Illustration: Tsaitgaist/Wikipedia

The existence or not of the G-spot has long been a subject of conjecture, and a British team has recently re-ignited the debate with its findings.

The Gräfenberg spot - or “G-spot” - is said to be a bean-shaped area of the vagina which, when stimulated, leads to elevated levels of sexual arousal and the increased possibility of orgasm. It is said by some researchers to exist in some women, but not in others, whereas other research has concluded that all women possess one but not all are aware of how to find it. Research into it has been carried out since the early 1980s.

However, a study co-authored by Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at London’s King College, to be published this week by The Journal of Sexual Medicine and it concludes that the G-spot may well not exist at all.

The study was carried out on more than 1,800 British women ages 23 to 83, all of whom were an identical or non-identical (fraternal) twin. The study method was based on the assumption that if one identical twin (identical twins share their genes) declared that she had a G-spot, her sister was likely to have one too. The stated existence of the G-spot in both sisters in non-identical twins was expected to be lower due to the fact that non-identical twins only share 50 percent of their genes.

But no such pattern emerged, leading the researchers to conclude that the G-spot’s existence is a matter of subjective opinion.

Although 56 percent of all the women said they had a G-spot, those claiming an erogenous spot tended to be younger and more sexually active, and identical twins were found to be no more likely to share the characteristic than non-identical twins.

Spector’s conclusions are summed up in an article in the British daily The Times. “Women may argue that having a G-spot is due to diet or exercise, but in fact it is virtually impossible to find real traits,” says Spector. “This is by far the biggest study ever carried out and it shows fairly conclusively that the idea of a G-spot is subjective.”

Andrea Burri, the research team leader, said the study may help to eliminate feelings of inadequacy or underachievement in women who declared that they could not find the G-spot.

“It is rather irresponsible to claim the existence of an entity that has never really been proven and pressurise women — and men, too,” she said.

Gedis Grudzinskas, a consultant gynecologist at London Bridge hospital, said that most mainstream doctors have always doubted the existence of the G-spot. “I think this study proves the difference between popular science and biological or anatomical science.”

However, Beverly Whipple, an emeritus professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey who has also studied the question in depth and written a number of books that claim its existence, dismissed the study findings as “flawed.” She says that the study had not taken into account the experiences of lesbian or bisexual women and that it had not incorporated the element of differing sexual techniques.

Furthermore, she added, “The biggest problem with their findings is that twins don’t generally have the same sexual partner.”