1. Vagina
There are a lot of misconceptions out there about the vulva. For one thing, it’s often mixed up with the vagina.
You’ll regularly find that when people say ‘the vagina’, they’re actually referring to ‘the vulva’. The vagina is inside the body. It’s the muscular tube that extends from the vaginal opening to the cervix (the lower part of the womb). The vulva is the name for the outer part of the genitals, the parts you can see.
Vulvas come in all shapes and sizes and they’re made up of the same parts, which we’ve labelled here for you.
1. The Mons Pubis (aka 'The Mons')
The main area where pubic hair grow.
2. The Clitoris (aka 'the clit')
Has one (v.important) job: to give sexual pleasure.
The visible part is often pea-shaped but not always.
Some are covered by a hood of skin.
Packed with nerves, so can be sensitive to touch.
Only a small part of the clitoris is visible – the majority is hidden inside the body, encircling the vagina.
3. The opening to the Urethra
Urine comes out of here.
Looks like a dot or slit.
4. The opening of the vagina
This is where period blood and discharge comes out.
Tampons or menstrual cups can be inserted here when someone is on their period.
Babies are born through the vaginal opening (it stretches!).
5. Inner labia (scientific name: labia minora)
No pubic hair.
6. Outer labia (scientific name: labia majora)
Covered in pubic hair.
Often fleshier than inner labia.
5&6. The Labia aka 'The Lips'
Size varies from person to person.
Didn’t know all those names? Don’t worry…
of women aged 18 - 24 didn’t learn about vulva anatomy in school.*
*The ‘Different Is Normal’ research by Canesten and sexual health charity Brook - Survey of 1,000 UK women aged 18-24. October 2020. Commissioned by Bayer, conducted by 3Gem
Vulvas come in all kinds of varieties as you can see here
A gallery of diverse vulvas
My vulva...
... has wrinkled lips.
-B, 19
... is darker than the rest of my body.
-L, 21
... is tucked in, I think it's pretty.
-N, 22
... has quite big labia Majora and Minora. The Majora are like two pillows, they make me laugh.
-M, 28
... is beautiful, full of life, with one birth mark on one labia.
-F, 41
... has moles on the outside. Some are quite big.
-Z, 29
... is freaking adorable! But, because one of my inner labia is longer than the other, and both lie outside my outer lips, I used to be ashamed of myself.
-A, 31
If your vulva doesn’t match the diagram…
...that’s OK – every vulva is different.
In some rare cases, vulvas look different as a result of FGM.
In the UK, there are an estimated 137,000 people living with the consequences of female genital mutilation (FGM)*. FGM, also known as cutting, can involve the removal of the clitoris and the inner labia and is widespread around the world. Some people are so young when it happens that they have no memory of it.
FGM is illegal in the UK and is considered a violation of human rights. If you think some parts of your vulva have been removed, it is important to get the help that you need, and you should speak to your GP and a trusted adult. There are support groups and specialists such as the FGM Network available to help you. It’s important to remember that if you have experienced FGM, it is not your fault, and you should not be blamed for having gone through it.
*Forward UK.org.uk, 2022
Changes for transgender men
For transmasculine people taking testosterone, it’s common to see changes in the vulva, like an enlarged clitoris.
Different is normal
I’ve never seen a vulva that looks like mine. It’s frustrating when the vulvas in mainstream porn are all completely bald and have no visible labia or other features.
-O, 22
We don’t see many vulvas in real life, so people worry whether theirs is weird or wrong – they aren’t. All vulvas are different, despite what porn would have us believe.
Many vulvas shown in porn and the general media may have been altered by waxing, bleaching and labial surgery, or they’ve been cast because they look a certain way. In real life, there’s nothing wrong with having pubic hair, vulva skin tone which is darker than the rest of the body, or labia which are not neatly tucked away.
Clitorises can stick out, or they can be hidden by a hood. Some vulvas are symmetrical, whilst others aren’t. Even vagina openings vary in size and shape. Every vulva is unique.
FACT / FACT / FACT / FACT / FACT / FACT / FACT / FACT / FACT / FACT / FACT / FACT /
True story: ‘outies’ are just as common as ‘innies’.
It’s just as common for the inner labia to hang below the outer labia, as it is to be tucked inside. Yep, just like belly buttons, vulvas also arrange themselves in their own way.
Take a closer look
If you have a vulva, it’s a good idea to look at it using a hand-held mirror. Once you know what your vulva looks like normally, you can spot any changes, like bumps or redness, that could be a sign of a health problem.
While vulvas often change with age, particularly with childbirth and the menopause, it’s best to see your GP about any sudden changes.
