It seems like there’s a lot of mystery surrounding the G-spot. Many people struggle to find it, let alone understand it. But maybe you want to know what the G-spot is, perhaps so you can make G-spot stimulation feel good or get more pleasure from yours. Keep reading and you’ll be a G-spot genius in no time!

The G-spot is short for the “Gräfenberg spot,” named after a German doctor and gynecologist who created the first IUDs and studied the female urethra. He wasn’t the first to study this spot, however. Before Gräfenberg’s work, a Dutch doctor named Regnier de Graaf whose work focused on the reproductive system. De Graaf studied female ejaculation and connected this ability to the male prostate. The name and the people who studied the G-spot don’t tell us much about what it is, however.

Researcher Beverly Whipple, who helped name the G-spot, was among the first people to describe how the G-spot isn’t a dedicated organ like, say, your spleen. That’s likely one of the reasons why one study failed to find evidence of the G-spot. In fact, as we learn more about the female body, we understand that the G-spot is really an area where you can stimulate the internal clitoris through the vaginal wall. 

The internal clitoris?

Yup!

The external portion of the clitoris, which you can see and touch between your labia, is just a small portion of the clitoris known as the glans. The glans is covered by the clitoral hood. Together, they’re analogous to the penis and foreskin. But the clitoris has an entire body behind the glans, including the bulbs and crura, or legs, which sit on either side of the vaginal canal to essentially straddle it. This means you can stimulate your clitoris from inside your vagina on both sides and the front wall. And that front wall is exactly where the G-spot is located, approximately two inches in and behind your pubic bone!

Some refer to this entire area as the clitourethrovaginal, or CUV, complex to better represent the anatomy and how it functions. While this is more accurate than saying “G-spot,” it’s more cumbersome and not as well known. However, it does help us to understand better the multiple sensitive spots in and around the vagina.

For example, many people find it much easier to stimulate their G-spot when aroused. We know that arousal sends blood to the genitals and clitoris, leading to swelling. You may not have noticed it, but arousal can make the labia appear redder and puffier. Internally, the clitoral bulbs similarly grow as they fill with blood, pressing on the vaginal walls as they do. And because the clitoris has thousands of nerve endings, this extra engorgement can lead to added stimulation. You might also be surprised to learn that applying pressure to the G-spot can increase your tolerance to pain! It’s truly a fascinating area.

Because the G-spot isn’t separate from the clitoris, any female body with a clitoris can have a G-spot. The differences lie in whether and where a sensitive spot exists and whether that sensitivity lends to pleasure and potential orgasms. Some people may have an insensitive G-spot that doesn’t react much, while others may experience G-spot stimulation as annoying or painful instead of feeling good. Further still, some people like G-spot play but cannot orgasm from it.

With this knowledge, we can also finally put to bed the myth started by Freud that clitoral orgasms are inferior to vaginal ones. Because vaginal orgasms, in all likelihood, stem from the clitoris! 

Plus, understanding how the clitoris and G-spot work together may help you feel more pleasure, whether using fingers, toys, a partner’s body, or a combination! Pressing your hand down on the fad pad known as your mons pubis above your vulva and below your tummy while stimulating your G-spot from the inside can increase the intensity. Dual stimulator toys, from rabbits to the We-Vibe and beyond, may feel especially good for some people because you’re stimulating the clitoris from multiple angles.

You don’t have to use a dual stimulator, of course. If you’re just interested in stimulating the G-spot, you can grab a dildo or vibrator with a bulbous, contoured, or curved head for G-spot play. When using the toy, the curved head should face the front wall of your vagina.

And if you’re interested in upping the ante, you’ll find a few options. G-spot gels containing l-arginine increase blood flow to make the G-spot swell more. This can make it easier to find or stimulate. However, l-arginine may cause herpes outbreaks, so you should avoid it if you have herpes. You can also get “O Shots” from medical providers, which are similarly supposed to increase the size of your G-spot and the pleasure it brings. The jury’s still out about how effective these shots are, and there may be negative side effects.

Fortunately, many people can enjoy getting to know their G-spot without any extras. And even if yours isn’t particularly sensitive, you can enjoy everything else the CUV complex offers!