The labial thermistor clip is a device used measure the skin

temperature Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer. Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied o ...

of the

labia minora The labia minora (Latin for 'smaller lips', singular: ''labium minus'', 'smaller lip'), also known as the inner labia, inner lips, vaginal lips or nymphae are two flaps of skin on either side of the human vaginal opening in the vulva, situated be ...

and is associated blood

engorgement Breast engorgement occurs in the mammary glands due to expansion and pressure exerted by the synthesis and storage of breast milk. It is also a main factor in altering the ability of the infant to latch-on. Engorgement changes the shape and c ...

. This device consists of a

thermistor A thermistor is a type of resistor whose resistance is strongly dependent on temperature, more so than in standard resistors. The word thermistor is a portmanteau of ''thermal'' and ''resistor''. Thermistors are divided based on their conduction ...

affixed to a small metal clip that can be attached to the labia minora. The labial thermistor clip is the second most commonly used physiological measure of female genital response, next to the

vaginal photoplethysmograph Vaginal photoplethysmography (VPG, VPP) is a technique using light to measure the amount of blood in the walls of the vagina. The device that is used is called a vaginal photometer. Use The device is used to try to obtain an objective measure o ...

(VPG). Chivers, M. L., Seto, M. C., Lalumière, M. L., Laan, E., & Grimbos, T. ��Agreement of self-reported and genital measures of sexual arousal in men and women: A meta-analysis” “Archives of Sexual Behavior, 6, 1678-1687”, 2010 Both devices can be used simultaneously.Prause, N. & Heiman, J. R. ��Assessing female sexual arousal with the labial thermistor: Response specificity and construct validity” “International Journal of Psychophysiology,72, 115 – 122”, 2009 The labial thermistor clip has some advantages over VPG, including better

test-retest reliability Repeatability or test–retest reliability is the closeness of the agreement between the results of successive measurements of the same measure, when carried out under the same conditions of measurement. In other words, the measurements are taken ...

, greater correlation between genital and self-reported

sexual arousal Sexual arousal (also known as sexual excitement) describes the physiological and psychological responses in preparation for sexual intercourse or when exposed to sexual stimuli. A number of physiological responses occur in the body and mind as ...

, and an absolute unit of change (temperature). Payne, K. & Binik, Y. M. ��Reviving the labial thermistor clip” “Archives of Sexual Behavior, 35, 111-113”, 2006 Like VPG, the labial thermistor clip has

discriminant validity In psychology, discriminant validity tests whether concepts or measurements that are not supposed to be related are actually unrelated. Campbell and Fiske (1959) introduced the concept of discriminant validity within their discussion on evaluating ...

; that is, it detects differences between sexual and nonsexual stimuli. It is also sensitive to different levels of sexual arousal. The labial thermistor clip has some disadvantages because participants have difficulty with placing the device correctly and some report discomfort with using the device.

References

{{Reflist Female genital procedures Medical testing equipment Sexology Women's health

See also

References