Introduction
Female sexual arousal and orgasm require an enormous amount of communication between multiple organs within the body. This communication is necessary so the mind and body can maintain control over themselves and work in harmony. The communication takes place within the nervous system utilizing electrical and chemical messengers. These messengers follow paths within the body called nerves. The brain and spinal cord make up the central nervous system and they communicate to the individual organs and systems of the body by means of peripheral nerves. Some nerves tell the body to do things while others sense what the body is experiencing. Together they control our body, and as a result our response to sexual stimulation.
Our nervous system is much like our transportation system, which in part is made up of roadways, railways, and waterways. In some cases we can get to a destination using only one route or means of transportation, say by car on Route 6, but we can get to other destinations by car, train, and boat. The vehicle or means of transportation we choose determines the route we can take to get to our destination, if we can ultimately reach our destination, and how quickly we can get there. The means of transportation may also determine what we can do when we get to our destination, what we can take with us. These same principles apply to the communication pathways within our body and the messengers that follow them. The three communication networks of the body are the somatic, sympathetic, and parasympathetic nervous systems. Each of these networks allow a specific type of communication and control, and each organ of the body is connected to one or more of them.
Awareness and Control
Somatic sensory nerves are connected to our skin and autonomic sensory nerves are connected to our internal organs. We feel touch, vibration, temperature, pressure, and pain when somatic nerves are stimulated but we may only feel pressure or pain when autonomic nerves are stimulated. Somatic nerves also connect to muscles we can voluntarily control and autonomic nerves to muscles we cannot voluntarily control. When some of the sensory nerves are stimulated we "feel" it but when others are stimulated we do not, but our body responds without our knowing; our body responds on a subconscious level. We generally know when our skin is touched but a woman may not feel her partner touching the internal areas of her vagina, or feels only pressure or pain. In some cases we become aware of this "subconscious" communication, which is most often in the form of pain or pressure associated with our internal organs. Women are not usually aware of their uterus and cannot "feel" it, but during menstruation they may become acutely aware of when it contracts to expel menstrual fluid. Women also cannot control their uterus and voluntarily contract or relax its muscles. It appears our sensitivity to and awareness of stimulation on a conscious and subconscious level is very much an individual experience, and this may depend on the situation in which the stimulation occurs, and the type of stimulation. Sometimes we feel pain in a location other than in which the pain actually originates, which is called referred pain, and this involves the internal organs, but we feel it on the surface of the skin.
The Unique Individual
Each person's network of nerves and chemical and electrical messengers is unique to them. There are similarities amongst a group of individuals but each individual's network of nerves and messengers is as unique as their fingerprints. The female sexual nervous system is largely a mystery to the medical community and the uniqueness of the individual adds to this mystery. Add in the unique experiences of an individual woman and the resulting psychological makeup, i.e. programming of her brain, and we can see why there is such a vast amount of diversity regarding female sexuality. A woman's individual medical history will also affect her nervous system. Since each woman is unique we must expect her to have unique responses to sexual stimulation. While we like to make generalizations, doing so is very dangerous to the individual.
Physical and Mental Sexual Arousal
Sexual arousal may occur as a result of mental and/or physical stimulation. This means the arousal can originate in the brain (psychogenic) or in the body (neurogenic). When a woman sees her partner in the appropriate circumstances her brain will find these visual images sexually stimulating. This causes her brain to send messengers throughout her body to prepare her physically for the possible forthcoming sexual activity. Some messengers go to the heart to increase the heart rate, others go to the pelvic organs to increase the amount of blood engorgement. These visual images may initiate sexual thoughts and communication within the brain resulting in increased mental and physical arousal, as may the awareness of her increasing physical arousal. The mind/body connection should serve to increase the level of sexual arousal, as long as the sexual stimulation continues.
The sexual arousal process can also begin within the body. A woman's tight fitting pants might stimulate her vulva and clitoris resulting in physical sexual arousal involving her pelvic and genital organs. As a result of this physical arousal messengers may be sent to the brain that make her consciously aware of this physical arousal. If her brain receives and processes these messengers she may be motivated to seek out her sexual partner or to masturbate, because the arousal feels pleasurable, it creates a desire for physical pleasure, or awakens innate sexual desire. Innate or hormonally induced sexual desire may also trigger sexual arousal in the mind and body without any sensory input to the mind and body, as in the case of female wet dreams, which occur without stimulation of the five senses. While some women are able to experience orgasm as a result of visual images or thought alone, mental sexual arousal and orgasm are always associated with physical changes in the body, indicating the resulting arousal and orgasms are not "imagined."
Some functions of the body occur automatically without any influence or input from the brain. When we touch a hot surface we automatically pull our body away, as a protective mechanism. The brain is not involved in this response, as it must occur very quickly to protect our body from severe injury. When we become scared or anxious our heart rate increases rapidly so we are physically capable of running away, protecting ourselves. When we become sexually aroused, or experience sexually arousing events, many changes within our body occur automatically, without the brain or our conscious self having control over them.
When the vulva is stimulated this causes messengers to be sent to the spinal cord and the brain. These sensory messengers cause the spinal cord to automatically send control messengers back to the vulva and pelvic organs, requesting the physical changes associated with sexual arousal, i.e. blood engorgement and vaginal lubrication. This occurs without any input from the brain. This automatic response to physical stimulation of the vulva is called a "reflex" response, or reflex arc. It is a hard wired response and is not something women have control over.
This physical sexual arousal may occur without a woman being consciously aware of it or wanting it. This is why women experience physical sexual arousal in situations in which they do not desire it, and in which they may consider it inappropriate, such as during a gynecological examination and sexual abuse/assault. Since her brain does not need to be involved in this process she may experience physical sexual arousal without being aware of it on a conscious or mental level, and this may influence her perception of arousal. During partnered sex a woman's partner may be aware of her reflex arousal even if she isn't. This is why women with injuries or diseases that affect their nervous system can experience physical sexual arousal that involves their pelvic organs even though they cannot feel it and aren't mentally aware of it; the communication pathways of the mind and body are disconnected, but functional above and below the point of injury or disease. Even in situations where there isn't damage to the body, the mind may block awareness of sexual arousal, or the brain is simply overwhelmed by daily life or the sexual situation and cannot process this information; it is overloaded with information.
Pathways to Erogenous Zones
In a survey on this website women have indicated the areas of their body that are sensitive to sexual touch, and that stimulation of some areas of their body increases their level of sexual arousal, at least in appropriate circumstances. These areas of the body are commonly called erogenous zones. Stimulation of erogenous zones results in physical pleasure, which we arbitrarily define as sexual pleasure if it results in a sexual response, i.e. sexual arousal. They are connected to the central nervous system by specific pathways or nerves.
Shown below is a table that lists the nerves that are connected to common erogenous zones. They are listed in the order that women report they are likely to be sensitive to sexual touch, with the areas with the greatest likelihood listed first. Since each woman is unique she is likely to have her own unique map of erogenous zones, and many women may find their body is different from what is described. Each woman and her partner need to explore and discover her own erogenous zones; a woman's erogenous zones may vary depending on whether it is her or her partner's touch that is stimulating them, or the means of stimulation, i.e. fingers, mouth, vibrator, etc.
The detailed information about the nervous pathways is provided since injuries and diseases may damage or sever the pathways resulting in impaired or absent erogenous zones. Conversely, if a woman knows which pathways are not impaired she may want to know which potential erogenous zones to explore and develop if she seeks to experience sexual arousal and orgasm.
A visual map of the innervation of the skin is called a dermatome map. Your can see some on the web sites linked to below:
Dermatomes of the Lower Extremities
You can learn about dermatomes and myotomes at the following website:
Dermatomes And Myotomes - An Overview
Note: A "plexus" is a network of nerves that is similar to a major highway interchange within a large city. While a highway interchange can be very confusing to drive through you can still get from point A to point B. You often have to pass through a major interchange to get to your destination while driving, and the same is true of your electrical and chemical messengers as they travel about your nervous system.
