Clitoral hood
In female humans and other mammals,[1] the clitoral hood (also called preputium clitoridis, clitoral prepuce, and clitoral foreskin)[2] is a fold of skin that surrounds and protects the glans of the clitoris; it also covers the external clitoral shaft, develops as part of the labia minora and is homologous with the foreskin (also called the prepuce) in the male reproductive system.[3][4][5] The clitoral hood is composed of mucocutaneous tissues; these tissues are between the mucous membrane and the skin, and they may have immunological importance because they may be a point of entry of mucosal vaccines.[6]
Clitoral hood
Development and variation[edit]
The clitoral hood is formed during the fetal stage by the cellular lamella.[6] The cellular lamella grows down on the dorsal side of the clitoris and is eventually fused with the clitoris.
The clitoral hood varies in the size, shape, thickness, and other aesthetic aspects. Some women have large clitoral hoods that completely cover the clitoral glans. Some of these can be retracted to expose the clitoral glans, such as for hygiene purposes or for pleasure; others do not retract. Other women have smaller hoods that do not cover the full length of the clitoral glans, leaving the clitoral glans exposed all the time. Sticky bands of tissue called adhesions can form between the hood and the glans; these stick the hood onto the glans so the hood cannot be pulled back to expose the glans and smegma can accumulate.
Other animals[edit]
Regarding the clitoral prepuce in non-primate mammals, there is a similar structure typically referred to as the clitoral sheath, which is homologous to the penile sheath in male mammals.[14][15]