# Can You Orgasm From Penetration? The Clitoris, Vaginal Nerves, and Arousal | Dr Laurie Mintz | Be well Moments

An episode of [Live Well Be Well with Sarah Ann Macklin | Health, Lifestyle, Nutrition](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1508380100), 16 Mar 2026, 5:38.

Audio: https://anchor.fm/s/1033d1554/podcast/play/116857418/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-2-13%2F69ec13ac-d3d6-342a-b484-24a2255186e8.mp3

Do you want to understand why the clitoris is often central to orgasm? Because the clitoris is the anatomical counterpart to the penis, with a highly sensitive external tip and a much larger internal structure made of erectile tissue. This clip explores how the clitoris develops, how the inner labia and clitoral hood relate to penile anatomy, and why the glans can be too sensitive for direct touch for many people due to its concentration of nerve endings.This segment examines what arousal looks like physically, including how the clitoris enlarges during arousal as blood flows into erectile tissue and is released through rhythmic pelvic floor contractions. We also talk about why penetration alone often is not enough for orgasm, including the difference between touch-sensitive and pressure-sensitive nerve endings in the vagina, and why some orgasms during intercourse may still be driven by clitoral stimulation, including internal clitoral structures that surround the vagina. Dr Laurie Mintz in conversation with Sarah Ann Listen to the full episode here. Watch the full episode on YouTube here. *** This episode is sponsored by: NOWATCH: The compassionate health tracker Connecting body and mind with unique stress recovery insights so you can live fully today15% off with code LWBW15 at https://nowatch.com/ Mojo: the app for expert-led courses in better sex.Learn from world-class sex therapists and relationship experts with courses tailored to your needs.15% off with code LiveWell15 at mymojo.com/livewellbewell *** The Great British Veg OutHow to support your gut, energy, and hormones by eating more — not less. 👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/p/the-great-british-veg-outReset Your HealthIf your body feels off after stress, travel, or burnout — this is where to start. 👉 https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/s/reset-your-health-in-30-days 👉 Practical beats perfect.Here’s a free 5-recipe PDF I use to support energy and stress during busy weeks.https://sarahannmacklin.com/5_free_recipes 👉 If this resonates, you can join the thousands who readThe Compassionate Cure each week.https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/ *** Let’s be friends! 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarahannmacklin/ 📹 Subscribe: http://www.youtube.com/@livewellbewellsarah 🐦 Twitter: https://x.com/SarahAnnMacklin 📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livewellbewellpodcast💌 Newsletter: https://sarahmacklin.substack.com/

## Transcript

[0:02] This is a beware moment, the most replayed moments from my
[0:05] latest conversation. It's a glimpse into the wider
[0:08] episode, which you can find LinkedIn the show notes below.
[0:12] Because sometimes one small moment is enough to reconnect to
[0:16] living well and being well. You're saying that the clitoris
[0:24] is kind of the powerhouse to an orgasm?
[0:28] Absolutely. Right.
[0:29] So this is what we need to be focusing.
[0:31] So like talk me through understanding the clitoris.
[0:36] Absolutely. So let's start at the very
[0:38] beginning. At some point in embryonic
[0:41] development, the genitals differentiate.
[0:45] Some turn into penises and some turn into clitorises.
[0:51] And so the, the, the clitoris is the analogous of the penis.
[0:56] So let me show you, these are the inner lips and they're also
[1:01] analogous to the penis. The inner lips are analogous to
[1:05] the underside of the penis. Here's something really
[1:08] interesting. If you've ever seen a penis, you
[1:10] know, do you ever see that little seam down the inside of
[1:13] the shaft? Well, that's where if the inner
[1:16] lips would have fused, it's the same thing.
[1:20] So of course it's sensitive. You follow the inner lips up.
[1:24] This is the clitoral hood. It's analogous to the foreskin.
[1:29] If it's not removed, follow under the foreskin is the
[1:33] glands, which is analogous to the hood the the the tip of the
[1:38] penis. It has accepted smaller 10,000
[1:43] nerve endings 10,000 into something the size of a pencil
[1:47] eraser. So Ouch.
[1:49] Most people can't touch that directly.
[1:51] They stimulate through the hood, but the this is just the tip of
[1:56] the iceberg, if you will, right? The hood and the glands are what
[2:01] you can see on the vulva, but it's a vast internal organ.
[2:06] So here's an example. This is the vulva again, and
[2:11] that's the clitoral glands and glands sticking out in the hood.
[2:15] But the whole thing is behind there, under the vulva, and it's
[2:19] full of erectile tissue. OK, so I'm using the other one.
[2:24] This is the other side. This is the other mold that I've
[2:27] got. Yes, right.
[2:28] So that there's legs and there's bulbs and there's a body all
[2:35] analogous to the penis, and it's full of erectile tissue, just
[2:39] like the penis. So when women are aroused, their
[2:43] clitoris has a lady boner, if you will.
[2:47] Inside. Inside and basically when you're
[2:51] stimulating lots of parts on the outside, the skin is thin, so
[2:56] you're actually stimulating the inner clitoris.
[3:00] Wow. And did I read in your book that
[3:03] this the clitoris gets 50 to 300 times bigger when it's aroused?
[3:09] Yes, that's an erection. And an erection is same for
[3:14] women and men, same for penises and clitorises.
[3:18] The blood flows into the tissue, it gets trapped there and then
[3:24] it's released with rhythmic contractions of the pelvic
[3:27] floor. What a lot of women feel is
[3:29] pulsating. And there was a really amazing
[3:32] study where people wrote what does an orgasm feel like?
[3:35] And then they removed any sense of if the person had a penis or
[3:40] a vulva, took away anything about ejaculation, showed it to
[3:44] doctors, showed it to sex therapist.
[3:47] You couldn't tell the difference between the male and the female
[3:50] descriptions. Everyone described a build up of
[3:54] tension and a release of tension that felt pleasurable.
[3:58] Why? Because it's the same parts
[4:02] arranged differently. So why would we expect ourselves
[4:07] to orgasm from penetration? The vagina has very few nerve
[4:12] endings. That's why you can put it.
[4:14] Think about if you use a tampon, you can put it up and if you get
[4:18] it far up enough, you don't feel a thing, right?
[4:21] Why? Because there's no touch
[4:22] sensitive nerve endings there. There's pressure sensitive nerve
[4:26] ending. And I'm not saying intercourse
[4:27] doesn't feel good. And there are some women who
[4:30] orgasm from that, but most people need direct clitoral
[4:36] stimulation to orgasm. And even those who do orgasm
[4:41] from a penis going inside a vagina, it's it's from the
[4:45] clitoral stimulation woman on top, they're stimulating their
[4:49] clit against a body part or they say, no, no, it's from the penis
[4:55] in the vagina. Well, no.
[4:56] It's these bulbs, these clitoral bulbs, they're surround the
[5:01] vagina. They're having an erection.
[5:03] So a lot of scientists like no matter where the stimulation
[5:07] occurs, all orgasms are from the clitoris having an erection.
[5:16] Thank you for listening to this Be Well moment.
[5:18] If it resonated, the full conversation is LinkedIn the
[5:21] show notes and I hope it gave you a small pause to take a
[5:25] moment for you and to reconnect to living well and being well.
[5:29] If you loved it, please do leave a review, follow the show or
[5:32] share this maybe with someone you love.

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