What Causes An Enlarged Clitoris and How Is It Treated?
The above picture shows the external appearance of enlarged clit. There are two types of enlargement:
1) The first type is due to excess estrogen in women.
Estrogen increases the size of the clitoral hood, which makes it appear larger than normal. A woman’s body produces large amounts of estrogen throughout her life, but some levels rise higher than others. These high levels of estrogen cause the clitoral hood to become thickened and hairier. When these hormones reach a certain point, they begin to affect other parts of the body as well.
For example, when estrogen reaches its peak level in the brain, it affects memory and thinking abilities. So if a woman is over 35 years old with no family history of cancer or heart disease, she may have too much estrogen in her system and develop an enlarged clitoris.
2) The second type of enlarged clitoris is caused by excessive testosterone.
Testosterone is produced naturally in both men and women. However, the amount of testosterone produced varies greatly between individuals. Some people produce very little or none at all. If a man or woman has too much testosterone in their bodies, it will result in an enlarged clitoris because there isn’t enough natural production of male hormones to balance out the female hormone levels.
An increase in testosterone can also lead to excessive hair growth in women (hirsutism).
Another source of testosterone in the body is hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Hormone replacement therapy can help relieve the unpleasant symptoms of menopause andropause in both men and women. However, it has been discovered that some forms of HRT can lead to an enlargement of the clitoris in some patients.
What Other Symptoms Might I Experience With An Enlarged Clitoris?
There are a few other possible symptoms that could occur along with an enlarged clitoris. These are described below.
Hair loss – Both men and women lose hair from their heads as they age. For men, this is a normal and natural occurrence due to the slowing of the body’s production of testosterone. However, for some women hair loss is brought on by a male hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT). If you are experiencing hair loss, it can affect the pubic area as well as the head.
This type of hair loss is known as androgenic alopecia and can cause a thinning of the pubic hair in women because it is connected to testosterone, which can increase DHT.
Infertility – For reasons not yet clearly defined, some women have a hard time getting pregnant. If you are having a difficult time getting pregnant and you also suffer from any of the other symptoms discussed above, an enlarged clit might be the culprit.The reason for this is that an enlarged clit could mean that you have irregular periods and since your periods are irregular, it can be a hindrance to getting pregnant.
Uterine or vaginal seepage – There are a few other rare symptoms that can occur along with an enlarged clit. One of these is uterine or vaginal seepage. Uterine seepage is when blood from the uterus escapes into the vaginal area. For some women, the color of this blood is dark red and does not always happen monthly.
Other women experience little or no color change to their vaginal bleeding. Uterine seepage symptoms are rare occurrences, but if this is something that you experience on a regular basis it could be brought on by an enlarged clitoris.
Vaginal seepage is similar to uterine seepage with one major exception. With vaginal seepage, blood from the vaginal area leaks into the urethra. The color of the blood may vary from a dark brown to a pale pink and this symptom is also brought on by an enlarged clitoris.
Is There Any Test To Diagnose An Enlarged Clitoris?
If your doctor suspects you have an enlarged clitoris, he or she will take a medical history from you and perform a pelvic examination. During a pelvic examination the doctor may be able to see an enlarged clitoris that could be the result of a hormonal imbalance. If your doctor suspects you have an enlarged clitoris due to infertility problems or other symptoms like excessive hair growth, uterine seepage or vaginal seepage, he or she may order lab tests to rule out other possible causes for your symptoms.
The tests your doctor may order to rule out other causes for these symptoms could include blood tests to check hormone levels as well as a Pap smear and cultures to rule out other types of infections or problems. In some cases, if your doctor suspects an STD, you may be required to submit a urine sample and have it checked for the presence of sexually transmitted diseases like Chlamydia or Gonorrhea.
Who Is At Risk For Enlarged Clitoris?
The following groups of people are at risk for an enlarged clit:
Those who have a family history of an enlarged clitoris
Infertility sufferers
Those who suffer from excessive hair growth, uterine seepage or vaginal seepage
What Is The Average Age Of Onset?
There is no specific age when enlarged clitoris’ symptoms tend to begin. While some women may experience irregular periods or other menstrual symptoms beginning at age 10, others may not experience them until their 40s. For the most part, however, symptoms of an enlarged clit tend to surface around the age of puberty.
How Is An Enlarged Clitoris Treated?
There are a variety of ways that an enlarged clit can be treated. It all depends on what is causing the enlargement and how severe it is. Your doctor will take a medical history and perform a physical examination before he or she can decide what course of treatment you need.
Treatment for an enlarged clit caused by something like a hormonal imbalance may be as simple as taking hormonal pills or getting a shot every month. Other times, it may be necessary to treat a hormonal imbalance with more invasive methods such as taking pills by mouth every day. Hormonal treatment methods are safe and effective for most women who suffer from enlarged clitoris caused by a hormonal imbalance.
It is important to remember that hormonal treatments for an enlarged clit should only be used as a last resort if symptoms like uterine seepage, vaginal seepage or infertility persist. Other treatment methods are usually tried first because hormonal treatment can have side effects that are not suitable for all women. For instance, hormonal treatment may make it impossible for some women to get pregnant in the future.
If hormonal treatment is necessary, your doctor may refer you to an endocrinologist who can prescribe the hormones you need or he or she may provide them right in the office. Your doctor will instruct you on how to take the pills or shots and monitor your condition over time.
How Can I Reduce The Chances That I Will Develop An Enlarged Clit?
Sources & references used in this article:
Clitoral priapism: a rare condition presenting as a cause of vulvar pain by CA Medina – Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2002 – Elsevier
Rethinking the history of female circumcision and clitoridectomy: American medicine and female sexuality in the late nineteenth century by SW Rodriguez – … of the history of medicine and allied sciences, 2008 – academic.oup.com
Defective sexuality and female circumcision: the cause and the possible management by SMA Thabet, ASMA Thabet – Journal of Obstetrics and …, 2003 – Wiley Online Library
Clitoral priapism: a rare condition presenting as a cause of vulvar pain by CA Medina – Obstetrics & Gynecology, 2001 – Elsevier
Treatment of the enlarged clitoris by M Kaefer, RC Rink – Frontiers in pediatrics, 2017 – frontiersin.org
Affronting reason by C Chase – Looking queer: body image and identity in lesbian …, 1998 – books.google.com
