Once described by a 16th-century anatomist as the "shameful member," the clitoris has historically been ignored in research in part due to taboo.
Additionally, dissecting clitoral nerve tissue is challenging due to its position in relation to the surrounding pelvic organs.
In recent decades, MRI studies have characterized the overall structure of the clitoris.
But only now have researchers captured clitoral nerves in three dimensions and at micron-scale resolution, thanks to an X-ray that uses an extremely bright light source called a synchrotron .
Peters, who specializes in genital nerve procedures, and his colleagues published a tally of all 10,000 nerves in the human clitoris in 2022.
Lee said she hopes to expand her research to a larger sample size that covers a broader age range.
"I see this work as the beginning of a long journey for a new clitoris science," she said. »