crura en Innies & Outies: The Vagina, Clitoris, Uterus and More <div class="field field-type-text field-field-author"> <div class="field-label">Author:&nbsp;</div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> Heather Corinna </div> </div> </div> <div class="field field-type-text field-field-introduction"> <div class="field-label">Introduction:&nbsp;</div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> A lot of questions about how to have intercourse, how to masturbate, and worries about what&#039;s all going on down there can be solved by simply getting to know your own body. In fact, I&#039;d gander to say that before you let anyone else get to know it, you&#039;d best know it yourself as well as you know your own face. </div> </div> </div> <p>A lot of questions about how to have <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3311"><dfn title="Different things people choose to do to actively express or enact sexuality and sexual feelings; often this involves genitals, but not always. The word sex also means a way people, animals or plants are classified based on their chromosomes, genitals or reproductive organs.">sex</dfn></a>, how to masturbate, and worries about all of what's all going on down below can be easily solved by simply getting to know what <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3329"><dfn title="External sexual or reproductive organs.">genitals</dfn></a> and other reproductive organs are all about. Many things some people presume are problems with some kinds of sex or genital function or appearance are just realities of <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3337"><dfn title="The body, parts of the body, or physical structure of organisms like people, animals or plants.">anatomy</dfn></a> they didn't know.</p> <p>Here's the scoop for most people whose bodies have a <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3308"><dfn title="The name for the external genitals of female people or people who were assigned female sex at birth. The vulva includes the mons, external clitoris, inner and outer labia, fourchette and perineum.">vulva</dfn></a>, <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3323"><dfn title="The internal passage leading from the opening of the vulva to the cervix of the uterus.">vagina</dfn></a>, <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3362"><dfn title="On the vulva, both inner (labia minora) and outer (labia majora) sets of skin with sensory nerve endings which surround the vaginal opening.">labia</dfn></a>, <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3347"><dfn title="A sexual organ both external and internal on the vulva and inside the pelvis of female sex-assigned people that is similar to the penis, but serves no other known purpose besides providing sexual pleasure.">clitoris</dfn></a> and/or <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3392"><dfn title="In female-assigned people (unless it has been surgically removed or was not formed in utero), an internal, muscular reproductive organ in the pelvis. During pregnancy, this is where a fetus will develop. When not pregnant, it is the lining of the uterus, when shed each cycle, that provides a menstrual period.">uterus</dfn></a> and other structures.</p> <p>Let's get started! It can help to get yourself a mirror, make sure you have some real privacy (or at least a door that locks) and some quality time to get to know your body and yourself. We'll just look at what you can see and feel, to get you started. Sit with your knickers off and your legs open, and get ready to take a tour.</p> <h3>Vulva, not vagina</h3> <p>The proper name for the outer genitals is the vulva (vuhl-vah). The vagina is only one part of these organs, and not the whole of them, and many people mistakenly call the vulva the vagina.</p> <p><span class="inline inline-left"><img src="" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="357" height="370" /></span>Where your <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/4559"><dfn title="The hair that grows around the genital and anal regions (often extending a ways up the front or back and onto the inner thights) and usually first appears around puberty. It may vary in color, texture, length, and thickness.">pubic hair</dfn></a> is, below your belly button, is a fatty area of tissue (skin) called the <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3370"><dfn title="A mound of fatty tissue (skin) covering the upper portion of the vulva. In adult people, this area is usually where much of the pubic hair is.">mons</dfn></a> (mahns). Your pubic hair will move downward, as will that fatty tissue, around your labia majora (lay-bee-ah) or "lips."</p> <p>If you pull your outer labia open, you will see your labia minora, or lips, which are not covered with hair, and look a bit like flower petals or small tongues. The size, length and color of the inner labia and other parts of the vulva will differ from person to person. The labia may be long and thick, or barely visible, and may look purple, red, pink, blackish or brown, depending on your own coloring. All of these variations are absolutely normal, as are the labia being two different sizes or shapes. The purpose of your inner labia is pretty important; they have sensory nerve endings which contribute to <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3348"><dfn title="About or relating in some way to sex or sexuality.">sexual</dfn></a> pleasure and also keep icky bacteria away from what is called the vestibule.<div class="pullquote"><hr /><div class="quotecontent">Some people of late have a lot of worries about their labia and the appearance of their vulva. If you're in that group yourself, or know someone feeling that way, you might want to check this out: <strong><a href="">Give'em Some Lip: Labia That Clearly Ain't Minor</a></strong>. Or, if you want some other views of the vulva, you can take a look at Betty Dodson's illustrations on-site <a href="">here</a>.</div><hr /></div></p> <h3>The Infamous Clitoris</h3> <p>Looking at the vestibule, between those inner labia from the <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/4561"><dfn title="This term may refer to the person taking a more dominant role during a sexual encounter, or sometimes to refer to the insertive partner during penetrative sex. It can also be used as a verb- "to top someone" is to act as the "top" with regard to your encounter with them. ">top</dfn></a> down (right below your mons), you'll first see the top of the inner labia, which create a little skin fold called the clitoral hood. That hood connects to the <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3372"><dfn title="On the penis, the head of the penis. On the vulva, the external portion of the clitoris, beneath the clitoral hood.">glans</dfn></a>, which is the tip -- and only the tip -- of the clitoris (<em>klit</em>-or-iss). If you pull up the hood with your fingers, you can get a closer look.</p> <p>The clitoris -- which in full, internal and external, is nearly of the same size as the <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3324"><dfn title="One of the two external reproductive organs of male-assigned people. ">penis</dfn></a> -- is usually the most sensitive spot on, and involved in the most sensitive areas of, the vulva. It's got twice the number of sensory nerve endings the penis does, and it also interacts with over 15,000 nerve endings throughout the whole pelvic area. It is created of the same sort of erectile tissue that the head of a penis has. Before we all were born, until about the sixth week of our lives as an <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3495"><dfn title="During a pregnancy, the term for the developing cells of an organism until around eight-nine weeks after an ovum was fertilized. After this time, the organism would then be called a fetus.">embryo</dfn></a>, our sexual organs were slightly developed, but completely the same no matter our sex or <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3320"><dfn title="Characteristics that are seen or presented as distinguishing between male and female. Gender may or may not include assigned or chosen: sex, social roles, feelings, behaviors and/or presentation or appearance. ">gender</dfn></a>.</p> <p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="278" height="306" /></span>If you feel the clitoris with your fingers, you'll probably feel a tingle or a tickle. Rubbing it a bit, you can feel a hardish portion that is the <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3374"><dfn title="On the penis, the portion of the penis extending from below the head to the base of the penis, where it is attached to the body. On the vulva, an internal portion of the clitoris behind and beneath the clitoral glans.">shaft</dfn></a> of the clitoris. The clitoris (sometimes called the "clit" or the "spot") is the primary source of most genital sensation. When you masturbate, it is what you will most likely (but not always) touch and manipulate to pleasure yourself. The clitoris is, in fact, the only organ on the entire body that is solely for sexual <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3508"><dfn title="A state of sexual excitement and interest that sends messages to the brain which create physical changes and sensations, such as increased blood pressure, erection, lubrication, loosening of the vaginal or anal muscles, and increased physical sensitivity.">arousal</dfn></a>, and is attached to ligaments, muscles and veins that become filled with blood during arousal (when you get sexually excited) and contract during <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3354"><dfn title="An event typically in response to physical or intellectual sexual stimulation, controlled by the involuntary nervous system. Orgasm often results in muscle contractions in and around the genitals, other muscular spasms throughout the body, and a feeling of sexual and/or tension release.">orgasm</dfn></a>. The clitoris is what most like to have stimulated in some way during oral or digital (with hands and fingers) sex, during <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3312"><dfn title="Ways that people seek out and/or experience sexual pleasure by themselves, without a sexual partner.">masturbation</dfn></a>, and during <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3336"><dfn title="When people interlock their genitals and move together as feels good to them for the purpose of sexual stimulation and/or reproduction.">intercourse</dfn></a>, and not just the tip or shaft. The clitoris is internal as well as external -- and the whole thing is a lot bigger than it looks from the outside -- with legs, called <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3373"><dfn title="The internal "legs" of the clitoris, which are within the outer labia (labia majora).">crura</dfn></a>, that are within the outer labia, as well as the clitoral (or vestibular) bulbs, which surround part of the lower portion of the vaginal canal.</p> <p>People are different in how and where we like our clitorises touched (or if we do at all). For some, rubbing too fast or hard, or right on the tip or shaft may be uncomfortable, but for others, it's just the thing. Like near anything else in sex, the best way to find out is usually to experiment by masturbating. For more on every body's anatomy from the standpoint of pleasure, check out: <a href="">With Pleasure: A View of Whole Sexual Anatomy for Every Body</a>.</p> <p>Looking lower, you may be able to see another hood-like shape. Right below that shape is a teeny, tiny, barely visible little dot or slit, which is your <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3350"><dfn title="The urinary tract, where people pee from. On a penis, the opening to the urethra is at the head of the penis; on a vulva, the opening is above the vaginal opening and below the external clitoris.">urethra</dfn></a> or urinary opening, where you urinate (or pee) from. Below that is the <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3371"><dfn title="The external opening to the vagina.">vaginal opening</dfn></a> (sometimes people call it a "slit" or "hole"). You might notice how close the urinary opening is to the vaginal opening. Because of this, sometimes sexual activity can bring bacteria which infect the urinary opening, so it's important during sexual activity to both empty your bladder before and after, and to be sure your or your partners hands, mouth or other organs are <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3527"><dfn title="In a sexual context, usually a word used to suggest not having any sexually transmitted infections. "Clean" is a poor choice of term, however, since it stigmatizes people with illness. Better choices are "negative," "clear" or "STI-free."">clean</dfn></a>.</p> <p>Just barely inside the vaginal opening, you may see the <a href="">vaginal corona, or hymen</a>. Your corona may or may not be easily distinguishable from the rest of your vaginal opening, and that isn't always because of sex. Long ago (and still sometimes today) it was thought that the corona/hymen was "evidence" of whether or not a woman had had sexual intercourse, but that is not the case at all. Not even all people with vulvas are born with intact or easily identifiable vaginal coronas! When someone is talking about "popping a <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3475"><dfn title="A slang term used to describe either the hymen/corona or something which signifies someone has not done something for the first time. "Popping the cherry" often describes doing something sexual for the first time, even though with first-time sex, there are not usually cherries or the popping of anything.">cherry</dfn></a>," this is what they are referring to, though it's a misnomer. Your corona is usually membranes that erode somewhat over time, primarily due to hormones and vaginal discharges, but later can also wear away more due to vaginal sex if a person engages in that. When it is more intact, it rarely covers that opening completely, but has little holes and perforations in it. Even after it has been worn away or stretched, small folds of tissue remain.</p> <p>During the first few times someone has intercourse or other vaginal <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3383"><dfn title="In a sexual context, when a kind of sex involves someone putting one body part inside the body part of another person, such as with intercourse. Some people use the word "penetration" instead.">entry</dfn></a>, pain or bleeding can happen (though it more often does not) due to the wearing away of the corona. However, that pain or bleeding is more commonly because you had sex without being aroused enough to be properly lubricated, or did not use extra <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3332"><dfn title="A fluid used in order to make kinds of sex (such as masturbation, vaginal intercourse, anal intercourse or manual sex) more pleasant and comfortable, and/or to help prevent condoms from breaking by decreasing friction. ">lubricant</dfn></a> if needed. On the other hand, there are some whose vaginal coronas simply are so thick, or have such a small opening, that it is indeed painful to have intercourse or enter the vagina otherwise, and sometimes a medical procedure needs to be done to remedy that. All in all, there are many causes for or sources of sexual pain, and the corona is only one of many.</p> <p>Now, if you can slide your finger into your vaginal opening, and squeeze your vaginal walls (engaging what are commonly called PC -- pubococcygeus -- or Kegel muscles), just like you were trying to hold it in when you have to urinate, or when you're trying to stop the flow of your urine. You can feel a lot of folds of skin and different textures, and see how the vagina (which is the passage between the vaginal opening and the <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3459"><dfn title="The opening to the uterus, the bottom of which is at the back end of the vagina.">cervix</dfn></a>) can hold your fingers. That is the same way it holds a tampon, a penis or toy, or a child during labor.</p> <p>Your vagina may be wetter or dryer right now depending on your <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/4560"><dfn title="Having to do with menstruation.">menstrual</dfn></a> cycle. If you're someone who menstruates and ovulates, then right after you've had your <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3435"><dfn title="The fluid, which contains blood, from the shedding of the uterine lining usually at the end of each fertility cycle. Or, that flow you perhaps may have experienced once while shouting, "Oh thank GAWD!"">period</dfn></a>, or when you aren't aroused you'll generally be dryer, and about two weeks into your cycle, or when you are aroused, you'll usually be a bit wetter. The mucus, or "discharge" from your vagina, which you'll sometimes see on your underpants, may vary in texture, scent and color greatly. Some people are freaked out by this, but there is no need to be, and trying to get rid of that mucus with douching or other methods is not healthy, as that mucus keeps your vagina clean of bacteria and maintains a careful acid balance vital to your health. If you're ever in doubt about vaginal discharge, the best thing to do is to call your doctor. In general, however, unless the mucus is spotted with blood and you aren't on your period, makes you itch at all, or is greenish in hue, it's probably healthy, normal discharge.</p> <p><span class="inline inline-right"><img src="" alt="" title="" class="image image-_original " width="472" height="444" /></span></p> <h3>Life on the Inside</h3> <p>If you can put your finger inside your vagina, towards your belly, not your back, you may or may not feel a spongy length of tissue that is a bit like the roof of your mouth in texture (if you have short fingers, you may not be able to). That is the infamous <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3377"><dfn title="A portion of the internal clitoris 1-3 inches within the vagina on the anterior (front) wall which can be sexually stimulating and which is often associated with female ejaculation.">g-spot</dfn></a>, or Grafenburg Spot, another potential source of, or contributor to, sexual pleasure or orgasm and is currently understood to be another part of the internal clitoris. The vagina itself, especially past the first, front 1/3rd of it, has hardly any sensory nerve endings at all. The sensations people feel inside the vagina are often more about the external and internal clitoris, including the G-spot, than the vagina itself.</p> <p>Understand, however, that not all find the g-spot being touched or stimulated to be pleasurable, and it doesn't lead to orgasm magically in everybody. It isn't a magic button, it is simply another part of your genital anatomy that is responsive to pleasure. In addition, stimulation of the g-spot may also lead to an orgasm in which some people ejaculate, or release fluid from the urethra. This is not urine, even though it may feel that way. As well, people can ejaculate from orgasm with or without g-spot stimulation.</p> <p>If you poke your finger deeply into your vagina, you may feel something deep inside that feels like a nose or a dimpled chin. This is your cervix, which is the base of the uterus, where, if you were pregnant, a baby would grow. The cervix is the passage through which <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3428"><dfn title="Reproductive cells of male sex-assigned people which can fertilize an ovum and create pregnancy.">sperm</dfn></a> travel to meet an egg in the <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3488"><dfn title="Two tubes that lead from the ovaries to the uterus. If and when an ovum is fertilized by a sperm, fertilization typically happens within the fallopian tube.">fallopian tubes</dfn></a>, but don't worry -- nothing but sperm can usually fit in there. In other words, you can't "lose" a tampon or a toy or anything else in your vagina, because it ends with your cervix.</p> <p><div class="pullquote"><hr /><div class="quotecontent">If you appreciate and value what we do here at Scarleteen, you can make a difference by helping to sustain us. Because we are an entirely independent organization, working in an incredibly controversial arena (and all the more so because we're fully inclusive and progressive), staying afloat is often a real challenge for us. You can help keep Scarleteen thriving by making a personal <a href="">donation</a>, buying copies of <a href=""><strong>our book</strong></a> for yourself or to donate to public/school libraries, health centers or other venues, purchasing books and products from Amazon through links here, buying advertising at Scarleteen, <a href="">volunteering some of your time</a> and just getting the word out to others about what we do here and how valuable it is.</div><hr /></div></p> <p>Once you take your fingers out of your vagina, follow the trail of your genitals a bit lower. Right under your vaginal opening is a flat length of skin called the <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3365"><dfn title="The general region of the body between the anus and the testes or the anus and the vaginal opening. Some people call the perineum the "tain't."">perineum</dfn></a> (pair-ee-nay-uhm). Below the perineum is your <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3326"><dfn title="The external opening to the rectum, located between the buttocks. ">anus</dfn></a>.</p> <p>The anus is the opening to your <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3363"><dfn title="The internal passage between the anus and the colon; stores solid waste until it leaves the body through a bowel movement. ">rectum</dfn></a>, through which your bowel movements pass through from your bowel. Some people enjoy touching or rubbing their anus, as well as having it licked, or for having <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3335"><dfn title="When a penis is inserted into and held by the anus while partners move their bodies as feels good to them for the purpose of sexual stimulation.">anal intercourse</dfn></a>. Some people do not. Again, people vary in what we do and don't like when it comes to sex. The important thing to recognize is that, first, if you shower or bathe regularly, your anus is not dirty, because feces (bowel movements) are not stored there or in your rectum. Only trace amounts of feces may remain there. However, <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3331"><dfn title="Sexual activity involving the anus. Anal sex may include stimulation with fingers, the mouth, a penis, sex toys, or other objects or body parts. ">anal sex</dfn></a> of any sort is no more safe than vaginal sex for several reasons and can also present some additional risks vaginal sex does not. First, the anus does not have any natural lubrication of its own, and the anal tissues are far more delicate and susceptible to tearing than the vaginal tissues. That makes anal sex potentially more painful if not done with care, as well as more risky as far as the spread of STIs. If you want to explore your anus either alone or with a partner (or find out more about <a class="glossary-term" href="/glossary/term/3424"><dfn title="Practices which aim to reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections, such as use of condoms and other latex/nonlatex barriers, regular testing for infections and limiting the number of sexual partners. It's "safer" instead of "safe" because these practices can reduce risks greatly, but cannot remove all risk.">safer sex</dfn></a> as a whole), check out these links on how to do so safely:</p> <ul> <li><a href="">Safe, Sound &amp; Sexy: A Safer Sex How-To</a></li> <li><a href="">What Safer Sex isn't</a></li> <li><a href="">Vaginal to anal to vaginal again, is this dangerous?</a></li> <li><a href="">Anal sex lowdown</a></li> </ul> <p>Take a look at your vulva a few times, and you can experiment touching it to find out how you really work down there. Though our anatomy has the same components, every person is different in both the appearance and the experience of our genitals. There are no "magic" buttons that please us all the same, and the only way to find out what you like, and what you're comfortable with, is to get to know yourself and your body on your own.</p> <p>Above all else, understand that your genitals are really no different from any other part of your anatomy: parts is parts. They aren't something to be ashamed of or embarrassed about, and in many cultures our genitals are thought of as sacred, and indeed, they are. Treat them with honor and care, and let them bring you joy.</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-article-image"> <div class="field-label">Article Image:&nbsp;</div> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> <div class="filefield-file"><img class="filefield-icon field-icon-image-jpeg" alt="image/jpeg icon" src="" /><a href="" type="image/jpeg; length=42589">iovag.jpg</a></div> </div> </div> </div> Bodies Gender body cervix clitoris corona crura discharge endings fallopian tubes female g-spot genitals hymen labia mons nerve ovaries reality check sensory sexual anatomy uterus vagina vulva Tue, 23 Feb 1999 16:53:54 +0000 Heather Corinna 50 at