Today I ran into Dr. Blair Peterson, Queer Surgeon on IG. He is one of the main authors of the study that mapped and counted the sensory nerves in the Clitoris (a little over 10,000, compared with a finger that has 3,000).
Not only is he out as a queer doctor who works at Oregon Health Science University, he has bright pink hair-so I can’t help but feel some symbiosis with him.
As fun as it is to think about the clitoris, I want to discuss something about it that you probably have never heard of that is rather uncomfortable.
If you have a clitoris, you will probably want a mirror after you read this.
The external clitoris is embryologically an uncircumcised penis. Now imagine having an uncut penis and never retracting the foreskin. Imagine that hormones, as they transition from reproductive years to post-reproductive years, start decreasing, causing the skin to get thinner and drier. What can happen?
Clitoral adhesion and keratin pearls (harden smegma)!
Yes, the clitoral hood can close up, hiding the head of the clitoris, and create tiny hard “pearls” that are a “grain of sand in your eye”, except it is not in your eye.
No, your doctor is not checking for this. In fact, we try to stay away from the clitoral complex.
I do see this happening though- especially in the post-menopausal years, but it can also happen in children.
How do you prevent this?
Scientifically, I don’t know because there aren’t a lot of studies of the clitoris- I mean we only just counted how many nerves are present.
But in my opinion, self pleasure, vulvar self-exam, and estrogen cream in the post-reproductive years can all help.
And if you are having pain in the clitoris, please go see a sexual health specialist-whether this is your PCP, OB/GYN, or Urologist-make sure they have had more training in sexual health first. (There are other reasons for pain in the clitoris as well-I’ll talk about those later).
I am all about removing stigma, smegma, and keeping ourselves hidden.
Addition: I want to add this from Anne More: “There are simple and gentle protocols for scar tissue remediation that can help soften and dissolve adhesions in this and other areas of the body. Sexological Bodyworkers and STREAM (Scar Tissue Remediation and Management) practitioners are trained in offering and teaching these for home use.”
Medical recommendations are based on formal studies while there are many other treatment options that I may not be aware of because of this. I would by far recommend a less invasive approach first prior to surgical one.
Much love and blessings,
Evalene
Feel free to reach out to me, I would love to keep in touch via Instagram @SexMedDoc and @MakeTimeForTheTalk and via Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/evelindacker/