A woman's external sex organs, including the clitoris, the labia, the opening to the vagina, and two glands (the Bartholins glands) that produce some lubrication during sex play. Not synonymous with vagina.
(In common speech, the term "vagina" is often used improperly to refer to the vulva or female genitals generally, even though strictly speaking the vagina is a specific internal structure and the vulva is the exterior genitalia only. Calling the vulva the vagina is akin to calling the mouth the throat.)
clitoris
The female sex organ that is formed of spongy tissue and fills with blood during sexual excitement and is very sensitive to the touch. The tip of the clitoris is located between the labia at the top of the vulva. The clitoris extends into the body up to five inches.
hymen
A thin fleshy tissue that stretches across part of the opening of the vagina.
LABIA: The word labia means "lips" in Latin. The outer labia are two folds of skin and fatty tissue that are covered with pubic hair after puberty and more or less hide the rest of the vulva. They can be large or small, short or long, and even (like breasts) two different sizes. This is all normal and part of what makes us each unique. They can be sexually sensitive and can swell a little when a woman gets turned on.
The inner labia are also sensitive and can swell up when you're aroused. These are the folds of skin that go from the clitoral hood to below the vagina. Some people think they look like wings. The inner labia can vary in color from pink to brownish black depending on the color of a woman's skin. Like nipples, the inner labia can change color as women mature. Sometimes they stick out from between the outer labia, and they can be wrinkled or smooth.
CLITORIS: The clitoris is located beneath the point where the inner labia meet. The head, or glans, of the clitoris may appear to be smaller than a pea or bigger than a fingertip. But only the tip of the clitoris can be seen at the top of the vulva in the soft folds where the labia meet, under the skin of the clitoral hood. The rest of the spongy shaft of the clitoris reaches inside the body up to more than five inches! It can come in different sizes, and it can have different levels of sensitivity. Like the penis, the clitoris becomes stiff and swollen during arousal. Unlike the penis, the clitoris is designed only for pleasure.
The clitoris is the pleasure center of the vulva. It's a pretty cool organ. It doesn't have a central role in intercourse and reproduction like the penis and the vagina do. The clitoris is basically there just to make women feel good! And it is SUPER sensitive: the clitoris has thousands of nerve endings in it! This can be good news and bad news. While the clitoris is made for intense pleasure, for a lot of women, it can be too sensitive to touch directly. To get the maximum mileage out of this organ, women need to tell their partners how they like to be touched.
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The Vulva is the external sexual organ of women. The above view (A) shows the external view of the female vulva as normally seen when the woman is standing up. View (B) shows the vulva when it is opened, and from the top down one can clearly see the Veneris Mons, clitoral hood, clitoris, and labia minora. There are many questions about the vulva on alt.sex, and this FAQ will begin to attempt to answer some of these.
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The vaginal opening
The Grafenberg spot, or G-spot, is an area located within the anterior (or front) wall of the vagina, about one centimetre from the surface and one-third to one-half way in from the vaginal opening (see illustration and text). It is reported to consist of a system of glands (Skene's glands) and ducts that surround the urethra (Heath, 1984). Some authors write that you must press "deeply" into the tissue with two fingers to reach it with any effectiveness.
The significance of the G-spot is that some women (about half) report that it is a highly sensitive area that under the right conditions can be very pleasurable if stimulated. For some women, it can be a primary source of stimulation leading to orgasm during intercourse. Other women report no particular stimulation, and some say that it feels as if they need to urinate.
The G-Spot has been linked to the phenomenon known as female ejaculation. To date, there is little data about female ejaculation, although there is some speculation that it is the product of the Skene's glands.
Toxic Shock Syndrome (TSS) is a rare but serious illness which can occur in men, women and children. About half the number of cases reported are associated with using tampons and affect a tiny number of women every year-- only about 1 out of every 1.5 million women who have periods. TSS can occasionally be fatal.
Toxic Shock Syndrome can be treated successfully providing it is recognised quickly, and most young people make a full recovery. Younger people may more at risk from the bacteria which are believed to cause this rare condition, because their immune system may not be fully developed.
In the unlikely event that you have these symptoms during your period--a high fever (over 102F or 39C), rash, vomiting, diarrhoea, sore throat, dizziness or fainting - you must remove your tampon and consult your doctor immediately. These symptoms can be early warning signs of TSS, which can develop very quickly and may seem like flu to begin with.
Do not worry about wasting the doctor's time and remember to say you have been wearing a tampon. Do not use tampons again without checking first with your doctor.
By using tampons correctly and following the advice below, you will reduce the risk of developing TSS.
The Normal Vulva
What is it?
The vulva is the female external genital organ. It is the area bounded by a fatty pad covered by hair (the mons), the groins and the back passage (anus). It has outer lips (labia) that cover the clitoris, inner lips, and the vaginal opening. The tissue around the vaginal opening is called the vestibule.
People use many different names to describe this part of the body. Because women's genitals, unlike men's, are hidden, they can seem mysterious and confusing. It is a good idea to get to know your own body including your vulva to help to get rid of this mystery. It is also important to learn correct names for our genitalia so that we can communicate with each other and with our doctors about our experiences, be they experiences of pleasure or pain.
How do we know what is normal?
Don't be shy! Many women get to know their bodies by taking a good look at their vulvas. This can be done by standing or squatting over a mirror and looking at the vulva. Examining the vulva allows a woman to recognize these common parts:
Mons pubis
This is a hair-covered cushion of fat lying over the pubic bone. The amount of hair can vary from person to person and the hair tends to get thinner as we get older.
Labia
The word labia means "lips" in Latin. The outer labia are two folds of skin and fatty tissue that are covered with pubic hair after puberty and more or less hide the rest of the vulva. They can be large or small, short or long, and even (like breasts) two different sizes. This is all normal and part of what makes us each unique. They can be sexually sensitive and can swell a little when a woman gets sexually aroused. The vulva is responsive to the female hormone oestrogen so it changes in appearance from infancy through puberty to old age; oestrogen makes the labia look fatter.
The inner labia are also sensitive and can swell up when aroused. These are the folds of skin that go from the clitoral hood to below the vagina. The inner labia can vary in colour from pink to brownish black depending on the colour of a woman's skin. Like nipples, the inner labia can change colour as women mature. Sometimes they stick out from between the outer labia, and they can be wrinkled or smooth. They are thinner because they don't have any fat in them. The labia may have small sebaceous (oil) glands that look like yellow dots or perhaps there may be papillae, which are tiny regular fleshy pink projections on the inner surface. These are variations of normal and are harmless.
Clitoris
The clitoris is located beneath the point where the inner labia meet. The head, or glans, of the clitoris may appear to be smaller than a pea or bigger than a fingertip. Its size varies from person to person, and it can have different levels of sensitivity. The clitoris is like the male penis and becomes erect during sexual stimulation.
Vestibule
This is the inner area of the inner lips around the opening to the vagina. It is normally a moist area and a number of glands open into this area to produce secretions that can increase when we are aroused. The urethra (connecting the bladder to the outside) also opens into this area just above the opening of the vagina.
Hymen
The hymen in childhood is a thin membrane partially covering the opening to the vagina. In adults, hymen remnants form a ring around the vaginal opening.
If you would like some more information about the normal vulva, "The V Book: A Doctor's Guide to Complete Vulvovaginal Health" by Elizabeth Stewart is a good starting point.