The urethral sponge is a spongy cushion of tissue, found in the lower genital area of females, that sits against both the pubic bone and

vagina In mammals and other animals, the vagina (: vaginas or vaginae) is the elastic, muscular sex organ, reproductive organ of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vulval vestibule to the cervix (neck of the uterus). The #Vag ...

l wall, and surrounds the

urethra The urethra (: urethras or urethrae) is the tube that connects the urinary bladder to the urinary meatus, through which Placentalia, placental mammals Urination, urinate and Ejaculation, ejaculate. The external urethral sphincter is a striated ...

Functions

The urethral sponge is composed of erectile tissue; during arousal, it becomes swollen with blood, compressing the urethra, helping, along with the pubococcygeus muscle, to prevent

urination Urination is the release of urine from the bladder through the urethra in Placentalia, placental mammals, or through the cloaca in other vertebrates. It is the urinary system's form of excretion. It is also known medically as micturition, v ...

during sexual activity.

Female ejaculation

Additionally, the urethral sponge contains the Skene's glands, which may be involved in

female ejaculation Female ejaculation is characterized as an expulsion of fluid from the Skene's gland at the lower end of the urethra during or before an orgasm. It is also known colloquially as squirting or gushing, although research indicates that female ejacu ...

Sexual stimulation

The urethral sponge encompasses sensitive nerve endings, and can be stimulated through the front wall of the

. Some women experience intense

pleasure Pleasure is experience that feels good, that involves the enjoyment of something. It contrasts with pain or suffering, which are forms of feeling bad. It is closely related to value, desire and action: humans and other conscious animals find ...

from stimulation of the urethral sponge and others find the sensation irritating. The urethral sponge surrounds the clitoral nerve, and since the two are so closely interconnected, stimulation of the clitoris may stimulate the nerve endings of the urethral sponge and vice versa. Some women enjoy the rear-entry position of

sexual intercourse Sexual intercourse (also coitus or copulation) is a sexual activity typically involving the insertion of the Erection, erect male Human penis, penis inside the female vagina and followed by Pelvic thrust, thrusting motions for sexual pleasure ...

for this reason, because the

penis A penis (; : penises or penes) is a sex organ through which male and hermaphrodite animals expel semen during copulation (zoology), copulation, and through which male placental mammals and marsupials also Urination, urinate. The term ''pen ...

is often angled slightly downward and can stimulate the front wall of the

, and in turn the urethral sponge.

Relation with the G-spot

The urethral sponge is an area in which the G-spot (Gräfenberg Spot) may be found. Although the G-spot may exist, it has been doubted by various researchers. A team at The King's College in London, the biggest study on the G-spot's existence thus far, and involving 1,800 women, found no proof that the G-spot exists. The authors of the study concluded that the "G-spot" may be a figment of people's imagination, which has been encouraged by magazines, sex therapists and suggestive therapeutics. Other studies, using

ultrasound Ultrasound is sound with frequency, frequencies greater than 20 Hertz, kilohertz. This frequency is the approximate upper audible hearing range, limit of human hearing in healthy young adults. The physical principles of acoustic waves apply ...

, have found physiological evidence of the G-spot in women who report having orgasms during intercourse.Se
page 98
for the 2009 King's College London's findings on the G-spot an
page 145
for ultrasound/physiological material with regard to the G-spot.

References

External links