The vulva and its three openings
What it is
The vulva is the outside part of the genitals, everything that can be seen between the legs. The vagina is the canal inside the body, though people often use the word for all of it. The is where a person pees, has a period, gives birth and feels sexual pleasure.1
The parts
- Mons pubis. The soft, rounded area over the pubic bone. Pubic hair grows here from puberty.
- Outer lips (labia majora). Plump folds of skin that enclose the rest of the .
- Inner lips (labia minora). Thinner, hairless folds inside the outer lips. At the top they meet to form the clitoral hood.
- Clitoris. The small nub under the hood is only its tip, called the glans. It has about 10,000 nerve endings.2 The rest is inside the body: two long legs and two bulbs wrap around the and , about 9 to 11 cm (3.5 to 4.25 inches) from end to end.2
- Urethral opening. Just below the . Pee leaves the body here.
- Vaginal opening. Below that. Period blood, discharge and, at birth, a baby leave here.
- Perineum. The skin between the vaginal opening and the anus.
Three openings, not two
There are three openings: the urethra for pee, the for periods, sex and birth, and the anus for poop. Many adults were never taught this. In a UK study of 191 adults at a hospital, only 46% knew there were three. Of the 103 who tried to label a diagram, only 9 got every part right, and the and were the parts most often mixed up.3
Knowing which is which makes everyday things make sense. A tampon goes in the vagina, so it doesn't block pee. Wiping from front to back keeps germs from the anus away from the other two openings.4
What's normal
No two look the same. The come in many shapes and sizes. The inner lips may be even or uneven, tucked inside the outer lips or longer than them.1 Knowing what is normal for your own body makes it easier to notice a change.
Myth: The hymen seals the vagina and breaks the first time someone has sex.
This was taught for generations, and in many places it is still treated as a test of virginity. The hymen is a thin, stretchy rim of tissue at the vaginal opening. It normally doesn't cover the opening, since period blood has to get out. It wears away gradually, from things like exercise and tampons, and usually doesn't tear the first time something presses on it. Many people feel nothing and don't bleed. It can't show whether someone has had sex.5
Myth: The vagina needs washing inside, and should smell like flowers.
Douches, wipes and "feminine washes" are sold as the way to stay clean, so it's no surprise many people believe this. The keeps itself clean: its discharge stops it drying out and keeps it healthy.4 Douching, flushing water inside it, washes away the helpful bacteria and raises the risk of thrush and bacterial vaginosis.6 A faint, musky smell is normal.4,6 Wash the vulva once a day with warm water, and skip perfumed soaps and gels, which can irritate the skin.6
How it compares in boys and men
Early in pregnancy, the outside genitals of male and female fetuses look the same, and they stay about the same size until around 12 weeks. The same starting tissue becomes a penis when hormones called androgens, such as testosterone, act on it, and a when they don't.7 That's why the two share a glans, erectile tissue that fills with blood when aroused, and a similar pattern of nerves.7 The main difference is that the runs through the penis, so the male body has two openings rather than three.7
When to see a doctor
Talk to a healthcare provider if you notice:1
- a lump or bump, itching, swelling or soreness
- burning when you pee, or needing to pee more often
- a change in the colour, texture or smell of discharge, especially a fishy smell
- pain during sex
Recap
- The vulva is the outside of the genitals. The vagina is the canal inside.
- There are three openings. Pee leaves through the urethra, periods and babies through the vagina, and poop through the anus.
- Most of the clitoris is inside the body, wrapped around the vagina and urethra.
- Labia come in many shapes and sizes. The hymen can't show whether someone has had sex.
- The vagina keeps itself clean. Wash only the outside, with warm water.
Words to know 8
| clitoris | An organ whose only known job is sexual pleasure. Only its tip shows; most of it is inside the body. |
|---|---|
| douching | Washing or flushing water or other liquids inside the vagina. |
| hymen | A thin, stretchy rim of tissue at the vaginal opening. |
| labia | The folds of skin around the vaginal opening. The outer lips are the labia majora, the inner lips the labia minora. |
| perineum | The skin between the vaginal opening and the anus. |
| urethra | The tube that carries pee out of the bladder. |
| vagina | The muscular canal inside the body that runs from the cervix to the outside. |
| vulva | The outside part of the female genitals, including the labia, the clitoris and the openings of the urethra and vagina. |
Educational information, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about your health.