All About Vulva Anatomy

Recently there has been a surge of astonishing content on the internet about the human body and especially the vulva. It seems that there is some great confusion about all the parts of the vulva and how exactly it functions, which is no surprise. With the crappy sex education that many generations have received how can anyone without (and sometimes even with) a vulva know exactly all the intricacies of it. I am her to help get everyone on the same, correct page about the vulva.

All the Parts

The vulva is broken into two different parts: the internal parts and the external parts. The external parts are all of the pieces that you can see when you look between someone’s legs. The internal parts can’t be seen by naked eye and they generally do the heavy lifting when it comes to reproduction, but we will get to that later.

The internal parts of the vulva are: the clitoris, vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. The external parts of the vulva are: the mons pubis, the labia majora and labia minora, urethra, and the vestibule (vaginal opening). So let’s dive into each of these parts so that we can understand them individually and master them as a whole entity.

The vulva is the name for all the different parts that make up the female genitals. (Please note: I use female as that is how scientifically the body parts are specified, but it is important to note that not every woman has female genitals and not every man has male genitals). The vulva starts at the mons pubis which is the fatty mound that protects the pelvic bone. 

Below the pubic mound you will be greeted by the clitoris. Depending on the state of arousal the glans of the clitoris may be giving a grand hello or something a little more subtle. In a resting state the glans of the clitoris is covered by the hood to protect it. When someone is aroused the glans of the clitoris is engorged (basically a hard on *wink*) and peaks out or protrudes from the hood. The clitoris is the only part of the human body that exists solely for pleasure, but it is much more than just the little portion that peeks out from the hood. It is a combination of an internal and external part of the vulva. The hood and glans of the clotoris are the external portion. Internally you have the cura and legs which also get engorged with blood when aroused and grow in size. We will come back to the internal part of the clitoris in a little bit.

Next we have the labia. They are scientifically named the labia minora and the labia majora. I prefer to use inner and outer labia, mainly because vulva is different and the size of people’s labia differ and the “labia majora” may not be as major as someone’s “labia minora”, so inner and outer better describe the positionality of the labia rather than the size. The outer labia are the lips of the vulva on the outside. They can vary in size from being very large or on the thinner, smaller side. The inner labia are the lips of the vulva that truly have so much variety. For some individuals they are larger and visible before the outer labia. For others they may be very thin and small and tucked away inside the outer labia. The labia (inner and outer) can vary in color. For some people with darker skin tones they may be darker shades or even lighter and more pink than other areas of their body. Every vulva is unique and beautiful, just like the person who has it.

Next up, is the urethra. This is where urine and squirt (or female ejaculation) exit the body. Those are the only fluids that leave this orifice of the vulva. The urethra is extremely small on most people and not very noticeable if there is not a fluid leaving it.

On either side of the urethra we have the skene’s glands which help in producing the various components of female ejaculation and help to fight and minimize occurrences of UTIs (urinary tract infections). 

Moving down from the urethra you have the vaginal opening, also known as the vestibule, but that makes me think of church so I just use vaginal opening. Depending on the vulva you may be able to see the hymen within the vaginal opening or you may not. Both are completely normal. Some hymens have perforation, some are completely connected, some are larger, some are smaller, hymens truly do vary from person to person.

On either side of the vaginal opening are two tiny, smaller openings called the Bartholin Glands. These glands help in creating lubrication for the vagina and giving that WAP (wet ass pussy). Looking directly at a vulva you won’t notice the Bartholin Glands, but they are there and they do their part, but you have to help them so staying well hydrated is important.

Now that we have made our way through the external parts of the vulva, let’s move to the internal parts.

The internal parts of the clitoris are the crura (also known as the legs) and the bulbs. The bulbs surround the vagina and the urethra. When you are stimulating the “g-spot” (there are quotes, because as we learn more about the vulva we have discovered that stimulating this part of the vagina is stimulating the clitoris, so it is now referred to as the CUV--clitourethravaginal complex) you are stimulating the bulbs of the clitoris. Stimulating the labia can stimulate the crura and the bulbs of the clitoris.

The vagina is a canal that leads to the rest of the reproductive organs. The vaginal canal is between 3 and 6 inches long in its resting state. It can change length when aroused and of course during childbirth. The vaginal canal leads up to the cervix.

The cervix sits right at the end of the vaginal canal and is the gateway before the uterus. The cervix is circular and one inch. It opens and closes depending on where someone is in their cycle and as you know during childbirth, when it opens up to 10cm. 

As you move further up you enter into the uterus. The uterus is shaped like a triangle and is empty of contents, besides the uterine lining which builds up during a cycle and when fertilized eggs are growing. As you move to the top of the uterus on either side there are the fallopian tubes. The fallopian tubes help to move eggs down to the uterus when they are released from the ovaries. The ovaries sit at the end of the fallopian tubes. There are little finger-like entities at the end of the ovaries that move the eggs when it is released from the ovary into the fallopian tubes. These are called fimbriae. 

Taking Care of Your Vulva

Okay, so now you know the parts, but how do you properly take care of them? Well, less is more when it comes to the vulva. Though mainstream media and advertisers would have you think you need a bunch of products to keep your vulva healthy and clean it is actually the opposite.

The vagina is self-cleaning, which means you don’t really have to do anything besides drink your water. When washing the vulva itself you don’t want to use soap. You just need water and your fingers. You are going to spread the labia and let water run down your vulva and gently wipe with your fingers. This is to clear out any smegma (secretions that get into the folds of skin). You can use a washcloth and mild, unscented soap to wash your inner thighs and mons pubis. 

When sleeping, sleep without underwear on. I recommend sleeping completely nude, because it has a variety of health benefits, but if that is not in your comfort zone, just do an oversized shirt and no underwear. Not wearing underwear will give your vulva a chance to breathe. Yes, vulvas need to breathe too. Letting your vulva breathe can minimize chances of getting a yeast infection or bacterial vaginosis (BV), because the heat and sweat can be a hospitable environment for yeast and bacteria growth.

Last piece to remember in taking care of the vulva is to always wipe front to back. Wiping back to front can cause bacteria from the anus to get into the vulva which can cause serious problems. 

This was probably a lot to take in, but don’t feel overwhelmed. Though the vulva is made up of many parts there are only a handful that you regularly see. If you learn those parts it will be much easier to learn all the other parts of the vulva, internal and external. If you are looking for more visuals of vulva anatomy, be sure to check out my Instagram account and Designs by Duvet Days