THE VAGINA
What exactly is a vagina? It's not entirely accurate to call the extended network between your legs just the "vagina." Not only should you know what your body looks like, because, well, it's yours, but it will also keep you safe. Here's everything you need to know about the vagina from the outside in.
Vulva: When people refer to the "vagina," what they usually mean is the vulva, which includes all the external parts, including the inner and outer lips.
Labia Majora/Outer Lips: These are the first things you see, and hair grows on them naturally. The labia majora's job is to protect the more sensitive parts inside.
Labia Minora/Inner Lips: The labia minora provide the second layer of protection for the underlying structures and openings, and they also have oil glands that secrete lubrication to keep the woman comfortable.
Clitoris and Clitoral Hood: The tiny clitoris, which is the little nub at the top of the external area when the labia is spread, contains 8,000 nerve endings. That means it's really sensitive, and for many women, stimulating it is the best way to orgasm. The hood, a flap of skin that slides back and forth, functions to protect the clitoris and prevent irritation and arousal when a woman doesn't want it. When a woman is aroused, however, the hood slips back to expose the clitoris. The outer clitoris that can be seen and felt is actually connected to an inner clitoris.
Urethra: This small opening, which is where urine comes out, is right below the clitoris. It's hard to see, and you can't really feel anything there.
Vestibule: Right below the urethra lies the introitus, also called the vestibule or the opening to the vagina. Think of it as a foyer. Basically, the vestibule is the lobby leading to the vagina, which is inside a woman’s body. We should also say here that there are many colour variations in the whole external vulva area, depending on your skin tone and whether or not you're sexually excited.
Internal Clitoris: This concept is mind-blowing and a relatively recent anatomical discovery. A woman has a wishbone-shaped structure extending from her clitoris on the outside of her body—the top of the wishbone—to the area under her labia majora deep inside. It's tissue that engorges during sexual arousal and that is excitable. So there's literally much more to female sexual excitement than meets the eye.
Vagina: The vagina, also called the birth canal, leads to the uterus. People think the vagina is a tube that's always open, but it's not. It's a muscle that, when at rest, is closed. The walls touch unless there's a tampon or a finger or whatever inside. So it's not like women walk around with open holes in their bodies. Also, one can't lose anything inserted into the vagina; it's an enclosed pouch that doesn't lead to the rest of the body. It's normal for the vagina to feel craggy and bumpy to the touch.
Cervix: The cervix is the neck-like part of the uterus that extends into the vagina. It's the place where the gynaecologist takes a sample from for a Pap smear. It's also the part that dilates before a woman gives birth. Otherwise it stays closed, opening only enough to release blood and other fluids from the uterus when a woman has her period.
Uterus: The uterus is the place where a future baby (should you choose to have one) will live for nine months. It sheds its lining every 28 days or so when there's no pregnancy, otherwise known as getting your period. You can't feel the uterus from outside your body...it's buried pretty deeply in the lower abdomen.
Fallopian Tubes and Ovaries: Every month the ovaries shoot out an egg and send it floating happily down the uterus, where it will hang around in hopes of meeting up with some sperm to make a baby.