Erogenous Zone

Erogenous zone 1

>8

Class Classifi ifica cati tion on

=7 =6

Lips Tongue

Scores

Erogenous zones are either nonspecific or specific.

Neck

Breasts Nipples

glans 

  u  s   u  m   r  p   o  s   c  o  e  r  n    v   c  a   o   f   s    l   b    i   r    b  u  c   l   i   t  o

1.1

In these zones, the skin the  skin is  is similar to normal-haired normal-haired skin  skin and has the normal high density of nerves and hair follicles licles.. These These areas includ includee the sides sides and back of the neck,, the neck the inne innerr arms arms,, the the axillae (armpi (armpits) ts) and side sidess of the the thorax.. An exaggerated tickle and anticipatory response thorax are responsible for the heightened sensual response.

Penis

Clitoris

Vagina

Inner thigh

Nonspe Nonspecifi cificc zones zones

Scrotum

Prostate

G spot

Clitoris

Anus

Vagina

Glans penis

Anus

1.2

Scrotum

Speci Specific fic zone zoness

Specific zones are associated with sexual response, and include the lips the  lips and  and nipples in addition to areas of the genitals, notably the foreskin the  foreskin and  and corona  corona of  of the glans the glans pePrimary and specific erogenous zones of men and women nis,, clitoris nis  clitoris and  and rest of the vulva the vulva,, and perianal and perianal skin. skin.[1] The neuroanatomy and neurophysiology of erog erogen enous ous zones zones is partly unknown. These zones are apparently apparently mucocutamucocutaneous skin neous skin.. The rete rete ridges ridges of the epithelium the epithelium are  are wellformed and more of the nerves are close to the external surface of the skin than in normal-haired skin.[1] These zones seem to have a high density of innervation, an effiAn  erogenous zone  (from Greek ἔρως  eros  “love”   “love” and ciency of wound healing, and a capacity to stimulate genEnglish -genous “producing” from Greek -γενής   -genes  eralized cerebral arousal.[2] Moreover, a connection with “born”) is an area of the human the human body that body that has heightened the reward the reward system seems system seems also necessary.[3][4] sensitivity,, the stimulation sensitivity the stimulation of  of which may generate a sexual response, such as relaxation, the production of sexual of sexual fantasies,, sexual arousal and fantasies arousal and orgasm  orgasm..

2

Erogeno Erogenous us zones zones are located located all over over the human human body, but the sensitivity of each varies, and depends on concentrations of nerve of nerve endings that endings that can provide pleasurable sensations when stimulated. The touching of another person’s erog erogen enou ouss zone zone is rega regard rded ed as an act act of phys physical ical intimac intimacyy. Some people may resent stimulation in this manner while others may find it pleasing, and this may also depend on the relationship between the people.

2.1

Gen eniitals Male

Males can be aroused by stimulation to the sides of the glans and penis and penis,, upper side of the glans, the foreskin, the front side of the scrotum, the skin between the scrotum and anus perineum anus perineum,, and around the anus.[5] The prostate The prostate gland may be stimulated from inside the rectum, such as by anal by  anal sex, sex, or by applying pressure on the base of the perineum near the anus the anus..[6][7][8] Men who report the sensation of prostate and seminal and seminal vesicles stimulation vesicles  stimulation often give descriptions similar to females’ accounts of G-spot of  G-spot [9] stimulation.

Erogenous zones may be classified by the type of sexual response that they generate. Many people are gently aroused when their eyelids, eyelids, eyebrow eyebrows, s, temples, shoulders, shoulders, hands, arms and hair are subtly touched. touched. Gently touchtouching or stroking of these zones stimulates stimulates a partner during foreplay and increases the arousal level. Also, the gentle massage or stroke of the abdominal area along with kiss- The foreskin The  foreskin,, which carries the ridged the  ridged band and band  and lower [10] ing or simply touching the navel the navel can  can be a type of stimu- frenular delta, delta, has mucocutaneous end-organs extendlation. ing from the distal margin to the point where hairy skin 1

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4

TORSO 

starts.[11] The thin dermis and minimal subcutaneous tis- 3.3 Neck sue results in closely set nerve networks.   Vater-Pacini corpuscles are present. The mucocutaneous end-organs See also: Hickey are formed after birth, with few in newborn infants and many well-organized endings in adults.[1] The neck, clavicle area and the back of the neck are very sensitive in both males and females, which can be stimulated by licking, kissing or light caressing. Some people 2.1.1 Foreskin also like being bitten gently in these areas, often to the point that a “hickey”, or “love-bite” is formed. Cold and Taylor state in 1999 that the foreskin is primary erogenous tissue.[12] Alanis and Lucidi in 2004 describe 3.4 Ears this as speculative and unproven.[13]

2.2

Female

Parts of the vulva, especially the clitoris, are highly sensitive erogenous zones.[14][15][16] While the vagina isnot especially sensitive as a whole, its lower third (the area close to the entrance) has concentrations of the nerve endings that can provide pleasurable sensations during sexual activity when stimulated; this is also called the anterior wall of the vagina or the outer one-third of the vagina, and it contains the majority of the vaginal nerve endings, making it more sensitive to touch than the inner two-thirds of the vaginal barrel.[15][16][17][18]

Some people find whispering or breathing softly in the ear to be pleasurable and relaxing, as well as licking, biting, caressing and/or kissing it especially the area of and behind the earlobe.

4 4.1

Torso Chest

The   areola and   nipple   contain  Golgi-Mazzoni, VaterPacini and genital corpuscles. No Meissner’s corpuscles and few organized nerve endings are present.[1] There are concentrations of nerve tissue in the area of ducts and masses of smooth muscle. The hair surrounding the areola adds additional sensory tissue. The mass of smooth muscle and glandular-duct tissue in the nipple and areola block the development of normal dermal nerve networks which are present in other erogenous regions and the development of special end organs. The entire breast has a network of nerve endings, and it has the same number of nerve endings no matter how large the breast is, so that larger breasts may need more stimulation than smaller ones.

Within the anterior wall of the vagina, there is a patch of ribbed rough tissue which has a texture that is sometimes described as similar to the palate (the roof of a mouth) or a raspberry, and may feel  spongy when a woman is sexually aroused. This is the urethral sponge, which may also be the location of the G-spot — a structure described as an area of the vagina that some women report is an erogenous zone which, when stimulated, can lead to sexual arousal, powerful orgasms and female ejaculation.[19] The existence of the G-spot and whether or not it is a distinct structure is debated among researchers, as reports of its location vary from woman to woman, it appears to Intense nipple stimulation may result in a surge in the probe nonexistent in some women, and scientists commonly duction of oxytocin and prolactin which could have a sigbelieve that it is an extension of the clitoris.[16][20][21][22] nificant effect on his or her genitals, to the point that some people of both sexes can achieve orgasm through nipple stimulation alone. Having the chest, breasts and nipples stimulated manually (hands), digitally (fingers, toes) 3 Head and/or orally (mouth, lips, teeth, tongue) is a pleasurable experience for many people of both sexes.

3.1

Mouth 4.2

Abdomen and navel

The lips and tongue are sensitive and which can be stimulated by kissing and licking. Main article: Navel fetishism

Many people find stimulation (kissing, biting, scratching, tickling, caressing) of the abdomen to be pleasurable, especially close to the pubic region. It can cause Many people find a gentle scalp massage, or any stimula- strong arousal in men and women, in some even stronger tion of the hair follicles, to be anywhere from relaxing to than stimulation of the genitals. The navel is one of the extremely stimulating. many erogenous zones that has heightened sensitivity.[23]

3.2

Scalp

3 In a 1982 study of eroticism in dress entitled “Skin to 7 Fingers Skin,” Prudence Glynn claimed that the waist symbolized virginity and that it was the first place that a man The fingertips have many nerves and are responsive to would touch a woman “when indicating more than a for- very light touches, like the brushing of a tongue, light finmal courtesy”.[24][25] gernail scratching or teeth stroking. The sides of the finThe navel and the region below when touched by the fin- gers are somewhat less sensitive and more ticklish. Both ger or the tip of the tongue result in the production of light and firmer touches work well at the junction of the erotic sensations.[23][26] Madonna has told in an interview fingers. Human fingertips are the second-most sensitive to the SPIN magazine (May 1985 issue), “When I stick parts of the body, after the tongue. my finger in my belly button, I feel a nerve in the center of my body shoot up my spine.”[27] Some research suggests that the navel and the genitals have a common tissue ori- 8 Legs gin, and in some people this connection still exists so that stimulation of the navel will elicit a distinct tickle in the The thighs can be sensitive to touch. genitals.[28] An exaggerated tickle on the back of the legs and knees can also be sensitive for some.

4.3

Tailbone

The  tailbone, located near the base of the spine, just above the anus, is an erogenous zone.[29]

9

Feet and toes

Because of the concentration of nerve endings in the sole and digits of the human foot, and possibly to the close proximity of the area of the brain dealing with tactile 5 Arms sensations from the feet and the area dealing with sensations from the genitals, the sensations produced by suckThe skin of the arms, and specifically the softer skin of ing or licking the feet can be pleasurable to some people. the inner arms and across the creased mid-arm bend cov- Similarly, massaging the sole of the foot produces simiering the ventral side of the elbow, are highly sensitive lar stimulation. Many people are extremely ticklish in the to manual or oral stimulation. Caressing with fingers or foot area, especially on the bottom of the soles. tongue, more vigorous kneading, and butterfly kissing can initiate arousal and, in some cases, induce clitoral/vaginal orgasm or penile ejaculation without direct contact with 10 See also the latter areas. The mid-arm bend is especially sensitive due to the thinner skin found there, which makes nerve   Neuroanatomy of intimacy endings more accessible. Arm sensitivity may be reduced   Foreplay or concentrated to a more narrow range by excessive muscularity or obesity on the one hand, or transformed to  Human sexuality uncomfortable tenderness by excessive thinness on the  Intimate parts other. •

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  Partialism

Armpits 11

Some consider the armpits to be an erogenous zone. If  pheromones exist for humans, they would likely be secreted by a mixture of liquid from the  sebaceous glands   with other organic compounds in the body.[30] George Preti, an organic chemist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia and Winnefred Cutler of the  University of Pennsylvania's psychology department, discovered that women with irregular   menstrual cycles became regular when exposed to male underarm extracts.[30] They hypothesized that the only explanation was that underarms contain pheromones, as there was no other explanation for the effects, which mirrored how pheromones affect other mammals.[30]

References

[1] Winkelmann RK. The erogenous zones: their nerve supply and significance.  Mayo Clin Proc . 1959;34(2):39-47. PMID 13645790. [2] Schober, J.; Weil, Z.; Pfaff, D. (2011). “How generalized CNS arousal strengthens sexual arousal (and vice versa)". Hormones and Behavior  59 (5): 689–695. doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.10.005. [3] Matsumoto, J.; Urakawa, S.; Hori, E.; de Araujo, M.F.; Sakuma, Y.; Ono, T.; Nishijo, H. (2012). “Neuronal responses in the nucleus accumbens shell during sexual behavior in male rats”.  The Journal of Neuroscience 32  (5): 1672–1686. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.5140-11.2012.

4 [4] Cibrian-Llanderal, T.; Tecamachaltzi-Silvaran, M.; Triana-Del, R.R.; Pfaus, J.G.; Manzo, J.; Coria-Avila, G.A. (2010). “Clitoral stimulation modulates appetitive sexual behavior and facilitates reproduction in rats”. Physiology & Behavior  100   (2): 148–153. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.02.015. [5] [6] Rosenthal, Martha (2012).  Human Sexuality: From Cells  to Society.   Cengage Learning. pp. 133–135.   ISBN 0618755713. Retrieved September 17, 2012. [7]  “The male hot spot — Massaging the prostate”.  Go Ask Alice!. 2002-09-27. Retrieved 2010-04-21. (Last updated/reviewed on 2008-03-28) [8] Barry R. Komisaruk; Beverly Whipple; Sara Nasserzadeh; Carlos Beyer-Flores (2009).  The Orgasm Answer Guide . JHU Press. pp. 108–109.   ISBN 0-8018-9396-8. Retrieved 6 November 2011. [9] Ladas, Alice Kahn; Whipple, B; Perry, JD (1982). The G-Spot and other discoveries about human sexuality . New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston.  ISBN 0-440-130409. [10] Taylor JR, Lockwood AP, Taylor AJ. The prepuce: specialized mucosa of the penis and its loss to circumcision.   Br J Urol . 1996;77:291-5. doi:10.1046/j.1464410X.1996.85023.x. PMID 8800902. [11]   cirp.org [12] Cold CJ, Taylor JR. The prepuce.  BJU Int . 1999;83 Supp 1:34-44. doi:10.1046/j.1464-410x.1999.0830s1034.x. PMID 10349413. [13] Alanis MC, Lucidi RS. Neonatal circumcision: a review of the world’s oldest and most controversial operation. 2004;59(5):379Obstet Gynecol Surv. 95. doi:10.1097/00006254-200405000-00026.   PMID 15097799. [14] O'Connell HE, Sanjeevan KV, Hutson JM (October 2005). “Anatomy of the clitoris”. The 1189–95. Journal of Urology 174 (4 Pt 1): doi:10.1097/01.ju.0000173639.38898.cd.   PMID 16145367. Time for rethink on the clitoris: Lay summary –  BBC News  (11 June 2006). [15] Wayne Weiten, Dana S. Dunn, Elizabeth Yost Hammer (2011). Psychology Applied to Modern Life: Adjustment  in the 21st Century. Cengage Learning. p. 386.   ISBN 1-111-18663-4. Retrieved 5 January 2012. [16] Marshall Cavendish Corporation (2009).   Sex and Society, Volume 2. Marshall Cavendish Corporation. p. 590. ISBN 0761479074. Retrieved 17 August 2012. [17] Jerrold S. Greenberg, Clint E. Bruess, Sara B. Oswalt (2014). Exploring the Dimensions of Human Sexuality. Jones & Bartlett Learning. pp. 102–104.   ISBN 1449648517. Retrieved October 30, 2014. [18] Vern L. Bullough, Bonnie Bullough (2014).  Human Sexuality: An Encyclopedia . Routledge. pp. 229–231. ISBN 1135825092. Retrieved October 30, 2014.

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EXTERNAL LINKS 

[19] Rosenthal, Martha (2012).  Human Sexuality: From Cells  to Society. Cengage Learning. p. 76. ISBN 0618755713. Retrieved January 25, 2014. [20] Richard Balon, Robert Taylor Segraves (2009).   Clinical  Manual of Sexual Disorders .  American Psychiatric Pub. p. 258. ISBN 1585629057. Retrieved January 24, 2014. [21] See page 98 for the 2009 King’s College London’s findings on the G-spot and page 145  for ultrasound/physiological material with regard to the G-spot. Ashton Acton (2012). Issues in Sexuality and Sexual Behavior Research: 2011 Edition.   ScholarlyEditions.   ISBN 1464966877. Re-

trieved January 24, 2014. [22] Kilchevsky A, Vardi Y, Lowenstein L, Gruenwald I. (January 2012). “Is the Female G-Spot Truly a Distinct Anatomic Entity?".  The Journal of Sexual Medicine 2011 (3): 719–26. doi:10.1111/j.1743-6109.2011.02623.x. PMID 22240236.  G-Spot Does Not Exist, 'Without A Doubt,' Say Researchers - Lay summary  –  The Huffington Post (January 19, 2012). [23]  A celebration of sex - Douglas E. Rosenau - Chapter 3 Your Erogenous Zones . [24] Suzy Menkes (May 29, 1994). “RUNWAYS; Naked Came The Midriff”.  The New York Times . Retrieved 20 March 2012. [25] Prudence Glynn (1982). Skin to skin: eroticism in dress . Oxford University Press. p. 157. ISBN 0195203917. [26] Touch Me There!: A Hands-On Guide to Your Orgasmic Hot Spots - Yvonne K. Fulbright. [27] Confessions of a Madonna - May 1985 [28] The Essence of Tantric Sexuality - Sex and Sexuality Series - Mark A. Michaels, Patricia Johnson, Rudolph Ballentine - Chapter 13 - Tertiary Erogenic Zones [29] Tantric sex, Safe sex, AIDS Council of NSW: “Erotic Massage” [30] Looking for love potion number nine, Cathryn M. Delude, The Boston Globe, September 2, 2003.

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External links  Winkelmann, RK. (1959). “Erogenous zones: their nerve supply and significance”.  Mayo Clin Proc  34 (2): 39–47.

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Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

13.1 •

Text

  Erogenous zone  Source:    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erogenous_zone?oldid=665983906  Contributors:    The Anome, Koyaanis Qatsi,

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13.2 •

Images

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This diagram was partly created with the following images: •

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TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES 

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