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Vulva
The name that refers to all
of the external female genitals - those you can see - is the vulva,
meaning "covering". The different parts of the vulva are the
mons, the labia, the clitoris, and the perineum.
The mons, also called
mons pubis or mons veneris, after the Roman goddess of love, is a soft
mound of cushioning fatty tissue covered by skin and pubic hair (after
puberty). This region has numerous nerve endings, so touch or pressure
here may lead to sexual arousal. Many women find that stimulation of the
mons area can be as pleasurable as direct clitoral touch.
The labia are the visible
parts of a woman's genitals, commonly called lips. There are outer lips
(labia majora) and inner lips (labia minora). The labia majora are folds
of skin, or fatty tissue, covering a thin layer of smooth muscle lying
along each side of the vaginal opening. After puberty, the sides of the
outer lips are usually covered with hair. The labia majora contain
numerous sweat glands, oil glands and nerve endings. In their sexually
unstimulated state, the outer lips usually are folded together, meeting
in the middle to cover and protect the vaginal and urinary openings.
During sexual arousal, the labia majora swell and flatten out, exposing
the vaginal opening. This is caused by blood collecting in the many
vessels there. The labia of women who have had a child sometimes show
the response a little more strongly than the labia of women who have not
given birth, turning a deep wine or amber color compared to the bright
red pre-birth color. After menopause, the labia majora thin out and lose
most of the fatty tissue that gave them shape, and they no longer swell
and flatten out to the extent they did before menopause.
The inner lips, or labia
minora, are the inner folds of tissue that can sometimes look like
curving petals. The lips meet just above the clitoris forming a fold of
skin called the clitoral hood. They are not as thick as the labia majora,
and are hairless, but they contain many sensitive nerve endings, which
means they can feel good when touched. They have a core of spongy tissue
rich in small blood vessels, but they do not contain fat cells like
their counterparts, the labia majora.
When a woman reaches a
certain level of sexual excitement, her labia minora change color. The
color change is called the sex skin change and indicates that orgasm can
occur if proper stimulation continues. At the same time as the color
change happens, the labia minora become larger because of the increased
blood flow that results from her arousal. When sexual stimulation stops,
both the larger outer lips and the smaller inner lips return to their
usual size and shape within a short period of time.
Women's external genitals
may vary greatly in appearance. There are differences in the size, shape
and color of the labia, in the color, texture amount, and distribution
of pubic hair, and in the appearance of the clitoris, vaginal opening,
and hymen. All of the various shapes, sizes and colors are normal. Many
women think that their genitals are ugly or disgusting because they
appear to them, for whatever reason, to be abnormal. Perhaps they
compare themselves to some sexually explicit pictures they have seen and
conclude that because they are different, they must be abnormal. Sexual
anatomy varies as much as facial features differ from one person to
another.
While we cannot imagine a
person unable to identify eyes, nose, mouth and chin, many women and men
grow up without learning the locations and names of either gender's
sexual structures. Taking a direct look at your own genitals (it's
easier with a mirror) and perhaps inviting your partner to observe your
anatomy along with you, is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with
your body.
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Sex
