And this is perpetuated even on medicine where the the large, easily dissectible nerves of the clitoris are simply omitted from OB/GYN textbooks and journals. Detailed anatomy and physiology are absent from the narrative around female sexual health.
“Orgasm may not be relevant for sexual satisfaction in women.”
“10–15% of women cannot have an orgasm.” (No, this is not an ability issue.)
“Emotional stimuli may overshadow physical stimuli.”
“Women rate their partners orgasms as more important to sexual satisfaction than their own.”
“Doctors should inform patients they can resume normal sexual function after radical vulvectomy.” (This includes excision of the body and glans of the clitoris).
“A lack of glans innervation does not seem to affect patients’ sexual behavior.”
“Sexual function seems satisfactory.” (After intentionally cutting the nerve supply to the glans).
When I analyzed the context of every use of the term “sexual function” in the 2 highest impact OB/GYN journals over a course of 12 years (random time frame I guess), I saw that it mainly means ability to be penetrated without pain and “sexual satisfaction” which is understood to be a subjective, psychological variable mostly dependent on relationship context.
OB/GYN is female dominated. It is actually women who are perpetuating this. I’ve had the female president of ABOG blow me off, refusing to include detailed clitoral anatomy on board exams. ABOG meanwhile certifies that OB/GYNs can do labiaplasties and clitoral hood reductions despite lack of training and education in anatomy. I’ve had a female OB/GYN say I’m spreading fake news. I’ve had a female OB/GYN tell me she doesn’t think there is enough room for this anatomy in a GYN surgery textbook.
It is the male head of a plastic surgery program who is supporting a dissection study.
I’ve been fighting this for 8 years. During this time, I’ve actually had women tell me how my sex life isn’t my doctors business, how knowing clitoral anatomy isn’t important because it plays no role in reproduction, etc. They ask what the big deal is. They literally scoff at me for trying to talk about it. They tell me no one will take me seriously and the media will not care.
We paint women as victims. But women have so much power now. Yes maybe we are taught not to value our own pleasure, but we can choose to unlearn this. We can choose to value what we need. We can recognize that most guys actually want to please us and simply tell them what we need. The power is actually in our hands.
Why aren’t we changing it?