Making mountains out of molehills
How many years does it take before a discovery becomes a discovery in the eyes of the media? If the media in question is the BBC, the answer is at least fifteen. I can't figure out why this is just hitting the mainstream media now, after being researched and written about over fifteen years ago, but better late than never. The BBC ran a story about Australian urologist Dr Helen O'Connell who has spent more than a decade documenting the real anatomy of the clitoris. Through the use of magnetic resonance imaging, as well as a complete historical review of anatomical research on the clitoris, Dr. O’Connell has been able to document what many female researchers (and regular folks who get really turned on by all different parts of their internal genitalia) have known for a long long time.
Far from being a tiny button that exists only in the folds of skin surrounding it, the clitoris is a significant and substantial anatomical structure that extends deep into the body and can be implicated in far more than most medical texts suggest.
If you’re like most people and you don’t read urology journals, this may be news to you, but if you’ve got a clitoris, or know someone who does, it’s well worth learning about.
Reference:
O’Connell, H.E., Sanjeevan, K.V., Hutson, J.M. "Anatomy of the Clitoris" The Journal of Urology Vol. 174. Iss. 14-1 (2005): 1189-95
Read more – BBC: Time for rethink on the clitoris
Related – About female genital anatomy
Previously – Love your body day!
I’ve got to say I’ve been thinking the same thing about the BBC article. I got hold of helen’s research papers a couple of years ago and was surprised that beyond a few strories there hadn’t been more coverage or more coverage in the intervening years up until now – let’s be thankful that the information from her studies may become more widely known through the power of the internet.
I can’t help but think that if this information was about, say, new discoveries in erectile functioning, the media would have been all over it years ago, and it would be making its way into the medical texts.
I thought the article was a bit vague. I think the explanation at the about.com site, Take a tour; female anatomy, is better written.