Female Genitals.

The proper name for the outer female genitals is the vulva (vuhl-vah). The vagina is only one part of these organs, and not the whole of them, and many people mistakenly call the vulva the vagina. Where your pubic hair is, below your belly button, is a fatty area of tissue (skin) called the mons (mahns). Your pubic hair will move downward, as will that fatty tissue, around your labia majora (lay-bee-ah) or "lips." If you pull your outer labia open, you will see your labia minora, or lips, which are not covered with hair, and look a bit like flower petals or two teeny-tiny tongues. The size, length and color of the inner labia will differ from woman to woman. They may be long and thick, or barely visible, and may look purple, red, pink, blackish or brown, depending on your own coloring. All of these variations are absolutely normal, as are the labia being two different sizes or shapes. The purpose of your inner labia is pretty important; they keep icky bacteria away from what is called the vestibule.

Vulva

The vulva is the outer part of a girl’s or woman’s genitals. It’s the part that people mistakenly call the “vagina.” Actually, the vagina is inside the female body. The vulva includes several areas: the clitoris, labia, vaginal opening, urethra and anal opening. The vulva may be a different color than the rest of the body, especially when a girl is sexually aroused (turned on). That’s because blood is rushing to the genitals. The colors range from purple to brown to pink to red. All of these are normal.

Clitoris

The clitoris is the only part of the human body designed primarily for sexual pleasure. This is the spot many girls rub when they masturbate, and it can also feel good to touch the clitoris during sexual activity with another person. The size and sensitivity of the clitoris varies a lot from person to person. For some girls, the clitoris is barely visible and stays tucked into the hood right above the clitoris. For other girls, the clitoris and its hood are larger and are always visible.

Labia

There are two sets of labia or "lips" - the outer labia and the inner labia. There are many variations in how the labia can look. Sometimes, the labia lie flat and close to the vulva. Sometimes they are longer and the inner or outer labia may hang a little. Sometimes their color matches the skin on a woman's thighs. Sometimes their color is very different than the skin on her thighs and can be darker or lighter or more pink, red, black or brown. All of the above is completely normal, so please don’t worry.

Vagina

The entrance to the vagina can feel slightly bumpy for some girls, and smoother for others. The first few inches inside the vagina can feel ridged like the top of a person's mouth but softer. The vagina is a strong muscle, so after it stretches to accommodate a finger, penis or baby, it goes back to its original size. The myth that girls get “looser” when they have sex is untrue.

Urethra

The opening to the urethra is very small, and can be hard to find by touch or sight. It is right above the opening to the vagina. AnusThe anus is often a different color than the rest of the body. It is usually a darker color. It can range from brown to pink, and has a puckered texture.

Hymen

The hymen is a thin piece of skin that surrounds the vaginal opening. Hymens can come in different shapes, and can be thicker or thinner than others. With puberty and increased estrogen levels, the hymen becomes more “elastic” and stretches easily. Some women break or tear their hymen when they are playing sports, riding a bicycle, inserting a tampon, masturbating or during sexual activity with a partner such as fingering or vaginal sex with a penis or dildo. It is typical to shed a little blood when the hymen tears. If the hymen is very thick, a woman may have a difficult time inserting a tampon, penis, fingers or dildo into her vagina.