Latin medical language once called the vulva the parts to be ashamed of
Western medicine long labelled the female external genitals pudenda membra, Latin for parts to be ashamed of, while some ancient religions revered the vulva and major Hindu traditions still do. Anatomy tells a plainer story: a set of structures that protect the reproductive tract and are richly supplied with blood and nerves.
The vulva is the mostly external, visible part of the female genitalia, leading into the reproductive tract. In humans it includes the mons pubis, the outer and inner labia, the clitoris, the vestibule with the openings of the urethra and vagina, and the ducts of Bartholin's and Skene's glands. The vagina itself is a separate internal structure, although everyday speech often uses the two words interchangeably. The two pairs of labia form a double protective layer, and pelvic floor muscles hold the whole region in place.
The mons pubis, a cushion of fatty tissue over the pubic bone, exists in both sexes but is more prominent in females, where it is also called the mound of Venus. The outer folds, the labia majora, join in front at the mons and at the rear near the perineum, while the smaller labia minora vary widely in appearance, with colour linked to skin tone. At their front junction lies the clitoris, whose visible glans is typically pea-sized, anywhere from about 6 mm to 25 mm, and densely packed with nerve endings; its only known function is sexual sensation.
The hymen, a membrane that may partly cover the vaginal opening, has long been treated as proof of virginity. Yet it can tear during exercise, stretch with tampons or menstrual cups, be too slight to notice, or be missing altogether. Rarely it seals the opening completely and needs a small operation called a hymenotomy.
Three pudendal arteries feed the area, lymph drains to the inguinal nodes, and sensation arrives through the pudendal, perineal and ilioinguinal nerves. The vulva changes at birth, puberty and menopause, and it can be affected by irritation, infections and cancers.
Source: Vulva
