Erogenous zone: Difference between revisions
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At the deepest point on the anterior (front) wall of the vagina, located between the [[cervix]] and the [[bladder]], is the [[Anterior fornix erogenous zone]], or [[A-Spot]]. It is described as having a wrinkly texture similar to the tip of the [[human nose|nose]]. |
At the deepest point on the anterior (front) wall of the vagina, located between the [[cervix]] and the [[bladder]], is the [[Anterior fornix erogenous zone]], or [[A-Spot]]. It is described as having a wrinkly texture similar to the tip of the [[human nose|nose]]. |
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Other areas known to be orgasmic for some women include the [[rectouterine pouch]], accessible through both the back of the posterior wall of the vagina and the anterior wall of the [[anus]], the [[perineal sponge]], accessible though the [[perineum]] and the anterior wall of the [[anus]], several inches in, and the [[uterus]], which, when stimulated, can result in a [[uterine orgasm]]. <ref>http://www.heretical.com/miscella/g-spots.html</ref> |
Other areas known to be orgasmic for some women include the [[rectouterine pouch]], accessible through both the back of the posterior wall of the vagina and the anterior wall of the [[anus]] (orgasm during defecation is known as ''Brandon's phenomenon''), the [[perineal sponge]], accessible though the [[perineum]] and the anterior wall of the [[anus]], several inches in, and the [[uterus]], which, when stimulated, can result in a [[uterine orgasm]]. <ref>http://www.heretical.com/miscella/g-spots.html</ref> |
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Revision as of 08:03, 25 January 2012
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An erogenous zone (from Greek ἔρως eros "love" and English -genous "producing" from Greek -γενής -genes "born") is an area of the human body that has heightened sensitivity, the stimulation of which may result in the production of erotic sensations or sexual excitement.
People have erogenous zones all over their bodies, but which areas are more sensitive than others vary. Some may resent stimulation that others find arousing. The stimulation of these areas can produce gentle, mild or intense arousal.
The erogenous zones may be classified by the type of sexual excitement that they provoke. Many are gently aroused when their eyelids, eyebrows, temples, shoulders, hands, arms and hair are subtly touched. Gently touching or stroking of these zones stimulates a partner during foreplay and increases the arousal level. Also, the gentle massage or stroke of the abdominal area along with kissing or simply touching the navel can be a type of stimulation.
Classification
Erogenous zones are either nonspecific or specific.
Nonspecific zones
In these zones, the skin is similar to normal-haired skin and has the normal high density of nerves and hair follicles. These areas include the sides and back of the neck, the inner arms, the axillae (armpits) and sides of the thorax. An exaggerated tickle and anticipatory response are responsible for the heightened sensual response.
Specific zones
Specific zones are associated with sexual response, and include areas of the genitals, notably the foreskin and corona of the glans penis, clitoris, vulva and perianal skin, and lips.[1] The rete ridges of the epithelium are well-formed and more of the nerves are close to the external surface of the skin than in normal-haired skin.[1]
Pubic area
Male
Ranked by self-reported degree of ratings of ‘sexual pleasure’, ‘orgasm intensity’ and ‘orgasm effort’, the most sensitive part of the penis is the ventral area 'underside of the glans', followed by 'underside of the penile shaft'.[2] In particular, the foreskin (including the ridged band of preputial mucosa and the frenulum) and the corona around the glans (head) are highly sensitive to light touch.[3] Taylor has postulated that the ridged band is sensitive to movement.[4] The foreskin, which carries the ridged band and lower frenular delta,[5] has mucocutaneous end-organs extending from the distal margin to the point where hairy skin starts.[1] The thin dermis and minimal subcutaneous tissue results in closely set nerve networks. Vater-Pacini corpuscles are present. The mucocutaneous end-organs are formed after birth, with few in newborn infants and many well-organized endings in adults.[1]; Cold and Taylor, citing Winkelmann, stated that the prepuce (foreskin) is primary erogenous tissue.[6]
Males can also be aroused by stimulation to the sides of the glans and penis, upper side of the glans, the foreskin, the front side of the scrotum, the skin between the scrotum and anus perineum, and around the anus.[2]
The prostate gland may be stimulated from inside the rectum, or by applying pressure on the base of the perineum near the anus. Men who report the sensation of prostate and seminal vesicles stimulation often give descriptions similar to females' accounts of G-spot stimulation.[7]
Female
The clitoris is an erogenous zone on a woman and has the densest concentration of nerve endings of any part of the skin.
Located past the clitoris, just above and on either side of the urethral opening, is sensitive erectile tissue known as the Skene's gland, or the U-Spot.
Within the anterior of the vaginal canal, there is a patch of ribbed rough tissue which has a texture that is described as similar to the palate (the roof of a mouth) or a raspberry, and may feel spongy when a woman is sexually aroused. This is the Gräfenberg spot, or G-spot.
At the deepest point on the anterior (front) wall of the vagina, located between the cervix and the bladder, is the Anterior fornix erogenous zone, or A-Spot. It is described as having a wrinkly texture similar to the tip of the nose.
Other areas known to be orgasmic for some women include the rectouterine pouch, accessible through both the back of the posterior wall of the vagina and the anterior wall of the anus (orgasm during defecation is known as Brandon's phenomenon), the perineal sponge, accessible though the perineum and the anterior wall of the anus, several inches in, and the uterus, which, when stimulated, can result in a uterine orgasm. [8]
Head
Mouth
The lips and tongue are sensitive and used during kissing.
Neck
The neck, clavicle area and the back of the neck are very sensitive in both males and females, which can be stimulated by licking, kissing or light caressing. Some people also like being bitten gently in these areas, often to the point that a "hickey", or "love-bite" is formed.
Ears
Some people find whispering or breathing softly in the ear to be pleasurable, as well as licking, biting or kissing it especially the area of and behind the earlobe.
Torso
Chest
The areola and nipple contain Golgi-Mazzoni, Vater-Pacini and genital corpuscles. No Meissner's corpuscles and few organized nerve endings are present.[1] There are concentrations of nerve tissue in the area of ducts and masses of smooth muscle. The hair surrounding the areola adds additional sensory tissue. The mass of smooth muscle and glandular-duct tissue in the nipple and areola block the development of normal dermal nerve networks which are present in other erogenous regions and the development of special end organs. Indeed, the entire breast has a network of nerve endings, and it has the same number of nerve endings no matter how large it is. Accordingly, smaller breasts are more sensitive while larger breasts can be stimulated (e.g. fondled, bitten, sucked) more forcefully. Intense stimulation of a woman's nipples may result in a surge in the production of oxytocin and prolactin which could have a significant effect on her genitals. Having the chest, breasts and nipples stimulated manually (hands), digitally (fingers, toes) and/or orally (mouth, lips, teeth, tongue) is a pleasurable experience enjoyed by many males and females.
Many people find stimulation (kissing, biting, scratching, tickling, caressing) of the abdomen to be pleasurable, especially close to the pubic region. It can cause strong arousal in men and women, in some even stronger than stimulation of the genitals. The navel is one of the many erogenous zones that has heightened sensitivity.[9] The navel and the region below when touched by the finger or the tip of the tongue result in the production of erotic sensations.[9][10]The famous pop star Madonna has told in a interview to the SPIN magazine (May 1985 issue),"When I stick my finger in my belly button, I feel a nerve in the center of my body shoot up my spine".[11] This is because the navel and the genitals have a common tissue origin, and in some people this connection still exists so that stimulation of the navel will elicit a distinct tickle in the genitals. [12]
Arms
The skin of the arms, and specifically the softer skin of the inner arms and across the creased mid-arm bend covering the ventral side of the elbow, are highly sensitive to manual or lingual stimulation. Light stroking with fingers or tongue, more vigorous kneading, and butterfly kissing can initiate arousal and, in some cases, induce clitoral/vaginal orgasm or penile ejaculation without direct contact with the latter areas. The mid-arm bend is especially sensitive due to the thinner skin found there, which makes nerve endings more accessible. Arm sensitivity may be reduced or concentrated to a more narrow range by excessive muscularity or obesity on the one hand, or transformed to uncomfortable tenderness by excessive thinness on the other.
Armpits
Some consider the armpits to be an erogenous zone. If pheromones exist for humans, they would likely be secreted by a mixture of liquid from the sebaceous glands with other organic compounds in the body.[13] George Preti, an organic chemist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia and Winnefred Cutler of the University of Pennsylvania's psychology department, discovered that women with irregular menstrual cycles became regular when exposed to male underarm extracts.[13] They hypothesized that the only explanation was that underarms contain pheromones, as there was no other explanation for the effects, which mirrored how pheromones affect other mammals.[13]
Fingers
The fingertips have many nerves and are responsive to very light touches, like the brushing of a tongue, light fingernail scratching or teeth stroking. The sides of the fingers are somewhat less sensitive and more ticklish.[citation needed] Both light and firmer touches work well at the junction of the fingers. Human fingertips are the second-most sensitive parts of the body, after the tongue.
Feet and toes
Due to the concentration of nerve endings in the sole and digits of the human foot, the sensations produced by sucking or licking the feet can be pleasurable to some people. Similarly, massaging the sole of the foot produces similar nervous stimulation. Many people are extremely ticklish in the foot area, especially on the bottom of the soles.
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Winkelmann RK (1959). "The erogenous zones: their nerve supply and significance". Mayo Clin Proc. 34 (2): 39–47.
- ^ a b Schober JM, Meyer-Bahlburg HF, Dolezal C., "Self-ratings of genital anatomy, sexual sensitivity and function in men using the 'Self-Assessment of Genital Anatomy and Sexual Function, Male' questionnaire", BJU Int 2009;103(8):1096-103.
- ^ Sorrells ML, Snyder JL, Reiss MD, et al. Fine-touch pressure thresholds in the adult penis. BJU Int 2007;99:864-9.
- ^ Taylor JR. Letter. Pediatrics News 2000;34(10):50.
- ^ Taylor JR, Lockwood AP, Taylor AJ. The prepuce: specialized mucosa of the penis and its loss to circumcision. Br J Urol 1996;77:291-5.
- ^ Cold, CJ. "The prepuce". BJU Int. 83 Supp 1: 34–44.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Ladas, AK (1982). The G spot and other discoveries about human sexuality. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ http://www.heretical.com/miscella/g-spots.html
- ^ a b A celebration of sex - Douglas E. Rosenau - Chapter 3 - Your Erogenous Zones .
- ^ Touch Me There!: A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots - Yvonne K. Fulbright.
- ^ Confessions of a Madonna - May 1985
- ^ The Essence of Tantric Sexuality - Sex and Sexuality Series - Mark A. Michaels, Patricia Johnson, Rudolph Ballentine - Chapter 13 - Tertiary Erogenic Zones
- ^ a b c d Looking for love potion number nine, Cathryn M. Delude, Boston Globe, September 2, 2003.
External links
- Erogenous Zones: Their Nerve Supply and Significance, Winkelmann RK, Mayo Clin Proc 1959;34(2):39-47