the first thing you need to know is that there are 3 holes down there. that sounds terribly elementary, but you'd be surprised how perplexing the female nether region can be to people.
unlike the male, who both ejaculates and pees through one hole in the penis, the female has 1 urethral opening for urine (the top hole, very tiny), one vaginal opening for penis to go in and baby to come out (the larger, second hole down), and then, of course, one anus (the farthest down/ away from her belly) for bowel movements and such.
we will address the vagina, the ovaries and fallopian tubes, cervix, and uterus. many of the lady parts are designed for reproductive purposes. again, if you are currently trying NOT to reproduce, we will get into birth control in another discussion, but go ahead and read about all the lady parts so that you're fully informed. in addition, there are also the breasts, the labia and the body part whose mystery is only exceeded by its power, the clitoris. (it should have its own theme music, for all the holy grail references that are made about it).
THE INSIDE SCOOP:
the vagina (cooter, snatch, muff, cooch, p_ssy (hate that word), vagine, box). this is the area between the outside of the body (vaginal opening) and the cervix. it is made of mucous membrane and it has the ability to secrete fluids when stimulated (by either sexual excitement or hormones). it is also very sensitive and is stimulating when touched by penis, fingers, sex toys, etc (more on this later). as mentioned in my last post, the vagina depth ranges from 3-6" and actually changes somewhat to accommodate whatever is passing into it. the first several inches are the most sensitive. the g spot- some women report a magical g-spot ('g' for Gräfenberg, a German gynecologist) that is typically in the first 3 inches of the vagina on the anterior (front) wall. you might want to practice different sexual positions (more on these later) or manual stimulation to best reach this area to see if it works for you.
2 important things to note about the vagina:
1) most women do not orgasm with strictly vaginal stimulation. 50-75% of women require clitoral stimulation to achieve orgasm (more on this in a minute). even though it's a little creepy to think about dr. phil and orgasms together, here in an excellent summary on the subject from dr. phil's website. check it out. he knows some stuff.
2) the vagina and the urethra are prone to infection because of their proximity to the anus and the germs that go along with that, so keeping the area clean and dry whenever possible ( i recommend using a feminine wash (NOT A DOUCHE-NEVER A DOUCHE) which is pH balanced to the vaginal tissue, wearing breathable white cotton panties and never thongs or other irritating, moisture-trapping materials, and always getting up to pee after sex to cleanse the area (and of course, something you were taught at age 2- wipe front to back!). if you're having frequent yeast or bacterial infections (symptoms include itching, discomfort, strange discharge or odors), see your MD.
the cervix/uterus: deeper inside the body from the vagina (this is the dead end of the vagina, actually) you'll find the cervix, which is the first 2-3 cm of the uterus. semen passes into the uterus through a hole (the os) in the cervix (unless you're preventing it), just as menstrual blood from the uterus passes out through the hole in the cervix during your monthly period. this tiny hole will widen enough to fit a baby through and then shrink back to itty bitty. it is also what the Ob/Gyn is scraping when they do a pap smear. the uterus (womb) is also an incredible shape-shifting organ. typically only about the size of your fist, it will accommodate a 9 month old baby person. it is the inner most layer of uterine cells that are being sloughed off when you bleed each month during (cursed) menstruation (more on this later).
as i've mentioned in an earlier post, the position of your cervix will vary somewhat during the month based on hormones. there might be times when intercourse is not very comfortable. it is possible but not probable that if the cervix is descended some, the penis might actually butt up against it during intercourse. this should be rare. but it might mean you want to take a few days off of intercourse. there is a TON to say on health issues related to the cervix and uterus, as women's health is a very broad field. we will have to get into those another time. typically, though, women have almost no awareness of these parts as they are tucked up inside.
ovaries/fallopian tubes: also tucked up in there are the fallopian tubes and the ovaries, which are attached to the uterus like the horns on the sides of bullwinkle's head. the ovaries produce female sex hormones and are responsible for developing and releasing the ovum (egg) each month in about the middle of the menstrual cycle (unless you're preventing this with hormonal birth control- more on this later). there are 2 ovaries and they are each about the size of a large olive. although these are pretty small and deep within your pelvis, some women can feel when they ovulate (the egg is released) and have some discomfort with this around the middle of their cycle, usually distinct and brief and on one side or the other. fallopian tubes have little finger-like things on the end near the ovaries and catch this egg as it floats away and sweep it toward the uterus. in the uterus if there is a little spermie to meet it, the two might make sweet music and create a zygote (the start of a baby human) that will implant in the uterus and start to grow, learn to walk, grow a bad mustache, go to college, etc, etc.
we will finish our discussion on lady parts in the next post.
again, if you're experiencing pain, abnormal bleeding, or any other concerns about your anatomy or function, please go see your physician.
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