Doctors Debunk 6.5 Million-View Claim That Clitoris Disappears From Inactivity
Updated
Updated · BuzzFeed · Jun 16
Doctors Debunk 6.5 Million-View Claim That Clitoris Disappears From Inactivity
2 articles · Updated · BuzzFeed · Jun 16
Summary
Doctors said the clitoris does not "go away" from lack of sex, countering a viral tweet that drew 6.5 million views and hundreds of worried comments.
Low estrogen—not sexual inactivity—can make the clitoral glans smaller or less prominent and reduce sensitivity, experts said, often as part of menopause-related tissue changes.
Specialists also distinguished desire, arousal and sensitivity as separate parts of sexual response, noting shifts in one can affect the others and change sexual experience.
Recommended responses included slowing down, trying different stimulation, using lubricants or vibrators, and addressing stress, sleep, relationship strain and overall health.
One in 3 cis women experiences some form of sexual dysfunction, one doctor said, as clinicians and patients increasingly discuss female sexual health more openly.