The Vulva, Vagina, and Clit, Oh My!

Do you know the difference between the vagina and the vulva? Research shows that many people don’t know the right words for this important reproductive anatomy, so let’s dive into the basics. » Subscribe to Seeker! http://bit.ly/subscribeseeker
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When most folks talk about female genitals, they often say vagina. But the vagina is very specifically just the canal inside the body—it’s internal. The vulva is where most of the fun stuff is: it’s all the female genitalia on the outside of the body. We’ve got the mons pubis, or the fatty tissue that protects the pelvis. Then we’ve got the outer lips, the labia majora. These are fleshy and grow pubic hair, and inside those are the inner lips, the labia minora. Both the inner and outer labia are there to protect the parts underneath them, like the urethral opening, where your pee comes out. And under the surface of the labia are two glands that sit on either side of the vaginal opening. These are called Bartholin’s glands.

When someone is aroused, blood flow to the genitals increases, and this can stimulate those glands to produce moisture—a mix of water and proteins. This is what’s happening when people talk about ‘getting wet’— it’s natural lubrication that gives anything entering the vagina a bit of a smoother ride.

Of the vagina, let’s address a big myth: the hymen. For centuries, people thought that vaginas have a ‘seal’, that the hymen must be ‘broken’ when something is inserted. It’s all wrapped up in the social concept of virginity (which is a topic for another time) but essentially—the hymen is just a thin flap of skin inside the vaginal opening. For most people, it has at least one hole in it, usually more, and it doesn’t actually break, it gets stretched by physical exercise, by using a tampon, or yeah—by penetrative sex. But that doesn’t always hurt, there’s not always blood, and most hazy pop culture ideas of what the hymen is are pretty far from the truth. Everyone’s hymen is different, and some people don’t have one at all.

#sexualanatomy #anatomy #vagina #vulva #clitoris #bodylanguage #wellness #seeker

Read more:
The Clitoris, Uncovered: An Intimate History
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-clitoris-uncovered-an-intimate-history/
What is crazy is that, starting with the ancient Greeks, it took humans more than 2,000 years to develop this understanding—despite the fact that about half of the population has a clitoris.

All Vulvas Are Beautiful
https://www.all-vulvas-are-beautiful.com/
Vulvas come in all shapes and sizes – all of them beautiful in their own unique way. Visit The Vulva Gallery for more personal stories and portraits, and information on all things vulva.

Anatomy, Abdomen and Pelvis, Female External Genitalia
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK547703/
The female external genitalia varies greatly. The shape, size, and color of the mons pubis, clitoris, labia majora, labia minora, and the vagina orifice are different from female to female. The reason for the variations is due to the amount of estrogen influence during development. If there is more estrogen, these structures tend to be larger and thicker. While the lack of estrogen can lead to the external genitalia being thinner and smaller.

Editor’s Note: At Seeker, we recognize that people of many genders and identities have vaginas and uteruses, and are affected by the topics covered in Body Language: not only women. Where gendered language does appear is in reference to specific language used within the scientific studies cited.