{"id":1669,"date":"2020-08-14T11:44:05","date_gmt":"2020-08-14T11:44:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/pre-clinical\/anatomy\/abdomen-and-pelvis\/organs-and-systems\/female-reproductive-system\/external-female-genitalia\/"},"modified":"2021-11-27T15:46:43","modified_gmt":"2021-11-27T13:46:43","slug":"external-female-genitalia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/pre-clinical\/anatomy\/abdomen-and-pelvis\/organs-and-systems\/female-reproductive-system\/external-female-genitalia\/","title":{"rendered":"External female genitalia"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><div class=\"intro\">The external female genitalia is collectively known as the&nbsp;vulva, located between the two pudendal clefts.<\/div><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\" id=\"attachment_15314\"><a href=\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/external-female-genitalia.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"External female genitalia\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/external-female-genitalia-600x352.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-15314\"\/><\/a><figcaption><strong>Figure 1. External female genitalia (external and internal views)<\/strong>&nbsp;(Credit: OpenStax,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\/\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-8f761849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\"><span class=\"block-heading\" id=\"header_1\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"title_collection title1\">Description<\/h4>\n<\/span><span class=\"block-content\" id=\"contents_1\">\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The vulva consists of the <strong>labia majora<\/strong>, <strong>labia minora<\/strong>, <strong>clitoris<\/strong>, and the <strong>prepuce<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><strong>Labia majora<\/strong><ul><li>Labia = lips, majora = major (major lips)<\/li><li>The outer folds of flesh, protecting and enclosing the innards of the vulva<\/li><li>The labia majora is the insertion point of the round ligament of the uterus<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong>Labia minora<\/strong><ul><li>Minor lips<\/li><li>The inner folds of flesh leading to the vestibules (openings) of the vagina, surrounded by the bulbs of the vestibule, urethra and nearby glands<\/li><li>May come in a variety of forms (may not be visible unless the labia major is pulled, or pronounced and protruding outwards)<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong>Clitoris<\/strong><ul><li>A small, erectile protrusion consisting of a head and a body, formed by the joining point of the&nbsp;<strong>corpra cavernosa<\/strong><\/li><li>Derrived from the same embryological cells as the penis, rich in nerve supply, making it extremely sensitive and important for sexual pleasure (which is thought to be the sole purpose of the organ).<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><strong>Prepuce<\/strong>&nbsp;(or&nbsp;<strong>frenulum<\/strong>)<strong>&nbsp;of the clitoris<\/strong><ul><li>Continuation and fusion of the labia minora, encircling the body of the clitoris and forming a hood-like structure (hence, sometimes known as the \u201chood of the clitoris\u201d)<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The&nbsp;<strong>mons pubis&nbsp;<\/strong>is a fat pad located superior to the vulva, and after puberty is covered by coarse hair (<strong>pubic hair<\/strong>); it is not a part of the vulva.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-vertically-aligned-center is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/vulva-anatomy.png\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"External female genitalia\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/vulva-anatomy-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3786\" srcset=\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/vulva-anatomy-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/vulva-anatomy-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/vulva-anatomy-50x50.png 50w, https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/vulva-anatomy.png 765w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption><strong>Figure 2. External female genitalia <\/strong>(Used with the permission of Jessica Pin, Dr. Paul Pin, Oxford University Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium\"><a href=\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/clitoris.png\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"External female genitalia\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"131\" src=\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/clitoris-300x131.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3788\" srcset=\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/clitoris-300x131.png 300w, https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/clitoris.png 506w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><figcaption><strong>Figure 3. Cross-section of the clitoris<\/strong> (Used with permission from Jessica Pin, Dr. Paul Pin, Oxford University Press)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<\/span><span class=\"block-heading\" id=\"header_2\">\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"title_collection title1\">Neurovasculature<\/h4>\n<\/span><span class=\"block-content\" id=\"contents_2\">\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\"><table class=\"pure-table\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Blood supply<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Internal pudendal artery <\/strong>(dorsal artery of the clitoris, deep artery of the clitoris)<br><strong>External pudendal artery<\/strong> (skin)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Venous drainage<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Deep plexus to vesical plexus<\/strong> (and then to internal pudendal vein)<br><strong>Superficial plexus<\/strong> to external pudendal vein<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Innervation<\/strong><\/td><td>Inferior hypogastric plexus (autonomic)<br><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Sensory:<\/span><br>Perineal nerve (branch of the pudendal nerve)<br>Ilioinguinal nerve (skin)<br>Genitofemoral, femoral branch (skin)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Lymphatic drainage<\/strong><\/td><td>Internal and external iliac lymph nodes<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><figcaption><strong>Table 2. Neurovasculature of the external female genitalia<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/span><div id=\"the_titles\" style=\"display:none;\"><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Description<\/h4><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Neurovasculature<\/h4><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Description The vulva consists of the labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, and the prepuce. Labia majora Labia = lips, majora = major (major lips) The outer folds of flesh, protecting and enclosing the innards of the vulva The labia majora is the insertion point of the round ligament of the uterus Labia minora Minor lips [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":1656,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1669","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>External female genitalia &#8211; Meddists<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/meddists.com\/learn\/pre-clinical\/anatomy\/abdomen-and-pelvis\/organs-and-systems\/female-reproductive-system\/external-female-genitalia\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/meddists.com\\\/learn\\\/pre-clinical\\\/anatomy\\\/abdomen-and-pelvis\\\/organs-and-systems\\\/female-reproductive-system\\\/external-female-genitalia\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/meddists.com\\\/learn\\\/pre-clinical\\\/anatomy\\\/abdomen-and-pelvis\\\/organs-and-systems\\\/female-reproductive-system\\\/external-female-genitalia\\\/\",\"name\":\"External female genitalia &#8211; 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