Unless you’ve been living in a cave, you know exactly what the G-spot is, and you probably know where it is, too—an area on the front wall of the vagina a few inches in that, when stimulated, can result in extreme pleasure, explosive orgasms, and even female ejaculation…well, at least for some women. Thanks to a number of studies on the anatomy and sexual response of this area over the past few decades, and forward-thinking magazines and sites like the one you’re reading extolling its merits, the G-spot has become the “It Girl” of female sexuality.
But what about the PS-spot? The PS who? If the G-spot is the “It Girl,” the PS-spot is its redheaded stepsister.
The “PS” stands for perineal sponge, which lies between the vagina and rectum, just beneath the perineum (that band of skin between the vaginal opening and the anus). The perineal sponge is a mass of erectile tissue, which means that when it’s stimulated, it fills with blood and becomes engorged, just like a man’s penis and a woman’s clitoris do during arousal.
From a biological perspective, it makes sense that you’d have the G-spot on the roof of the vaginal canal, the PS-spot on the floor, and the legs of the clitoris running along either side. Sexual pleasure and orgasm are evolution’s nice way of getting you to procreate: If it feels good, you’ll do it. So, stimulation of these areas causes engorgement of the entire vagina, which not only helps stimulate the areas’ feel-good nerves, but also protects them during penetration.
If you want the New Age take on the perineal sponge, some Tantric practitioners refer to it as the “Cali spot,” and suggest that massaging it can unlock new levels of orgasmic potential and may help release suppressed emotions.
Willful ignorance has been a long-standing tradition when it comes to female sexuality. Women were once considered practically asexual, encouraged just to lie back and think of England. Then Freud nearly ruined the clitoris for us, suggesting that orgasms gained from its stimulation were somehow “immature.” And even today, there are some doctors who question the existence of the G-spot. Add to that the dearth of legitimate scientific research on not only the PS-spot, but also women’s sexual anatomical function in general, and we’re not filled with overwhelming confidence that the mysteries of the perineal sponge will be solved any time soon.
In the recent book,
Agnotology: The Making and Unmaking of Ignorance, edited by Robert Proctor and Londa Schiebinger, one chapter focuses on the—pardon the pun—black hole of knowledge surrounding the female orgasm. The essay points out that while the G-spot has finally made it into the anatomical illustrations of female genitalia in many mainstream publications, “they continue to overlook…the other sponge, the perineal sponge located between the vagina and the rectum, which also engorges when a woman is sexually aroused. Pressure on any of these engorged structures can result in pleasure and orgasm.”
But there’s hope for this “little spot that could.” On blogs and online forums dedicated to female sexuality, the PS-spot is getting more and more attention. If the ’90s were the decade of the G-spot, maybe the 2010s will be the decade of the PS-spot.
The best way to stimulate the PS-spot is with fingers or a curved sex toy—just as is the case with the G-spot—except by focusing on the back wall of the vagina instead. But if you want to try getting at it during intercourse, you could try positions that direct his penis toward her back wall, such as missionary or woman-on-top with your torsos pressed together—basically, the opposite of what works best for targeting the G-spot, which is doggy style. We’ve also heard some reports of people gently accessing it via the backdoor, to get at the shared wall of the vagina and rectum.
What’s true of the G-spot is true of the PS-spot: Sure, for some women, it’s the key to their orgasm; but for others it does nothing for them, or worse, it’s actually uncomfortable. Plenty of women go looking for it, either don’t find it or don’t enjoy it, and then think there’s something wrong with them.
So remember, whether you’re looking for the G-spot or the PS-spot, there’s definitely no guarantee that either will feel good to you. And that’s okay. It’s good just to know that these spots are there to be explored. If you happen to be one of those women for whom the G-spot isn’t the Holy Grail, then maybe the PS-spot will do it for you. If not, don’t worry—there are always other spots to try, whether they have their own catchy term yet or not. When you find one you like, name it after your own initials!
Very interesting article...I haven't read much on the PS-spot before, but I do know that my partner certainly enjoys me exploring hers!
So to clarify then, the PS-Spot is not accessed through the taint but , I take it, through the lower vaginal wall opposite the g-spot, right?
Who gave it this name?
If it is the spot I'm thinking of, the European website Nyt Liv Nu had put up a page about it previously. But they unfortunately called it the "X spot", which has already been applied to a couple of other spots, including the cervix. The sex researcher Heli Alzate reported in a 1985 study, "Vaginal Eroticism: A Replication Study," that his team had provoked women to orgasms by digital stimulation of this spot and that he was finding it more responsive than the G-spot.
Thank God, maybe now the word will finally get out that the G-spot is not the only thing in the vagina.
You CAN access it through the taint, as well as the lower vaginal wall opposite the G-spot, and even via the anus (going in shallowly and pushing toward the front of the body). "Perineal sponge" is the correct anatomical term for the body of erectile tissue you're trying to access. The nickname "PS-spot" just emerged from that, since it's easier to say and references the widely known and accepted "G-spot." Not sure about the X-spot, but it's not surprising that people come up with different names for these things since there's still very little scientific research and agreement on female sexual function and anatomy. The only other spots we're familiar with, besides the G-spot, are the P-spot (the male G-spot, aka the prostate gland), the U-spot (the sensitive area of and around the urethral opening in both men and women), and the A-spot (the nerve-rich area deep inside the front -- i.e anterior or belly-side -- wall of the vagina, next to the cervix, i.e. past the G-spot, beside or even beyond the tip of the cervix).
Best,
Em & Lo
OMG! That's what that is?!? It IS real! I can't wait to tell me husband why it is that I love that area worked so well. Yay me! I love all those spots. Being a woman is great isn't it?
Oops. The PS-Spot is the one I was referring to.
thanks