Gimme a “G”

Dear Shanna,

I have heard some rumors that the G-spot doesn’t exist. I’m a little confused, since I know I have one, and I’m pretty sure my girlfriend has one as well. What gives?

— Giving It Up for the G, Lafayette.

Dear Giving It Up for the G,

So the G-spot (short for the Gräfenberg spot, named after the scientist who first brought attention to this part of anatomy) is a tricky piece of the body. While it does in fact exist (I know so, because I have one too!), it doesn’t exist all the time. Unlike the rest of your body parts which tend to hang out in the same spot regardless of time of day or how you are feeling, your G-spot is a little sneakier. It only is evident when one is turned on, as the area on the wall of the vagina engorges as it is filled with blood. This aspect has made it very difficult for scientists to measure the G-spot, as when most people go to the gynecologist, they’re not feeling hot, sexy, and turned on. (Note: some folks do have medical fetishes, but most people don’t enjoy the invasion of the duck lips.) Because of this, the G-spot is not palpable or measurable during gynecological or other medical exams.

Lucky for the owners and caretakers of G-spots, other researchers — like Beverly Whipple — got creative, and had women come in and masturbate. Once they were aroused and their vaginal walls had engorged, then, and only then, did the researchers attempt to examine their participants, and explore the existence of the G-spot. Not surprisingly, they found that it DOES in fact exist, and that women DO in fact have this part of the body.

All of this being said, there is no holy grail of sex. Some people love having their G-spot stimulated, and find G-spot play to be one of their favorite sexual activities. Others find G-spot stimulation to be tickling, annoying, or even incredibly uncomfortable, and never want it to happen to them. Of course, for many people, there is a middle ground — G-spot play can feel good and sexually satisfying, without being a groundbreaking sexual discovery that redefines their sexual dance card. Wherever you (or your partner!) fall on this continuum, I hope you continue to enjoy your sexual adventuring, and rest easy knowing that the G-spot does in fact exist.

— Shanna.