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Kept Under the Hood: Neglect of the Clitoris in Common Vernaculars
Even though the "clitoris" is the organ homologous to the "penis," this term may not be commonly used as the female counterpart to the penis. We conducted three studies to examine the usage of terminology for female sexual anatomy. In the first study 57 books in a university computer database for "sex instruction" were examined for the inclusion of terms such as penis, clitoris, vagina, vulva, and uterus. Penis was mentioned more often than either the clitoris or vulva in these books. In the second and third studies we investigated the terminology used by college students as well as their sexual attitudes and knowledge. Participants in the studies were Euro-American (76%176%, Study 2/Study 3 respectively), Hispanic (18%114%), and African American (4%17%); students reported that they were overwhelmingly taught vagina as the female counterpart to the penis. Believing that the inner portion of the vagina is the most sexually sensitive part of the female body correlated with negative attitudes toward masturbation (Study 2) and agreement with sex myths (Studies 2 and 3).
The "clitoris" is the female sexual organ homologous to the "penis." However, clitoris may not be used in common vernacular as the counterpart to the penis.
Allgeier and Allgeier (2000) suggest that because the clitoris's only function is for sexual pleasure, parents have no other reason to discuss the clitoris. In their human sexuality textbook, Allgeier and Allgier reported that in 1994 only 14% of students in a human sexuality class had heard their mother mention clitoris; this number dropped to less than 1 % in 1998. Comparable figures for penis were 20% in 1994, 57% in 1998. Over half of the students had heard their mothers mention vagina in both the 1994 and the 1998 classes.
Even "experts" providing advice to parents have used terms other than clitoris. A SIECUS webpage described possible reactions a parent might have to noticing a daughter "rubbing her vagina (vulva) while watching television," (SIECUS, 1998). A Parenting article suggested that a parent, responding to a child's comment about boy/girl differences should say, "Yes, all boys have penises, and all girls have vaginas," (Atkins, 1998, p. 149).
Psychologists have also neglected the clitoris as an...