A French researcher is trying to change how sex education is taught, and French children might soon learn sex-ed with a new hands-on instrument: the first open-source, anatomically correct, printable 3D clitoris.

The new tool was developed by Odile Fillod, a sociomedical researcher, with the hope to familiarize boys and girls with the organ. 

"The quality of sex education in France has never been properly evaluated, but the few surveys that do exist suggest it's very poor," Fillod told Vice. 

As you can see, it's MUCH larger than many people believe.

Few people are aware, but the penis and the clitoris are incredibly similar. In fact, fetuses have the same genitalia until 12 weeks into the pregnancy, when the same structure diverges and forms either a clitoris or a penis. The clitoris is between 5-11 centimeters (2-4 inches), although most of it is hidden. It also swells when aroused, just like a penis, and even experiences its own type of "erection". 

Although unlike the penis, it can become up to three times larger during arousal – and that might make men some men quite jealous. It is a very sensitive area, with 8,000 sensitive nerve endings, so with this in mind, it is not a surprise that most women require clitoral stimulation to achieve orgasm.

And since we are talking about pleasure, the clitoris is usually considered to be there for pleasure alone, but the clitoris has only been deeply researched in a handful of studies, and it also might have a much larger role, like assisting in women's immune health.

And if you want to familiarize yourself with the organ, the model is available here.

[h/t: Vice]