It is important for women (and men) to understand the structure of the female reproductive system, which is really a marvel of biological engineering. Women who have not done a thorough genital self-examination should do so, not only because it is an important part of the body to learn to appreciate but also because any changes in genital appearance should be brought to the attention of a gynecologist or other health care provider. See the accompanying Sex in Real Life for instructions on performing a genital self-exam.
External Sex Organs
Though many people refer to the female’s external sex organs collectively as the “vagina,” this is technically incorrect; the more accurate term for the whole region is vulva, or pudendum (pue-DEN-dum). The vulva, as we will see, is made up of the mons veneris, the labia majora and labia minora, the vestibule, the perineum, and the clitoris (see Figure 4.1). Though the vagina does open into the vulva, it is mainly an internal sex organ and will be discussed in the next section.
1Consider the questions two students asked during a lecture on human sexual biology: Can a woman pee with a tampon in? (yes) Can a man pee with an erection? (not that well) If you didn’t know the answers to these questions, this chapter and the next can help!