G-spot
The Gräfenberg spot, or G-spot, is a small area in women behind the pubic bone, surrounding the urethra and accessible through the anterior wall of the vagina. It is putatively an erogenous zone that when stimulated leads to high levels of sexual arousal and powerful orgasms. [1]
There is a great deal of dispute about the reality of the G-spot. It is mostly referenced in books on sexuality aimed at a popular audience.
The term G-spot was coined by Addiego [2] in 1981. It is named after the German gynaecologist Ernst Gräfenberg who is claimed to have first hypothesized the existence of such an area in 1950. The G-spot didn't enter public consciousness till a year later with the publication of the book “The G Spot and Other Recent Discoveries About Human Sexuality.” [1] Shortly after the publication of Ladas' book many professional gynecologist publicly criticized its scholarship and accuracy. [3]
Search for the G-Spot
The purported location of the G-spot has changed over time. Two primary methods have been used to attempt to locate it. The first is based on self-reported levels of arousal during stimulation and the second based on the claim that stimulation of the G-spot leads to female ejaculation. [4] One of the studies using self-reported levels of arousal was a case study with a single women who claimed the experience of a “deeper” orgasm when her G-spot was stimulated. In the published study it was reported that stimulation of the anterior vaginal wall made the area grow by fifty percent. [2] Another study examined eleven women in an attempt to locate the spot under laboratory conditions. Researchers attempted to find the G-spot by “[palpitating] the entire vagina in a clockwise fashion.” Using this technique the researchers reported discovering that four of the women had highly sensitive areas on the anterior vaginal wall. [5]
The actual evidence for the existence of a highly innervated area comes mostly from anecdotal accounts. The few studies that have tried to locate it using more precise means have mostly turned up no results. The few that have returned positive evidence are criticized for using small sample sizes and questionable methodologies. [4]
Despite professional and scientific criticism and skepticism the concept of a G-spot was met with wide spread acceptance in the public. One study reports that 84 percent of women believe that there is a “highly sensitive area” in the vagina. Most popular books on sexuality discuss the G-spot as a reality. [6]
However, to date, all attempts of scientific or empirical investigation into the reality of the G-spot have turned up nothing or highly questionable results.[4]
The Skenes' Glands
Other researchers have attempted to locate the G-spot by building on the claim that G-spot stimulation leads to female ejaculation. Tepper [7] hypothesized that non-urine female ejaculate originated from the female paraurethral glands, or Skene's gland. In their study they examined tissue from eighteen patients and demonstrated that 15 showed prostate-specific antigens. More recent studies have backed up this finding[8] leading some to call the Skene's glands "the female prostate". This find has been used to claim that the G-spot is actually “a system of glands and ducts that surround the urethra” which is located “within the anterior wall of the vagina, about one centimeter from the surface and one third to one-half the way in from the vaginal opening.” [9]
Criticism
Immediately after publication of Ladas et. al's book professional gynecologists were skeptical of the reality of the G-spot. In a 1983 Time magazine article about the G-spot and recent book, Dr. J. Jones Stewart, a gynecologist was quoted as saying all evidence pointed to the fact that there was no G-spot. Specifically he pointed out that women that had the area that supposedly contained the g-spot surgically removed reported no loss of sensation.
In the intervening years since the G-spot was first named no repeatable evidence has surfaced as to its reality. Test that examined the innervation of the vaginal wall show that there is no area that has an increase number of nerve endings. Proponents are also criticized for putting too much reliance on anecdotal evidence. [4]
References
- ^ a b Ladas, AK. The G spot and other discoveries about human sexuality. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Addiego, F; Belzer, EZ; Comolli, J; Moger, W; Perry, JD; Whipple, B. (1981). "Female ejaculation: a case study". Journal of Sex Research. 17: 1–13.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Unknown (1983). "In Search of the Perfect G". Time.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ a b c d Hines, T (2001). "The G-Spot: A modern gynecologic myth". Am J Obstet Gynecol. 185 (2): 359–62.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ Goldberg, DC; Whipple, B; Fishkin, RE; Waxman H; Fink PJ; Wiesberg M. (1983). "The Grafenberg Spot and female ejaculation: a review of initial hypotheses". J Sex Marital Ther. 9: 27–37.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Darling, CA; Davidson, JK; Conway-Welch, C. (1990). "Female ejaculation: perceived origins, the Grafenberg spot/area, and sexual responsiveness". Arch Sex Behav. 19: 29–47.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Tepper, Sl; Jagirdar, J; Heath, D; Geller, SA. (1984). "Homology between the fmale paraurethral (Skene's) glands and the prostrate". Arch Pathol Lab Med. 108: 423–425.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Zaviacic, M; Ablin, RJ. (2000). "The female prostate and prostate-specific antigen. Immunohistochemical localization, implications for this prostate marker in women, and reasons for using the term "prostate in the human female". Histol Histopathol. 15: 131–142.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Crooks, R. Our Sexuality. California: Brooks/Cole.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help)