Vaginal Anatomy - What's What??

• Mons Pubis: The rounded, fatty area over the pubic bone.

• Labia Majora: The outer "lips" that protect the other external genitalia. Essentially it's just the fatty/fleshy tissue of the mons that extends down, connecting to your thighs.

• Labia Minora: The inner "lips" that surround the vaginal opening and the clitoris. These can be a range of different sizes, some are bigger/smaller than others. They can be wrinkly or smooth, tuck into the vulva folds or protrude outside.

BY: VAGINAL HEALTH

UPDATED: 18/03/2024

General Vaginal Health

Vaginal Canal

Vulva

Glands

Cervix

Well we hope you've enjoyed your whip round tour de pum.

Homework is to grab a mirror and have a look at what these areas look like for you!

Nothing scary about it, becoming more familiar with your genitalia can help you to better notice if things don't look normal and therefore need to get checked out.

Vaginal Anatomy - What's What??

Lets start with the age old confusion, that right there my lovelies, is actually your vagina.

This is the only part of your vaginal anatomy that is actually known as the 'vagina'. So not the bits and bobs on the outside, not the whole thing and not your womb.

The canal that connects your vulva to your cervix, is the actually your vagina or 'vaginal canal' (the canal part makes it a little more easy to understand right?!).

Now this is actually the correct terminology for your outside bits.

The rather thorough diagram is explained further below :

The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that extends into the vaginal canal. It serves as a barrier between the vagina and the uterus. The cervix has an opening which allows menstrual blood to exit the uterus and allows sperm to enter during sex.

This is what the nurses are popping their fingers up to measure during childbirth. How many cm wide it opens, is how dilated you are throughout labour.

This is the passage for vaginal intercourse and it is where period blood and babies come out from. It is muscular and can contract during orgasm or to push said baby or blood out.

• Clitoris: The little bean up top, i'm sure many will be very well acquainted already...

• Vaginal Opening: The entrance to the vaginal canal, the main hole.

• Urethral Opening: The opening through which urine exits the body. Different from the vaginal opening! Just a smaller version above it for your wee wees basically.

There are also several glands in the vagina and vulva that produce fluids for different purposes:

• Bartholin's Glands: These are located near the vaginal opening and secrete mucus to lubricate the vagina during sexual arousal.

• Skene's Glands: Also known as the periurethral glands, these produce fluid that can contribute to vaginal ejaculation.