Professor Helen O'Connell is a leading researcher in the area of female pelvic anatomy and was the first woman to complete training as a urologist in Australia in 1994. She did her Fellowship training in the US in 1994-5 in the management, including surgery, of all problems affecting function of the lower urinary tract in men and women. In 2023 she became the President of the Urological Society of Australia and New Zealand. She uses state of the art medical imaging to treat a long list of conditions. Helen was the first person to accurately describe the structure of the clitoris. 

Instagram: @profhelenoconnell 

It is astonishing that before Helen’s work in the 1990s, the anatomy of the clitoris was not fully understood. Through her ground-breaking research, she published two key papers in 1998 and 2005 that revealed the intricate structure of the clitoris. Her findings showed that the visible glans, rich in thousands of nerve endings, is only a small part of a much larger organ. The crura (two internal arms) wrap around the vaginal canal, while the vestibular bulbs sit on either side of the vaginal opening. Apart from the glans, the clitoris is composed of erectile tissue, designed to facilitate female orgasm. It is there for a reason – for women to have an orgasm. If achieving orgasm is difficult, seeking medical advice can be beneficial. Helen also explores the diversity of female anatomy, the misleading portrayal of sex in pornography, and the risks of labial surgery for cosmetic reasons. We discuss how female genitals change throughout life, the impact of female genital mutilation (FGM), and the controversial question—does the G-spot really exist?

Transcription link:

www.joyceharper.com/podcasts

Date of episode recording: 2025-03-13T00:00:00 Z
Duration: 01.06.28
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Professor Joyce Harper
Guests: Professor Helen O'Connell
Producer: Joyce Harper