Welcome to the Vulva! The vulva is the outer portion of the body. Not to be confused with the inner component: the vagina. We’ll cover the internal anatomy later!
Vulvas come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and colors and they are all wonderful! Most folks are not very well acquainted with their vulva because it’s difficult to see without a mirror and some folks are not comfortable touching their vulvas. Time to get to know your bits! Understanding the basics of your own anatomy is empowering. You can clearly communicate what is going wrong to your medical provider or what is going right to your partner.
Starting from the top!
- Mons Pubis: This is the pad on top of the pubic bone where pubic hair grows.
- Outer Fold / Labia Majora: These larger outer lips also grow pubic hair. They help protect the vaginal entrance and the sensitive tissue of the vestibule
- Inner Fold / Labia Minora: These inner lips can vary greatly in size: some are very slim and short, some are long and thick, any combination you can imagine. No one form of labia minora is better than the others! These inner labia have no pubic hair and feel smoother, more like the lips or inside of your mouth. They are also important for protecting the vestibule and vaginal introitus.
- Clitoral Hood: Similar to the foreskin of the penis, the clitoral hood protects the sensitive tissue at the tip of the erectile tissue from becoming irritated.
- Clitoris / Erectile Tissue: The clitoris is a highly sensitive and pleasurable part of the body. It’s the only human organ that is exclusively designed for pleasure! It becomes engorged and rigid with arousal and clitoral stimulation is the most common form of orgasm for people with vaginas. The clitoris is like an iceberg: we think of it as this small external button but there is much more below the surface! More on that coming soon!
- Vestibule: The vestibule is the area within the labia minora. It contains the urethra and the vaginal introitus
- Urethra: The urethra attaches to the bladder and this is the opening where urine / pee leaves the body. It’s separate from the vaginal opening but very nearby, so sometimes people get confused. You do not pee from your vagina.
- Introitus: This is the entrance to the vagina! The vagina is the internal canal that leads to the reproductive organs: the uterus and ovaries. This is what most people are talking about when they talk about their vulva. Everything associated with reproduction happens here, from the menstrual cycle / period to child birth.
- Perineum: This is the area between the vaginal opening and the anus. Many of the sphincter pelvic floor muscles attach here and it can be an area that feels crampy or achy for that reason.
- Anus: This is where feces / poo and farts leave the body. It is also a sensitive area of the body that some folks explore sexually.
Remember, this is just the basics! There can be many factors including surgery, age, or hormonal changes that change how your vulva and vagina function. Gender identity and dysphoria may also play a role in how comfortable you are using anatomical terms so feel free to get creative and use terms that you are more comfortable with. For the purpose of education, I will be using these terms primarily when talking about folks who were Assigned Female At Birth (AFAB).
I hope you enjoyed this introduction to the vulva basics! More will be coming soon about the internal anatomy including the reproductive organs, the pudendal nerves, and the effects of hormone therapy on the body!
All images are courtesy of Heather Edwards, PT.