The Clitoral Truth: The Secret World at Your Fingertips by Rebecca Chalker Page A
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53
WHAT’S THE POINT?
Some women may find the idea of having a prostate gland—or many prostate glands—preposterous or don’t like to think that they have a
sexual structure that is so quintessentially masculine. Others may not like the idea because ejaculation is so firmly associated with the performance aspects of men’s sexuality Some feminist commentators are also concerned that if we incorporate female ejaculation into our concept of women’s sexuality, it will become some sort of standard for “great sex,” and that women who do not have spectacular ejaculations like the ones shown in videos will feel inadequate. These are serious and legitimate concerns, especially in light of the trend to downplay the “performance” aspects of sex. Regardless of how many women ejaculate, they should have access to detailed information about it. Just knowing that ejaculation is a normal part of women’s sexuality can help us see it for what it really is—an expression of intense sexual pleasure. Knowing precisely where the fluid comes from can dispel shame or fear of “wetting the bed;’ and can further prevent many women from suppressing their sexual response to avoid it. It may also help others avoid undergoing disfiguring medical procedures to “fix” it. Whether or not we all ejaculate, just knowing that many of us do can help us to see our sexuality as more active, assertive, and powerful than we had previously believed.
THE MEDICALIZATION OF THE FEMALE PROSTATE
Leonore Tiefer, who is leading the movement against the medicalization of sexuality, is concerned that given “the insatiability
of the media for the commercial potential of sexual topics,” the possibility of female ejaculation would result in yet another performance standard for women to meet. Tiefer is also concerned that women who cannot find a G spot or do not have visible ejaculation will feel compelled to consult a sex therapist, and “that’s not the most empowering message” we should be giving to women. 54 Like most doctors, urologists, whose work focuses on the male prostate gland and erectile dysfunction, have ignored the female prostate and its role in sexual response. Yet, some critics have proposed that urological neglect may not be all that bad. In a
contemporary critique of Huffman’s paper, a colleague wrote:
I rather wish that Dr. Huffman had not found it so convenient to apply the term female prostate to the group of glands under consideration. This is not a new concept, and this anatomical concept in the past has led, upon the part of certain eminent urologists, to an overly enthusiastic adoption of the clinical concept of female prostatism. This idea has resulted in the too frequent use of the cautery punch [destruction of tissue by burning as with a tiny hot poker or electric probe], or resectoscope [surgical removal using telescope-like instrument for visualization] on the female vesicle orifice...
Furthermore, I am convinced that the use of the cautery punch or resectoscope on the vesicle neck [part of the urethra
attached to the bladder] of the female carries with it certain dangers of intractable sphincter incompetence [inability to hold urine) or even vesicovaginal fistula [formation of a pocket in the urethral wall in which urine becomes trapped]. 55
This is no idle fantasy. The above-mentioned treatments, along with others such as urethral dilation, are routinely employed by urologists today as a treatment for chronic urinary urgency and frequency, referred to as lower urinary tract sensitivity (LUTS).These treatments are often performed when there are no specific causes for the symptoms, although no well-designed studies document their usefulness.
Nonetheless, Ruben Glues and Robert Nakamura, urologists at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in California, note the increasing acceptance of the concept of a female prostate among urologists: “In the past decade, the availability of the specific
WHAT’S THE POINT?
Some women may find the idea of having a prostate gland—or many prostate glands—preposterous or don’t like to think that they have a
sexual structure that is so quintessentially masculine. Others may not like the idea because ejaculation is so firmly associated with the performance aspects of men’s sexuality Some feminist commentators are also concerned that if we incorporate female ejaculation into our concept of women’s sexuality, it will become some sort of standard for “great sex,” and that women who do not have spectacular ejaculations like the ones shown in videos will feel inadequate. These are serious and legitimate concerns, especially in light of the trend to downplay the “performance” aspects of sex. Regardless of how many women ejaculate, they should have access to detailed information about it. Just knowing that ejaculation is a normal part of women’s sexuality can help us see it for what it really is—an expression of intense sexual pleasure. Knowing precisely where the fluid comes from can dispel shame or fear of “wetting the bed;’ and can further prevent many women from suppressing their sexual response to avoid it. It may also help others avoid undergoing disfiguring medical procedures to “fix” it. Whether or not we all ejaculate, just knowing that many of us do can help us to see our sexuality as more active, assertive, and powerful than we had previously believed.
THE MEDICALIZATION OF THE FEMALE PROSTATE
Leonore Tiefer, who is leading the movement against the medicalization of sexuality, is concerned that given “the insatiability
of the media for the commercial potential of sexual topics,” the possibility of female ejaculation would result in yet another performance standard for women to meet. Tiefer is also concerned that women who cannot find a G spot or do not have visible ejaculation will feel compelled to consult a sex therapist, and “that’s not the most empowering message” we should be giving to women. 54 Like most doctors, urologists, whose work focuses on the male prostate gland and erectile dysfunction, have ignored the female prostate and its role in sexual response. Yet, some critics have proposed that urological neglect may not be all that bad. In a
contemporary critique of Huffman’s paper, a colleague wrote:
I rather wish that Dr. Huffman had not found it so convenient to apply the term female prostate to the group of glands under consideration. This is not a new concept, and this anatomical concept in the past has led, upon the part of certain eminent urologists, to an overly enthusiastic adoption of the clinical concept of female prostatism. This idea has resulted in the too frequent use of the cautery punch [destruction of tissue by burning as with a tiny hot poker or electric probe], or resectoscope [surgical removal using telescope-like instrument for visualization] on the female vesicle orifice...
Furthermore, I am convinced that the use of the cautery punch or resectoscope on the vesicle neck [part of the urethra
attached to the bladder] of the female carries with it certain dangers of intractable sphincter incompetence [inability to hold urine) or even vesicovaginal fistula [formation of a pocket in the urethral wall in which urine becomes trapped]. 55
This is no idle fantasy. The above-mentioned treatments, along with others such as urethral dilation, are routinely employed by urologists today as a treatment for chronic urinary urgency and frequency, referred to as lower urinary tract sensitivity (LUTS).These treatments are often performed when there are no specific causes for the symptoms, although no well-designed studies document their usefulness.
Nonetheless, Ruben Glues and Robert Nakamura, urologists at the Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in California, note the increasing acceptance of the concept of a female prostate among urologists: “In the past decade, the availability of the specific
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