Vulva Lesson

Since women's genitals have typically been shrouded in mystery, I thought it might be helpful to specify exactly what we're talking about when we refer to the vulva, especially since it's the vagina that gets most of the attention.

The vulva is composed of the outer lips, the inner lips, the clitoral hood, the tip of the clitoris, the urethral opening, the opening of the vagina, and the mons pubis. The mons pubis is the fleshy mound that's on top of the pubic bone. The inner lips connect to the hood of the clitoris which is why many women like having their inner lips stroked.

When a woman is sexually aroused, the inner lips often swell and open. The clitoris also swells. Did you know that the clitoris is the only organ in the human body whose sole purpose is pleasure? There's a lot of variety in this little structure - on some women, it can barely be seen while others have a clitoris that is very prominent. The variety extends to sensitivity - some are very sensitive while others aren't. Sensitivity can also change depending on the time of the month.

Knowing your sexual anatomy - and that of your partner - is important in maximizing sexual pleasure and satisfaction. Next week I'll move on to little known facts about the vagina.