Women’s sexual organs are, apart from the breasts, not very visible, and are mostly located inside the body. Somehow, there also seems to be less clarity about what the different parts are and how they work compared to men. This is especially true for the G-spot and female erectile tissues, the very existence of which is questioned by some people.
Let’s start with the visible bits, which are called the vulva (or pudendum) in women. First is the mons pubis, or mound of Venus. In adult women this is the area above the genitals which is covered in pubic hair. Underneath the skin are layers of fatty tissue which absorb and cushion some of the pressure during intercourse.
Further down lie two sets of skin folds, which surround the vaginal opening. The outside set of skin folds, or labia majora (a single one is known as a labium majus), are covered with pubic hair on the outside and are made up of a large bulk of fatty tissue. They contain oil and sweat glands, which help to keep the area moist on the inside. The labia majora are derived from the same fetal tissue as the male scrotum.
The next set of skin folds, which protect the vaginal opening, are the labia minora (singular: labium minus). These smaller labia do not have hair or contain fatty tissue, and they have only a few sweat glands. What they do contain is erectile tissue and oil glands. During sexual arousal the labia minora will fill with blood and change size and color. They are derived from the tissues which go on to build the spongy penile urethra in male babies.
The clitoris is located at the junction of the labia minora.
It’s a small, two or three cm long cylindrical body which is doubled over on itself. Like the glans of the penis in men it is made up of erectile tissue and full of nerve endings. The clitoris enlarges during sex and is the focus of much of the sexual stimulation registered by a woman’s brain. A layer of skin called the “hood” or “prepuce”, which is formed from the joining of the labia minora, covers the clitoris, though it can be pushed back to reveal the shiny surface of the clitoral glans. The clitoris can be extremely sensitive to touch, especially friction, which can result in pain rather than pleasure if a woman is not sexually aroused. Touch becomes more pleasurable when the tissues are aroused and filled with blood, a fact which is true of much of the female genitals. As with other parts of the female body, the genitals are really individual in their shape, size and look. There is no standard way your genitals need to look - whatever they look like, they are OK as they are, and like millions of other women’s.
The area between the labia minora is called the vestibule. It contains the vaginal opening, the external opening of the urethra (the outlet through which you pee), and the openings for the paraurethral and greater vestibular glands, plus a few other smaller glands as well. The opening of the urethra lies above the vaginal opening and below the clitoris. You may not be able to see this small opening, but you might be able to feel it when you touch it: the sensations connected with it are similar to those associated with peeing. And even if you don’t find it, looking for it can be a pretty pleasurable endeavor! (Use of a mirror and a bright light are recommended here, and perhaps the assistance of a sympathetic partner as well, if you have one.)
The vaginal opening leads into the muscular cavity of the vagina. The paired paraurethral glands, which open externally next to the outlet of the urethra, are derived from the same tissue as the male prostate. The glands themselves are embedded in the wall of the urethra. They provide mucus as lubrication during intercourse. Other glands, greater and lesser vestibular glands, open up just inside the labia minora and also provide mucus for lubrication.
