The human penis is a scientific iceberg, both physically and figuratively.
Research about our species in the past. Foreskin it was On the surfaceAnd even a little bit of what we think we know is not always right.
The penis is said to contain approximately 8,000 nerve endings. from gender ‘double’ – But new findings presented at a scientific meeting in October suggest this is a gross underestimation for both sexes.
The study has yet to be peer-reviewed, but at least the results are on track to be properly tested.
For the innervation of the glans penis and the glans clitoris, the numbers often mentioned are obtained from old studies – wait – cows; The results are simply co-opted for the human anatomy.
And so these numbers continued for decades. Blair Peters, a plastic surgeon at the Oregon Health & Science University School of Medicine, thinks it’s about time scientists finally got the numbers right.
Peters specializes in gender studies, and his work is based on a deep understanding of the human genitalia. For further research, Peters obtained clitoral nerve tissue from seven infected volunteers undergoing gender-affirming genital surgery.
Under a microscope, Peters and his colleagues count an average of 5,140 nerve fibers in the dorsal clitoral nerve, and the clitoris has two of them.
Considering the total studied specimens, the total number of nerve endings entering the wishbone-shaped body ranges from 9,852 to 11,086 fibers.
Peters’ study was the first to report the number of nerve fibers in the human dorsal vagus nerve and was the first to estimate the number of nerve fibers innervating the human vulva.
“It’s shocking to think that over 10,000 nerve fibers are packed into something as small as a penis.” He says. “It’s amazing, especially when you compare the penis to other large human body structures,” Peters said.
The median nerve that runs through the hand is known for having a high density of nerve fibers. He explains Peters has about 18,000 nerve fibers, but is much larger than the 10-centimeter-long (4-inch) organ of relaxation.
So how does that instinct compare to the head of the penis? Peters plans to find out.
Although the clitoris is often said to be twice the size of the penis, there is more to the difference than the number. Both have sex organs Same embryo originThis means that they probably contain roughly the same number of total neural connections.
What can be very different is how dense these nerve connections are in certain areas.
Preliminary studies For example, they suggest that the tip of the penis has more variability in nerve density than the penis. Simply put, that means that some parts of the clitoris are probably very sensitive.
Peters hopes that a better understanding of how the genitals are inserted will eventually help surgeons successfully reconstruct the foreskin and penis, not only for gender-affirmation purposes, but also to repair genital mutilations.
“There’s something profound about gender-affirming care becoming the norm,” Peters said. He says..
“A rising tide lifts all boats. Suppressing or limiting transgender health care hurts everyone.”
Peters presented his findings at a joint scientific meeting. The Society of Sexual Medicine of North America and the International Society of Sexual Medicine.