First-ever 3D map of the black box of female genitals created by scientists: Super important

X marks the spot — and scientists have finally drawn the map.For nearly three decades, researchers have had a detailed understanding of the nerve network that makes up the penis.But when it came to the organ responsible for female pleasure, they were largely flying blind. Now, a groundbreaking study has finally charted out those elusive sensory pathways, a breakthrough that experts say could have far-reaching implications, including helping surgeons preserve sexual function in women undergoing pelvic operations.Considered one of the least studied organs in the human body, the clitoris has long been shrouded in cultural taboos, which has hindered research into this pleasure center of female reproductive anatomy.Despite references dating back to ancient times, it didn’t appear in standard anatomy textbooks until the 20th century.

When it was finally included in what many consider the leading “doctors’ bible” in 1995, it was described simply as a “small version of the penis.”But it turns out the organ is far larger and more complex than the pea-sized nub at the top of the vulva often associated with sexual arousal and orgasm.In the study, Dutch researchers used high-energy X-ray imaging to create detailed 3D scans of the pelvic regions of two deceased women who donated their bodies to science.The scans revealed that the main sensory nerve running to the clitoris doesn’t simply taper off, as older anatomical models suggested.Instead, it splits into several branches, forming a tree-like network inside and around the pleasure organ.  “This is the first-ever 3D map of the nerves within the glans of the clitoris,” Dr.

Ju Young Lee, a study author and research associate at Amsterdam University Medical Center in the Netherlands, told The Guardian. A comparable map of the male anatomy was created back in 1998.The findings could be especially significant for survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM), a practice that involves the partial or total rem...