The perineum (per-uh-NEE-um) is the area of smooth skin between the vaginal open­ing and the anus (the sphincter through which bowel movements pass). The perineal tissue is endowed with nerve endings and is sensitive to touch. During childbirth, an incision called an episiotomy is sometimes made in the perineum to prevent the ragged Female Sexual […]

The opening of the vagina, called the introitus (in-TROH-i-tus), is located between the urinary opening and the anus. Partially covering the introitus is a fold of tissue called the hymen (HIGH-men), which is typically present at birth and usually remains intact until initial intercourse. The hymen opening is usually large enough to insert tampons. Occa­sionally, […]

The vestibule (VES-ti-byool) is the area of the vulva inside the labia minora. It is rich in blood vessels and nerve endings, and its tissues are sensitive to touch. (In 56 CHAPTER 3 architectural terminology the word vestibule refers to the entryway of a house.) Both the urinary and the vaginal openings are located within […]

Female Genital Cutting: Torture or Tradition? Each year approximately 2 million girls and women in more than 40 countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia undergo one of several types of genital cutting, usu­ally as part of an initiation during childhood in order to become eligible for marriage (Leye et al., 2006). In many […]

Piercing and wearing jewelry on vulva tissues is one way some women alter the appear­ance of their genitals. Prior to the 1990s, in the Western world, body piercing was associated with exotic, faraway peoples seen in National Geographic. Now some men and women in the West have extended this form of "body art" to their […]

The labia minora (LAY-bee-uh muh-NOR-uh), or inner lips, are located within the outer lips and usually protrude between them. The inner lips are hairless folds of skin that join at the prepuce (PREE-pyoos), or clitoral hood, and extend downward past the urinary and vaginal openings. They contain extensive nerve endings and blood vessels and sweat […]

The vulva encompasses all female external genital structures: the hair, the folds of skin, and the urinary and vaginal openings. Vulva is the term we use most frequently in this textbook to refer to the external genitals of the female. The vulva is sometimes mistak­enly referred to as the vagina, an internal structure with only […]

We hope that the material presented here and elsewhere in our book will help dif­ferentiate legitimate scientific sex research from the many frivolous nonscientific polls and opinion surveys that are widespread in the contemporary media. Even when you are exposed to the results of serious investigations, it is wise to maintain a critical eye and […]

Researchers in a range of investigative fields, including sexology, share a common commit­ment to maintaining the welfare, dignity, rights, well-being, and safety of their human sub­jects. Detailed lists of ethical guidelines have been prepared by a number of professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association (APA), the American Medical Association (AMA), and the Society for […]

As the Internet has rapidly evolved into a common household tech­nology, opportunities have emerged to conduct sex research using this technology (Mustanski, 2001; Parks et al., 2006; Rhodes et al., 2003). Traditionally, the Internet has been used by scientists to distribute research information rather than to collect data. Today, the Internet provides access to a […]