Vulva

Linguistics

Etymology

The word “vulva” was borrowed from the medieval Latin volva or vulva “uterus, genitals female”, direction litéral: “envelope” (“to cover, wrap”), probably of Latin volvere “to turn, turn over, twist, roll”. Similar to the ulva “uterus” in Sanskrit.

An alternative term in Latin, pudendum femininum indicates the genitals external females .

Slang

As for any aspect of the human body which is implied in sexual functions or excrétoires, there are many words in Argot for the human vulva, of which the “Con”, of the Latin word cunnus (“vulva”).

The human vulva

Structure

At the human being, the sex of the woman is composed of several major structures Anatomique S (the top downwards):

in bottom of the Belly, the Mons veneris, and its pubic hairs;
placed on both sides, Large lips, great folds of fat skin;
inside, Small lips, mucous folds;
at the top of the small lips, the Clitoris, body érectile and its cap;
in lower part of the clitoris, the urinary Meatus, opening of the Urethra by which the Urine is expelled at the time of the Miction;
with the top of the entry of the vagina surrounding the urinary meatus, the vulvar Hall;
between the small lips, the entry of the Vagina or vaginal Opening;

The vulva comprises also minor structures:

the Périnée, broad whole of muscles under the skin, all around the vulva and not only between the Anus and the large lips (see the diagram in the detailed article), including/understanding in particular the Muscle pubo-coccygien whose tonicity can be reinforced by a Exercice of Kegel and play a big role in the Sexual relationships or simply for rehabilitation périnéale after a Accouchement.
of the glands sébacées, on the large lips;
vaginal glands, less visible with the naked eye:

the glands of Bartholin, two small openings located on the left and on the right of the vaginal opening, in the thickness of the large lips, which secrete cyprine for the vaginal Lubrification;
the glands of Skene, two small openings on the left and on the right of the urinary meatus, which can expel a fluid close to the seminal Liquide male with the approach or the time of the Orgasme.

The vulva has an ovoid form which presents a median slit under a monticule of Peau.

The soft bulge in front of the vulva consists of a fat fabric recovering the pubic symphyse, and is called the Mons pubis . This term in Latin indicates the “mount of the pubis”, and its kind is nonspecific. For the woman, the Mons pubis is indicated under the Latin name of Mons veneris , for “Mons veneris” or “mount of the love”. The Mons pubis separates in two cutaneous folds , labia raised Latin (reads. “principal lips”), or “large lips”.

The slit between the two labia majorae is called the “vulvar slit”, known as slit pudendale , or slit of Venus for the woman. She contains and protects the other more significant structures of the vulva. The labia majorae divide under the Mons pubis then meet in a flat sector between the Fente pudendale and the anus, called perineum (Périnée). The color of the skin external with the labia majorae is usually close to the total color of the skin to be it, although there are considerable variations. The skin and the Muqueuse S interns are often of pink or brownish color. After the beginning of the Puberty, the Mons pubis and the labia majorae become covered by the pubic Poil. This pilosity is prolonged sometimes with the thighs and the perineum interior.

The labia minorae are two folds slackness of Peau inside the labia majorae . Whereas the labia minorae are translated literally as “minor lips”, or “small lips”, it often happens that the “minorae” are of considerable size, and cover “majorae outside”. Most of the variation between the vulvas is in the significant variation of the size, the form, and the color of the labia minorae .

The Clitoris is placed in front of the vulva, where the labia minorae meet. The obvious part of the clitoris is the glans clitoridis or “nipple clitoridien”, known as “Gland of the clitoris”. Typically, the glans clitoridis has the size and the form of a Garden pea, although it can be appreciably larger or smaller. The glans clitoridis is extremely sensitive, and contains as many nervous terminations than the similar body in the males, the glans penis . The point where the labia minorae close to the clitoris stick calls the Frenulum clitoridis . A Foreskin, or cap clitoridien, normally covers and protects the clitoris. However among women with a particularly large clitoris or a small foreskin, the nipple of the clitoris can be exposed partially or completely constantly. It often happens that only the cap of the clitoris is partially hidden inside the slit pudendale.

The area between the labia minorae is called the vulvar Vestibule, and it contains the vaginal openings and Urétral be. The meatus , or “urethral opening”, known as “urinary Méat” is localized below the clitoris and above the vaginal opening. It is by the meatus that the urine spouts out, of the Vessie towards the outside of the body.

The opening of the vagina is localized at the bottom of the vulvar hall, towards the perineum . The term introitus is technically more correct than “opening”, since the vagina is in broken down normal weather, with the closed opening, unless something is inserted there. The introitus is sometimes partly covered by a membrane, called hymen . The hymen breaks during the first Coït vigorous vaginal, and the blood produced by this rupture is perceived, in certain cultures, like a confirmation of Virginité. However, the hymen can also break spontaneously during exercise S, or be stretched by normal activities such as the use of tampons, or be too small to be apparent. In some rare cases, the hymen can completely cover the vaginal opening, requiring the surgical separation. Slightly below, on the left and on the right of the vaginal opening are two glands of Bartholin which produce a waxy substance, the cyprine which contains Phéromone S, and of which the goal is not entirely known.

The aspect of the vulva and the size of its various parts change much woman with another, and it is common that the left sides and rights differ in the aspect.

Development

Fetus

During the first eight weeks following the design, the male Fœtus and female have the same reproductive and sexual bodies rudimentary, and the maternal hormones order their development. The bodies male and female start to become distinct when the fetus can start to produce its own hormones, although the obvious determination of the sex is difficult until the twelfth week.

During the sixth week of gravidic Amenorrhoea, the genital Tubercule develops in front of the Membrane cloaquale. The tuber contains a named slit the urethral Fente. The urogenital Sinus (precursory of the Bladder) opens in this slit. On each side of the slit, one finds the urogenital folds. Close to the tuber, there exists a pair of edges called the labioscrotaux Plis.

As from the third month of fetal development, the genital tuber becomes the Clitoris. The urogenital folds become the Petites lips, and the labioscrotaux Plis become the Grandes lips.

Childhood

With the birth, the vulva of the newborn (and centres) can be inflated or increased because of the exposure, via the placenta, on levels of hormone raised by his/her mother. The clitoris is proportionally larger than it is likely to be more tardily in the life. During one short period when these hormones from go away, the vulva will narrow in the face.

From one year until the beginning of puberty, or period of Enfance, the vulva does not undergo any change of aspect, other that its growth in proportion with the remainder of the body.

Puberty

The beginning of the Puberté produces a certain number of changes. The structures of the vulva become proportionally larger and can become more marked. Coloring can change and the pubic Poil to develop, initially on the Petites lips, and to deviate later with the Mons veneris, and sometimes with the thighs and the interior Périnée.

In the girls préadolescentes, the vulva seems to be placed ahead further than in the adults, showing a greater percentage of the Grandes lips and crack pudendale in position upright. During puberty, the Mons veneris widens, pushing back the Grandes lips ahead, far from the pubic Symphyse, and parallel to the ground (always in position upright). The variations of the levels of body grease affect the width with which this occurs.

Childbirth

During the Childbirth, the vagina and the vulva must distend to adapt to the head of the baby (roughly of 9,5 centimetres). This can have like consequence a tearing of the skin to the vaginal opening, lips, clitoris. A episiotomy (the surgical incision prophylactive of the perineum ) is sometimes carried out to limit a possible tear, but its systematic application as a surgical routine is largely discussed currently.

Some of the changes which occur during the Grossesse can be permanent.

Post-menopause

During the Menopause, the levels of hormone decrease, and with them the sensitivity of vulvar fabrics also decreases. The Mons pubis , lips, and the clitoris can reduce in the face, although usually, not in the pre-puberty proportions.

Fluids and odors

The vulva is usually coated more or less important secretions. Malodorous odors or changes in the consistency of the fluids (purulency, symptoms of ignition, redness) can alert on pathologies. This is why its regular Hygiène is important in order to maintain good a Santé vulvovaginale.

There is a certain number of various secretions related to the vulva: the Sweat, the Urine, secretions cutaneous or the Sebum, and also:

Secretions related to the sex act

At the time of the sexual Excitation, the interior of the small lips is naturally lubricated by the Sécrétion S of the glands of Bartholin in order to facilitate the Pénétration. The glands of Skene, they, are related to female ejaculation.

Menstruations

The period of the “rules” (or menstrual period ) is characterized by flow or more or less important Saignement S which runs out of the vagina by the vulva, except in the event of use of a hygienic device like the Tampon or a Sanitary towel.

Glaires

Vaginal secretions

It is of a milky flow which appear on the vulva, result of the vaginal Desquamation and/or about the uterus: this “vaginal discharge” is the exaggeration of normal genital secretion to clean the dead cells present on the vaginal wall and/or that of the uterus. They can be sparkling, slipping by, glaireuses, white or dirty, yellowish, greenish. In fact normal secretions and try the linen.

Cervical Glaire

The flow associated with the Ovulation is called the cervical Glaire. It is familiarly called “egg white” because of its consistency when it is thick. It appears as of puberty and one finds it dried in the form of crust on the linen.

According to the periods, one finds it transparent or white more or less fluid. The period of Ovulation is characterized by a glaire important, cyclic and regular, which can be an index for the Fécondation. Worked out inside the cervix, it appears 48 hours before ovulation and arrives to its maximum of abundance and fluidity at the very moment of ovulation. However, one can find an abundance of glaire in other periods. And that is not inevitably abnormal.

It is to confuse with the vaginal discharge, neither with the smegma, nor with the pathological Leucorrhée S: in a general way, the cervical glaire is a natural and regular phenomenon sex of the woman (without symptom, neither ignition, nor redness).

Smegma

The Smegma is a substance (of type “soft white cheese”) formed of a combination of the died cells, cutaneous secretions, of moisture and natural Bactéries, which is formed in the genitals of the mammals. Among women, it gathers around the clitoris and of the labial folds.

Aliphatic acids

Roughly a third of the women produces acids Aliphatique S. These acids are a prickly class of the chemicals that other species Primates produce as sexual-olfactive signals. Whereas a debate is always held on their subject, the researchers often refer to them as a Phéromone S human. These acids are produced by the normal bacteria resident on the skin. The acid content changes with the menstrual Cycle, increasing the day according to the Menstruation, and making a peak with half of the cycle, right before the Ovulation.

Sexual homology

Anatomical modifications

Piercing

The vulva can be the object of modifications wanted like the Piercing of the cap of the clitoris.

Mutilations

In certain civilizations, one practices the Excision (ablation) of the clitoris and/or the small lips, and also the Infibulation, i.e. the joining of the small lips in order to let pass only the menstruations and the urine. This painful and mutilating practical is illegal in the Western Pays and more and more of States of planet these violences made to the women punish and involving a permanent, or not easily reversible deformation.

See too

Sources

Internal bonds

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