless organ, created by mistake"

This goes back to a historical catastrophe. Until the end of the 18th century, it was genuinely believed that the clitoris was necessary for conception. Doctors even thought that without a clitoral orgasm, a woman simply could not become pregnant. That is why female masturbation was... encouraged. It was not a gentle acceptance of women's pleasure — merely a procreative logic: they wanted women to orgasm so that they would reproduce.

Then came the moment when science concluded that no, the clitoris was not at all necessary for reproduction. Suddenly, it became problematic, inconvenient, and shameful. Doctors began recommending its removal in young girls to prevent masturbation. For decades, the clitoris was treated as a flaw in anatomical design — something to be corrected, reduced, silenced.

But here is the thing: an organ that brings pleasure needs no further justification. Its purpose lies entirely in its capacity to offer you sensation, joy, a deep connection with your own body. The clitoris exists for nothing other than pleasure. That is beautiful. It is even radical: it is the only organ in the human body whose sole function is joy. No reproduction, no survival — just... happiness.

That is precisely why we created 1969: to celebrate this freedom of pleasure, free from expectation.

Misconception #4: "Stimulating the clitoral glans directly is the best way"

Pause for a moment. Approach an unprepared, unlubricated glans too quickly, and you risk creating discomfort — or even pain. That is why so few women find pleasure when someone rushes straight toward it without preamble.

The clitoris has a foreskin, just like the penis. This hood of skin protects it precisely because the glans is highly sensitive. During arousal, this hood retracts slightly to gradually reveal the glans. Until that retraction has occurred, going directly to the glans without lubrication and without gentleness is a bit like drawing a knife and hoping someone will want to dance with you.

Begin instead by exploring all around. Gently massage the hood, stimulate the labia minora — which are themselves erectile zones — let pleasure circulate like a wave spreading outward. Use a quality water-based lubricant, designed for the delicacy and sensitivity of this area.

If you'd like to explore with a sex toy, our vibrating wands offer a progressive, controllable stimulation — ideal for gently discovering your sensations. For more targeted, precise stimulation, the finger clitoral stimulators like the Touch Me or the Kiss Cool allow you to keep full control over intensity and rhythm.

Listen to your partner's rhythm, or to your own breath. Pleasure rises gradually, like the tide — never through brute force. Some women adore direct, constant stimulation; others need variation, alternation. Some prefer a very slow and light touch, almost above the hood. Others want real pressure.

Our slow sex approach honors precisely this gentle unhurriedness. The truth is that every clitoris asks to be heard, to be listened to, to be explored with curiosity rather than with a user manual carved in stone.

Misconception #5: "We only just discovered the real anatomy of the clitoris"

This myth circulates widely: "The complete anatomy of the clitoris was only discovered in 1998!" False. Anatomists like Realdo Colombo in 1558, and later Kobelt in 1850, had already documented the complex structure of the clitoris with astonishing precision. Kobelt had even noted that the nerve leading to the clitoral glans is larger than that of the penis.

But here is the catch: in the 19th century, when it was discovered that the clitoris played no role in reproduction, it was simply forgotten. Anatomy textbooks stopped mentioning it. The word disappeared from dictionaries. Science retreated. It would take until the 1990s and the feminist revolution for researchers to dare look again at what had already been discovered 150 years earlier.

This is less a rediscovery than a resurrection. A story of collective amnesia, deliberate taboo, a refusal to look squarely at an uncomfortable truth: women, just as much as men, possess a nervous system dedicated to pleasure — and that system deserves an honest, fulfilled, and unapologetic exploration.

So, what do you do with it now?

Letting go of these misconceptions is, above all, giving yourself permission to explore without guilt, without expectation, without a predetermined script. Whether you are with a partner or on your own, the clitoris is waiting for just one thing: your curious, gentle attention.

Take a vibrator or simply explore with your hand. Our collection of clitoral stimulators is designed to help you gradually discover what your body prefers — the rhythm that suits you, the intensity that feels right. Or take a look at air-pulse stimulators like Womanizer or Satisfyer for a completely different sensation, more enveloping.

Explore in intimacy, in slowness, without rushing. Or if you prefer shared discovery, bring these findings into your relationship by speaking openly about your desires. Touch, caress, listen. Stay attuned to whatever sensation begins to emerge. Every shiver is a small reply from your body to your curiosity. Follow it.

Because the clitoris is also a way of saying: your pleasure matters. It matters as much as anyone else's. It deserves just as much attention, time, and care. It asks for nothing more than to be recognized, heard, and freely explored.