clitoris
Enable an AI agent to recognise a clitoris, record its anatomy and reported or observed state, and identify appropriate, consent-dependent actions without treating anatomical variation as disease.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
Researched by: Codex + Grok
Purpose and description
Enable an AI agent to recognise a clitoris, record its anatomy and reported or observed state, and identify appropriate, consent-dependent actions without treating anatomical variation as disease.
The clitoris is a highly innervated erectile organ of the human vulva, homologous to the penis and derived from the genital tubercle, formed by a visible glans plus a largely internal body of paired corpora cavernosa, paired crura on the ischiopubic rami, and - in contemporary descriptions - the vestibular bulbs, with no urethral lumen and a primary role in sexual sensation.
It can be Identify and annotate clitoral components using consented observations or existing clinical evidence.; Record person-reported sensation and symptoms separately from examination or imaging findings.; Compare component-specific measurements or symptoms across time when methods and conditions permit.; Link local findings to relevant neighbouring anatomy, clinical assessments and documented interventions.; Identify missing evidence and support referral for qualified assessment when symptoms or findings remain unexplained.; Record the person's permission, limits and withdrawal of consent for a proposed examination or intervention..
Distinguishing features
Distinguish the clitoral glans from its overlying hood: the visible tissue covering the glans is not itself the glans.
Distinguish the glans from the urethral opening using anatomical relationships and, where appropriate, direct identification; the urethral opening is a separate structure.
Distinguish the whole clitoris from its externally visible portion: identifying the glans alone does not establish the condition or dimensions of the body and crura.
Distinguish paired clitoral crura from adjacent vestibular bulbs using an explicitly named anatomical convention and suitable anatomical evidence.
Distinguish anatomical identity from appearance-based assumptions: size, exposure or tissue alteration alone must not determine identity, pathology or the person's sex or gender.
Scope
+ Identification of the clitoral glans, body and paired crura, including uncertainty about their observed boundaries
+ Clitoral dimensions, configuration and variation, with measurement method and anatomical landmarks
+ Reported sensation, sensitivity, discomfort and changes from the person's baseline
+ Observed tissue condition and changes associated with injury, disease or previous procedures
+ Consent, evidence and clinical context governing examination or intervention
- The vulva as a whole, including the labia and their independent conditions
- The vagina, urethra and their respective functions or disorders
- The clitoral hood as a separate tissue structure, except for its relationship to glans coverage and accessibility
- Whole-person sexual function, orgasm, preferences, identity or relationship experience
- Systemic endocrine, neurological or vascular conditions, except as linked explanations requiring separate assessment
- Vestibular bulbs as independently identified structures, pending an explicit anatomical boundary convention
Characteristics
- Identified anatomical component
- glans | body | left crus | right crus | multiple components | component uncertain Localises evidence and prevents an observation of one part from becoming a claim about the whole organ.
- Component dimensions
- mm, with component, axis, landmarks, method, date and observation conditions; unknown permitted Supports comparison over time without relying on unqualified size labels or unsupported normality thresholds.
- Relationship to clitoral hood
- coverage and accessibility described under recorded observation conditions; not assessed permitted Separates glans condition from the effects of covering tissue and limits conclusions from external visibility.
- Sensory experience
- person-reported sensation, sensitivity or numbness, including location, context and change from baseline Records experience that cannot be established from appearance or inferred from anatomy.
- Pain or discomfort
- reported presence, location, onset, duration, triggers and optional named rating scale Distinguishes symptoms from structural findings and supports assessment of change.
- Engorgement or swelling
- reported or observed change in fullness, with timing, persistence and context; cause unknown permitted Prevents transient erectile change and unexplained persistent swelling from being recorded as equivalent.
- Tissue condition
- described findings such as intact surface, lesion, bleeding, scar or suspected tissue loss; uncertainty and component required Supports local condition assessment without converting appearance into an unverified diagnosis.
- Alteration history
- links to reported or documented injury, procedure or treatment events, with date, affected component and evidence status Explains possible changes while keeping historical claims distinct from present observations.
Also called
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Also registered as vr.tr.clitoris
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 5 bundles · 9 layers · 16 findings · 24 questions.
Clitoral identity and extent Establishes which tissue and components the record identifies as clitoral.
The externally visible glans is only part of the organ, and adjacent tissues can be incorrectly included.
Component identification
Locates identified parts and records the basis for identification.
Identified clitoral components
Records which components are identified, which are unassessed and how the identification was established.
- Does this record concern the glans, body, one or both crura, or the whole clitoris? definition
- What examination, imaging, operative record or other evidence supports each component identification? provenance
Neighbouring tissue boundaries
Separates the clitoris from its covering tissues and adjacent structures.
Clitoral boundary convention
Makes anatomical inclusion choices explicit, particularly for the hood and vestibular bulbs.
- Which anatomical convention defines the organ's extent, and how does it treat the vestibular bulbs? boundary
- Are observations of the hood, labia or urethral opening attributed to those structures rather than to clitoral tissue? boundary
Clitoral form and variation Records component-specific morphology and interpretable changes in appearance or dimensions.
Visibility, covering tissue and observation conditions can alter apparent size and prevent valid comparisons.
Component morphology
Captures dimensions and configuration without assuming a universal normal appearance.
Qualified clitoral measurements
Associates each measurement with the exact component and method that produced it.
- Which component, axis and anatomical landmarks were measured, in what units and by what method? measurement
- What observation conditions, including hood coverage or engorgement where known, limit interpretation of the measurement? measurement
Baseline and change
Distinguishes an individual's established anatomy from newly reported or observed change.
Change in clitoral form
Records the timing and evidence for changes in size, configuration or exposure.
- Is the recorded appearance longstanding, newly noticed or demonstrably changed from an earlier observation? provenance
- Are earlier and current observations sufficiently comparable to establish a change in clitoral tissue rather than visibility or measurement technique? measurement
Clitoral sensation and tissue state Records subjective sensory experience alongside local erectile and tissue observations.
Appearance does not establish sensation, and changes in fullness require context before their significance can be assessed.
Sensory and pain reports
Captures the person's account of clitoral sensation and discomfort.
Localised sensory experience
Records location, timing and context of sensory change without inferring pleasure or whole-person sexual function.
- What sensation, numbness, sensitivity or pain does the person report, and where do they locate it? measurement
- When did it begin, under what circumstances does it occur, and how does it differ from their baseline? provenance
Erectile and surface observations
Documents changes in fullness and visible or otherwise assessed tissue condition.
Clitoral tissue state evidence
Separates direct observations, reported changes and proposed explanations for swelling or tissue abnormalities.
- Which component shows altered fullness, swelling, a lesion, bleeding or scarring, and is this reported or directly observed? provenance
- What duration, associated symptoms and qualified assessment support distinguishing transient engorgement from another tissue change? measurement
Clitoral alteration and care Connects prior tissue alteration and present care decisions to evidence and the person's consent.
Injury or procedures can affect components differently, while intimate examination requires explicit limits and cannot be justified by appearance alone.
Injury and procedure history
Records relevant events without assuming their extent or sensory consequences.
Documented clitoral alteration
Links reported or documented injury, cutting, surgery or treatment to the components known to be affected.
- What alteration is reported or documented, when did it occur, and which clitoral components are known to have been affected? provenance
- Which claims about remaining tissue, scarring or sensory effects are established, and which remain unassessed? boundary
Consented assessment and intervention
Defines the purpose, permission and appropriate clinical responsibility for proposed actions.
Permitted clitoral care action
Records what assessment or intervention is proposed, why it is relevant and what the person has authorised.
- What specific symptom or unresolved anatomical finding would the proposed examination or intervention address, and who is qualified to perform it? action
- What has the person consented to regarding exposure, touch, imaging or treatment, and how will their limits or withdrawal be respected? action
Evidence and external alignment What the world already says about this thing, gathered so the model can be checked against it.
A model that cannot be lined up against existing standards, identifiers and practice cannot be adopted by anyone who already uses them.
Reported evidence
Findings from the breadth pass, kept separate from the structural claims.
Kinds and varieties
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Glans of the clitoris (the only consistently external part)
- Body (shaft) of the clitoris, formed by paired corpora cavernosa
- Crus of the clitoris (paired, along each inferior pubic ramus)
- Vestibular bulb / clitoral bulb (corpus spongiosum homologue; included in the organ by many modern accounts, listed separately from the clitoris in Terminologia Anatomica)
- Prepuce of the clitoris (clitoral hood)
- Frenulum of the clitoris
- Clitoromegaly (clinically enlarged clitoris, most often androgen-mediated)
- Residual deep clitoris after excision of the glans or hood (as after FGM Types I-III)
- Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of clitoris this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Identifiers and schemes
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Wikidata - Q873072 - Item for the human clitoris as an erectile organ of the vulva.
- Terminologia Anatomica 1998 - A09.2.02.001 - Preferred term clitoris; subordinate codes include crus A09.2.02.002, body A09.2.02.003, glans A09.2.02.004; prepuce A09.2.01.009 and bulb of vestibule A09.2.01.013 sit under vulva, not under clitoris.
- TA2 - 3565 - Second-edition Terminologia Anatomica identifier for clitoris.
- Foundational Model of Anatomy - FMA:9909 - Whole organ; body of clitoris is FMA:20000.
- MeSH - D002987 - Descriptor; tree A05.360.319.887.436.
- ICD-11 - XA4851 - MMS anatomy code; Foundation entity 1730349811.
- UBERON - UBERON:0002411 - Multi-species anatomy ontology class for clitoris.
- UMLS - C0008984 - Concept unique identifier aligned to MeSH D002987.
- Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of clitoris this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Standards and regulation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Terminologia Anatomica 1998 and TA2 (Federative International Programme for Anatomical Terminology / IFAA) - official names and codes for the clitoris and its named parts.
- WHO classification of female genital mutilation (Types I-IV, with Type I/II subtypes) and WHO guidance that health workers must not perform FGM.
- Chicago DSD consensus and Endocrine Society congenital-adrenal-hyperplasia guidance - postpone clitoral reduction when enlargement is mild (stated threshold <2 cm).
- American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology 2025 structured review recommending TA-based preferred terms for the clitoris and vestibular bulbs in scientific communication (professional nomenclature, not statute).
- Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of clitoris this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Real-world use
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Sexual sensory organ: the glans and associated erectile tissues engorge during arousal and are the usual focus of clitoral stimulation and orgasm.
- Visible landmark on gynecologic examination, labour and pelvic-floor assessment; only the glans and hood are seen without dissection or imaging.
- At-risk structure in vulvar surgery, mid-urethral sling and anti-incontinence procedures, and in gender-affirming or CAH-related clitoroplasty, because the dorsal nerve runs on the body and glans.
- Neonatal and paediatric genital examination for differences of sex development, using clitoral size and Prader staging.
- Clinical and forensic recording of FGM/C and of later defibulation or clitoral reconstruction; the deep body and crura remain after glans excision.
- MRI, ultrasound and 3D morphometry in urogynecology and sex-medicine research; cadaver teaching of an organ that textbooks still often reduce to the glans.
- Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of clitoris this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Typical measurements
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Glans length - mean 6.4 (pooled range 1-21); office and regional series often ~5-8 - mm
- Glans width (transverse) - mean 5.1 (pooled range 2-32); Verkauf office mean 3.4 ± 1.0 - mm
- Body (shaft) length - mean 25.5 (pooled range 5-59); cadaver median 29 (13-59) - mm
- Crus length - mean 52.4 (pooled range 23-90); cadaver median 50 (25-68) - mm
- Vestibular bulb length - mean 52 (pooled range 13-70) - mm
- Distance from glans to external urethral meatus - mean 22.7 (pooled range 7-52) - mm
- Clinical clitoromegaly threshold used to defer childhood reduction surgery - mild enlargement stated as <20 - mm
- Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of clitoris this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Failure modes and hazards
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Female genital mutilation Types I-III: partial or total removal of the glans and/or prepuce, sometimes with labia, causing haemorrhage, infection, cysts, urinary difficulty, later obstetric harm and newborn risk; the internal body and crura usually remain.
- Iatrogenic injury to the dorsal nerve of the clitoris (calibre about 1-3 mm along body and crura) during clitoral reduction, other vulvar surgery or anti-incontinence procedures, with reduced sensation and impaired orgasm; childhood clitoroplasty is particularly implicated.
- Clitoromegaly from congenital adrenal hyperplasia and other androgen-excess DSDs, which may be mistaken for a typical penis and may trigger irreversible genital surgery.
- Misreading the very wide normal size range (glans length 1-21 mm in pooled data) as disease, or treating vestibular bulbs as non-clitoral and therefore omitting erectile tissue from surgical maps and teaching.
- Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of clitoris this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Regional variation
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- Terminologia Anatomica lists the bulb of the vestibule under the vulva, not under the clitoris; MRI, sexology and many recent surgical papers treat the bulbs as part of a single clitoral erectile complex.
- FGM/C involving the clitoral glans and hood is concentrated in parts of Africa, the Middle East and some Asian communities, with substantial diaspora practice and care in Europe, North America and Australia.
- Common-language names vary (English clitoris/clit, German and Scandinavian Klitoris, Italian clitoride, Spanish clítoris, Greek κλειτορίς) while TA Latin clitoris is stable.
- Hood coverage of the glans is highly individual (none, partial or complete) rather than a reliable population marker; a large southern-China series reported glans length and width close to European office means.
- Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of clitoris this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart
Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.
- External urethral orifice - Lies immediately inferior/posterior to the glans; urine issues from the meatus. The clitoris is not perforated by the urethra.
- Clitoral hood (prepuce) and meeting of the labia minora - The hood is a cutaneous fold that may cover the glans; it is TA A09.2.01.009, not the glans itself. Retract or lift the hood to see the glans.
- Penis - Same genital-tubercle origin and erectile design, but the clitoris has no urethral lumen, is mostly internal, and is not a urinary organ.
- Greater vestibular (Bartholin) glands - Glandular structures that contact the posterior ends of the vestibular bulbs; bulbs are trabecular erectile tissue, glands are not.
- Virilized phallus / micropenis in differences of sex development - A visible genital tubercle alone does not decide the organ: karyotype, gonads, internal ducts and Prader stage separate clitoromegaly from a penis.
- Frenulum of the labia minora (fourchette) - Posterior junction of the labia minora; the frenulum of the clitoris is the anterior, inferior fold at the glans (TA A09.2.01.010).
- Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of clitoris this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance
Sources
- Clitoris: Anatomy, Location, Purpose & Conditions - Clinical description of external glans and hood versus internal body, crura, vestibular bulbs and root; everyday encounter of the organ.
- Clitoris - Radiologic anatomy: crura, corpora cavernosa, tunica albuginea, glans from vestibular bulbs, prepuce/frenulum; older versus newer status of the bulbs as part of the clitoris.
- Clitoris: Location, structure, diagram - Homology with the penis, absence of a urethral lumen, estimate that about four-fifths of the organ is internal, suspensory ligament, and typical glans length of 5-8 mm.
- Clitoris - Identifier table (TA98 A09.2.02.001, TA2 3565, FMA 9909, MeSH D002987), Latin/Greek names, genital-tubercle precursor, and named parts (glans, body, frenulum).
- clitoris (Wikidata Q873072) - Crosswalk of FMA 9909, TA98 A09.2.02.001, TA2 3565, MeSH D002987, ICD-11 XA4851 / Foundation 1730349811, UBERON 0002411, UMLS C0008984, Homosaurus homoit0000282.
- Recommended standardized terminology related to the clitoris and vestibular bulbs based on a structured medical literature review - Preferred Terminologia Anatomica codes for clitoris and parts; controversy over bulbs as clitoral versus vestibular; proposed terms clitoral root and clitoral-vestibular septum.
- Beyond the tip of the iceberg: A meta-analysis of the anatomy of the clitoris - Pooled length and width of glans, body, crura, bulbs and prepuce, and glans-to-urethra distance, from MRI, ultrasound, cadaver and living-subject studies.
- Anatomy, histology, and nerve density of clitoris and associated structures: clinical applications to vulvar surgery - Cadaver dimensions of body, glans and crura; dorsal-nerve calibre and course; erectile tissue in body, crura and bulbs but not in the glans; surgical hazard to sensation.
- Female genital mutilation (fact sheet) - WHO Types I-IV of FGM, including partial or total removal of the clitoral glans and/or prepuce; stated complications and the instruction that health workers must not perform FGM.
- Treatment of the Enlarged Clitoris - Clitoromegaly mainly from CAH and other DSDs; hood-shape variants; reduced sensation after childhood clitoral surgery; Endocrine Society/Chicago-consensus threshold of <2 cm for postponing surgery.
What the second pass must settle
- Which authoritative anatomical convention should govern inclusion or exclusion of the vestibular bulbs and associated tissues in this registry model?
- Which component-specific measurement methods and reference populations support interpretation across developmental stages without labelling variation as disease?
- Which validated approaches can assess clitoral sensory changes while distinguishing person-reported experience from clinical sensory testing?
- What evidence and clinical criteria support escalation for persistent swelling, new lesions, pain or sensory loss?
- How should tissue extent and uncertainty after injury, cutting or reconstructive procedures be represented when historical records and current observations differ?