 |
|
 
|
|
The Human
Female Prostate and Its Relationship to the
|
An interesting
controversy has arisen over an article in the American Journal of Obstetrics
and Gynecology by Dr. Terence Hines entitled, “The G-Spot: A
Modern Gynecologic Myth.” Hines concludes: “the evidence
is far too weak to support the reality of the G-spot.” I couldn't
disagree more.
Part of the trouble with the Hines article, as well as the entire discussion
concerning the Gräfenberg Spot, popularly
termed the “G-Spot,” is the lack of agreement on its definition.
In his article, Hines states that Gräfenberg
did not provide significant evidence
for the
existence of the spot. Actually, in his writings, Gräfenberg
(1950) only uses the word “spot” twice, and then solely
to make the opposite point that “...there is no spot (emphasis
added) in the female body from which sexual desire could not be aroused.”
He states that, in fact, “innumerable erotogenic spots (emphasis
added) are distributed all over the body, from where sexual satisfaction
can be elicited; these are so many that we can almost say that there is
no part of the female body which does not give sexual response; the partner
has only to find the erotogenic zones.”
Gräfenberg
does
not refer to the G-spot as “a small but allegedly highly sensitive
area on the anterior wall of the human vagina about a third of the way
up from the vaginal opening,” but to the “area” or “zone”
on the upper wall of the vagina through which the
prostate (aka Skene's glands and ducts) can be accessed. In women, the
prostate gland, while generally smaller than the male prostate, also surrounds
the urethra, close to the urethral opening. The great sensitivity comes
not from what is on the upper wall of the vagina, but from glands
and ducts behind the vaginal wall
It should be clear from an unbiased reading of Gräfenberg's
paper that he is talking about the prostate (aka Skene's glands) when
he writes, “Analogous to the male urethra, the female urethra also
seems to be surrounded by erectile tissues like the corpora cavernosa.
In the course of sexual stimulation, the female urethra begins to enlarge
and can be felt easily. It swells out greatly at the end of orgasm. The
most stimulating part is located at the posterior urethra, where it arises
from the neck of the bladder.”
The biggest problem I have with the Hines article, however, is that he
cites relevant articles that support the existence of a female prostate
gland as the so-called G- Spot, but ends up concluding that it does not
exist. Though he finds the G-spot so hard to locate himself, he promises
to discuss Drs. Davidson, Darling and Conway-Welch 's acknowledgement
that the female prostate gland is indeed the G-Spot and, then, never really
does. Instead, he ends up making the statement, “If the G-Spot does
exist, it will certainly be more than a system of glands and ducts. If
an area of tissue is highly sensitive, that sensitivity must be mediated
by nerve endings, not ducts.” Hines is correct but, as already noted,
the female prostate is not located on the wall of the vagina, and
the nerves that give the prostate its sensation may be in the muscle
coat around the glands rather than in the glands themselves. Recent
studies have also suggested that the anterior wall of the vagina could
be more densely innervated than the posterior wall.
Further, in his evidence against the so called G-Spot, Hines states that
the “issue of female ejaculation is relevant to the G-spot for two
reasons. First, the two are often considered together in the popular literature
with the strong implication that the reality of ejaculation supports the
reality of the G-spot. Second, some authors mistake the presence of glands
that may produce a female ejaculate with the G-spot, (a topic discussed
in detail later)." However, he never discusses it in detail in his
article. Contrary to Hines' assumptions, both my own and other studies
have shown conclusively that a woman
can reach orgasm by stimulation of the prostate though the upper wall
of the vagina which may or may not include ejaculation. Similar to men,
it is also possible for women to have an ejaculation without prostate
(G-Spot) stimulation.
I have no argument with Hines' point, “that manual stimulation of
the putative G-spot, resulted in real sexual arousal, in no way demonstrates
that the stimulated area is anatomically different from other areas in
the vagina.” However, while citing various pathological studies,
including a 1948 study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
Hines omits at least seven authoritative pathological studies that support
the existence of a female prostate gland. From the research of deGraff
in 1672 to the recent work of Zaviacic, there have been numerous studies
that in some way support the conclusion that, what has been called Skene's
and/or paraurethral ducts and glands, are a homologue of the male prostate.
Hines opined that there is lack of evidence in support of female ejaculation.
Yet, he overlooked Santamaría who showed the presence of PSA in
female urethral expulsions, as well as my own doctoral research that showed
differences in the chemical composition of fluid obtained by catheterization
from the same woman's baseline urine specimen and a specimen that was
drained from her bladder prior to ejaculation. His complaint about the
insufficiencies of pre-1985 research concerning the presence of acid phosphatase
(PAP) also shows a lack of awareness that forensic pathologists, due to
PAP occurring naturally in the vagina, long ago discredited PAP detection
as a certain prostatic marker.
Hines proposes that if women ejaculate a fluid that is not urine or has
non-urine constituents, it must be coming from someplace other than the
bladder. However, my study showed, for the first time, what had been suggested
by Goldberg thirteen years earlier; namely, that ejaculatory fluid possibly
originates not from either the bladder or the urethral glands,
but from both.
I'm afraid that I also cannot agree with Dr. Hines' observation that most
popular books, and even textbooks, recognize the existence of the G-Spot
as the prevailing medical or social paradigm. Such noted experts in the
field of human sexuality as Alfred Kinsey and
Masters and Johnson, dismissed female ejaculation as being an “erroneous
but widespread concept.” Masters and Johnson also argued against
the existence of the erogenous zone known as the “G-spot” and
steadfastly stood for the premise that the clitoris alone was responsible
for triggering female orgasm.
Dr. Hines and I, however, completely agree that the existence of
the G-Spot is not just an issue of minor anatomical interest. It is an
area of enormous importance in terms of how millions of women view their
sexuality, and the amount of pleasure and intimacy they can experience
with their sexual partners. If the evidence demonstrates the G-spot and
female ejaculation as components of natural sexual functioning, women
can be freed from guilt and shame about prostate (G-Spot) stimulation
and the expulsion of fluid during sex. In addition, Hines' article exposes
the need for health professionals to have more education and training
in Human Sexuality. Such knowledge will help them better serve their patients.
The current debate demonstrates why Dr. Milan Zaviacic's medical school
textbook, The Human Female Prostate: From Vestigial Skene's Glands
and Ducts to Woman's Functional Prostate, should be required
medical school reading.
In conclusion, this article has demonstrated that the term “spot”
is not a useful metaphor to describe the anatomical basis of the female
erogenous experience of stimulation of the upper vaginal wall. The term
only contributes to the confusion. A more accurate and descriptive term,
such as the female prostate or prostata feminina, should make it
easier for everyone to understand the issues involved and to better serve
women's health needs. In fact, the Federative International Committee
on Anatomical Terminology has recently agreed to adopt the term female
prostate (or prostata feminina), implying function as well as form in
its definitive Histology Terminology.
It is clear that more research is needed to answer the questions past
studies have raised, but it is my hope that the foregoing discussion has
illuminated some important issues for further exploration. For example,
a noteworthy outcome to this discussion might be the search for scientific
consensus concerning whether the female prostate is indeed the illusive
G-Spot. Specifically, it would be valuable to analyze urethral expulsions
during sexual arousal for the presence of PSA in comparison with baseline
and other urine specimens from the same female subject. Additionally,
all urethral expulsions could be examined for possible evidence of hormonal
alterations as a result of sexual arousal. The physiological process by
which the bladder sphincter may involuntarily open as a result of stimulation
of the female prostate (G-Spot) also warrants further study.
Follow
this link for more ARTICLES on the
G-Spot and Female Ejaculation
Find out more about these wonderful products -
DVD: Liquid Love: The G-Spot Explosion
DoctorG considers this the finest G-Spot and Female Ejaculation film ever made!
Glamour Television presents a docu-film which provokes and dazzles the imagination. The film deconstructs the traditional rubric within which female sexuality is mostly conceived; forging a new framework for understanding the female orgasm. The film lays to rest the "myth" of female ejaculation and the g-spot - an exquisite preserve of mystery and wonder.
With unbridled audacity, the women of Liquid Love celebrate the symphony of desire, abandon and rapture as they gush forth their "primal liquid gold." Complete with expert analysis, this film weaves a rich tapestry of eroticism, intellect, and explosive orgasms; yielding an evocative, rare motion picture.
DVD $29.95 [Add Liquid Love: The G-Spot Explosion to Cart] [View Cart]
Footnotes
1Hines, T.M. “The G-spot: A Modern Gynecologic Myth.” American
Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 359, (August, 2001), 185.
2Gräfenberg,E.
“The Role of the Urethra in Female Orgasm.” International
Journal of Sexology, 3, (1950), p 145. May be viewed at http: www. DoctorG.com/Grafenberg.htm.
3Gräfenberg,
p.147
4Ibid.
5Gräfenberg,E.
pp 145-8
6Gräfenberg. p 146.
7Davidson, J.K., Darling, C.A. and Conway-Welch, C. “The Role of
the Grafenberg Spot and Female Ejaculation in the Female Orgasmic Response:
An Empirical Analysis.” Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 15,
(1989), 102-20.
8Hines, p. 361.
9Hilliges, M., Falconer, C., Ekman-Ordeberg, G. and Johansson, O. Innervation
of the Human Vaginal Mucosa as revealed by PGP 9.5 Immunohistochemistry.”
Acta Anat (Basel), 153(2), (1995), 119-26.
10 Zaviacic, Milan. The Human Female Prostate: From Vestigal Skene’s
Glands and Ducts to Woman’s Functional Prostate. Slovak Academic
Press, 1999, p.83.
11Hines, p. 359.
12Schubach, G. “Urethral Expulsions During Sensual Arousal and Bladder
Catheterization in Seven Human Females.” Electronic Journal of Human
Sexuality, 4, (August 25, 2001), may be viewed at http://www.ejhs.org/volume4/Schubach/abstract.html
13Hines, pp. 359-360.
14Huffman,J.W. “The detailed anatomy of the paraurethral ducts in
the adult human female.” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
55, (1948) 86-101.
15 Skene, A. J. C. “The Anatomy and Pathology of Two Important Glands
of the Female Urethra.” American Journal of Obstetrics and Diseases
of Women and Children, 13, (1880), 265-270.
16 Caldwell, G. T. “The Glands of the Posterior Female Urethra.”
Texas State Journal of Medicine, 36, (1941), 627-632.
17 Folsom, A. I. and O’Brien, H. A. “The Female Obstructing
Prostate.” Journal of the American Medical Association, 121, (1943),
573-580.
18 Deter, R., Caldwell, C. and Folsom, A. A Clinical and Pathological
Study of the Posterior Female Urethra. Journal of Urology, 55, (1946),
651-662.
19Huffman J.W. “Clinical Significance of the Paraurethral Ducts
and Glands.” Archives of Surgery, 62, (1951), 615-626.
20 Johnson, F. P. “The Homologue of the Prostate in the Female.”
Journal of Urology, 8, (1922), 13-33.
21 Ricci, J.V., Lisa, J. R., and Thom, C. H. “The Female Urethra.”
American Journal of Surgery, 79, (1950), 449-506.
22 De Graaf, R. “New Treatise Concerning the Generative Organs of
Women.” Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, 17, (1672), 77-222.
H. B. Jocelyn and B. P. Setchell, Eds. Oxford, England: Blackwell Scientific
Publications, 1972.
23 Zaviacic, M. and Whipple, B. “Update on the Female Prostate and
the Phenomenon of Female Ejaculation.” The Journal of Sex Research,
(1993), 149.
24 Zaviacic, M, and Ablin, R.J. “The Female Prostate.” Journal
of the National Cancer Institute, 90, No.9 (May 6, 1998), 713-714.
25 Santamaria, F.C. “Female Ejaculation, Myth and Reality.”
(Proceedings of the 13th World Congress of Sexology, Valencia, Spain,
June 1997), 325-332. May be viewed at http://www.DoctorG.com/myth_reality1.htm.
26 Schubach
27Graves H.C., Sensabaugh, G.F. and Blake, E.T. “Postcoital Detection
of a Male-Specific Semen Protein: Application to the Investigation of
Rape.” New England Journal of Medicine, 312 (6), (Feb 7, 1985),
338-43.
28Gomez, R. R., Wunsch, C. D., Davis, J. H. and Hicks, D. J. “Qualitative
and Quantitative Determinations of Acid Phosphatase Activity in Vaginal
Washings.” American Journal of Clinical Pathology, 64, (1975), 423-432.
29Goldberg, D. C., Whipple, B., Fishkin, R. E., Waxman, H., Fink, P. J.and
Weisberg, M. “The Gräfenberg Spot and Female Ejaculation: A
Review of Initial Hypotheses.” The Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy,
9 (1), (Spring 1983), 31.
30 Schubach, pp. 39-40.
31 Masters, W. and Johnson, V. Human Sexual Response. Boston: Little,
Brown, 1966. p. 135.
32 Zaviacic, Milan. The Human Female Prostate: From Vestigal Skene’s
Glands and Ducts to Woman’s Functional Prostate. Slovak Academic
Press, 1999.
Address |
 |
SHOP: We welcome your opinions on our site and our services.  |