What is the vulva?
Vagina or vulva?
Lots of people call the vulva ‘vagina’. Actually, that's not correct. The vagina is the opening that leads to your uterus. The vulva is the entire area around that opening.
See for yourself
Do you know what your vulva looks like? Take a mirror, and have a good look.
4 tips:
- Make sure you're on your own, and that no one can just walk in.
- Lean backwards against a cushion, bend your legs and let them drop to the side.
- Take the mirror. Push your labia apart with your fingers, so you can have a good look at everything.
- Besides looking closely, you can also feel there or squeeze gently.
Why look?
It's handy to get to know your own body well. Then you know what you look like. You also have a better idea of what you like and what you don’t like. When you have sex with your partner, it's easier to indicate what you want.
Labia
The labia are there to protect the opening of the vagina in the vulva. Every woman has 2 outer labia and 2 inner labia. Read more about the labia here.
Clitoris
The clitoris is the most sensitive sexy spot. It sits between the labia and is also called love button or clit. Read more about the clitoris here.
Female body
Read how the body changes during puberty, and what happens when a girl gets her periods. Also, read about how the vagina, vulva and clitoris work.