The
Vulva and Internal Genitalia
A woman's vulva is actually a grouping of most of the external
sexual organs of the crotch. The vulva includes the
vagina opening, the clitoris, the labia (majora and minora),
the urinary opening (urethra), and the area over the pelvic
bone that gets covered with pubic hair at puberty (called
the mons veneris).
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| 1:
Mons veneris |
| 2:
Hood of Clitoris |
| 3:
Clitoris |
| 4:
Labia minora |
| 5:
Labia majora |
| 6:
Anus |
| 8:
Perineum |
| 10:
Opening of Vagina |
| 11:
Opening of Urethra |
|
| The
most obvious feature on an adult woman is the pubic
hair. It grows from the soft tissue above the
pubic bone and is called the mons veneris (1)
(Latin for "mountain of venus"). In mature unshaven
women, the pubic hair continues down and around the
vulva to the anus (6). The anus is the
opening of the rectum and colon. Click here for
a detailed drawing
of the external genitals.
The
hair covered area between the mons and the anus is
also made of soft fatty tissue (like the mons).
This is the outer lips of the vagina, or labia
majora (5) (Latin for major lips). The labia
majora are prominent in some women and minimal in
others. For some, the skin of these outer lips
is darker.
The
outer lips (labia majora) surround some soft flaps
of skin which are hairless. These inner lips
are called the labia minora (4) (Latin for
minor lips). With sexual stimulation, they swell
and turn darker as they get filled with blood.
The space between the inner lips and the anus is called
the perineum (8).
If
the inner lips are spread apart (as seen in the picture),
one can see that they protect a delicate area between
them. This area is called the vestibule.
At the top of the vestibule, right below the mons
area, the inner lips are joined to form a soft fold
of skin, or hood (2), that covers the clitoris
(3).
The
clitoris (pronounced KLIT-or-iss [no, it doesn't
rhyme with Dolores]) is the most sensitive
spot in the entire genital area. It is made
up of erectile tissue that swells during sexual arousal.
Below
the clitoris is a small slit called the urethra
(11) opening. The urethra is a thin tube
about an inch and a half long that connects to the
bladder. This is where urine comes out.
Below
the urethra opening is the larger opening of the vagina
(10) (also called the introitus). The vagina
is the birth canal, and connects the outside world
of the vulva to the womb (or uterus).
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|
THE
VAGINA
The
vagina is a muscular tube-like structure that connects the
external world of the vulva
to the internal
organs of reproduction (i.e., the cervix and uterus,
fallopian tubes, and ovaries). The Vagina is tucked
between the urinary bladder in the front, and the rectum
in the back. If nothing is inside, the vaginal walls
touch each other. When something is inside the vagina,
(e.g., tampon, finger, penis, baby), the walls spread and
"hug" the object .
The
walls of the vagina are actually made up of 3 types of tissue.
The inside wall is called mucosa, and is similar
to the inside of your mouth. Just below the mucosa
is a layer of tissue that can fill with blood. This
is the erectile tissue, and swells when a woman is
sexually aroused. The deepest layer is a coat of muscle.
This muscular coat is a wrap of tissue that can relax
or constrict.
The
vagina varies in length from woman to woman, but is generally
2 1/2 to 4 inches long (from vulva to cervix). In
addition, the vagina has the ability to stretch quite a
bit, thus allowing an erect penis in, and a baby out (see
our Male
Genitalia Kit for details on average erection size and
shape).
