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The head or glans of the clitoris is roughly the size and shape of a pea, although it can be significantly larger or smaller.

The clitoris is a complex structure, with both external and internal components. Projecting at the front of the labial commissure where the edges of the outer lips (labia majora) meet at the base of the pubic mound is the clitoral hood (prepuce), which in full or part covers the head (clitoral glans). Following from the head back and up along the shaft, it is found that this extends up to several centimeters before reversing direction, branched resulting in a shape like an inverted "V", and extending as a pair of "legs" known as the clitoral crura formed of the corpora cavernosa, which are concealed behind the labia minora, and terminating attached to the pubic arch, according to some, or following interior to the labia minora to meet at the fourchette, according to others.

Associated are the urethral sponge, clitoral/vestibular bulbs, perineal sponge, a network of nerves and blood vessels, suspensory ligaments, muscles and pelvic diaphragm.

There is considerable variation in how much of the clitoris protrudes from the hood and how much is covered by it, ranging from complete, covered invisibility to full, protruding visibility. An article published in the ''Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology'' in July 1992 states that the average width of the clitoral glans lies within the range of , indicating that the average size is smaller than a pencil-top eraser. Recent discoveries about the size of the clitoris show that clitoral tissue extends some considerable distance inside the body, around the vagina. It is now clear that clitoral tissue is far more widespread than the small visible part most people associate with the word. There is no identified correlation between the size of a clitoris and a woman's age, height, weight, use of hormonal contraceptives, or being post-menopausal.


Adapted from the Wikipedia article Clitoris, under the G. N. U. Free Documentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki