The Vulva or the Vagina, Which Is Which?

Over the years, as I dive deeper into my anatomy, especially the lady bits, I am shocked at how ignorant I was. Uninformed and uneducated. Here’s the truth.

The outer parts are the Vulva, and the inner is the vagina.

Vulva includes all external genitalia, including the labia major, labia minor, glans clitoris, and urethra.

The urethra has an opening to expel urine, not the vagina.

The vagina is the muscular part of the female genital tract, which extends from the cervix to the vagina opening. This is where babies exit through birth, where your menstrual blood exits during your period. Plus, it is used to insert a penis, fingers, sex toys, tampons, et.

Still with me? Great!

As we enter Menopause, the vagina can lose some of its natural lubrication, and sex can become painful. However, there are many solutions to help. First, see your doctor to ensure everything is in tip-top shape. Secondly, LUBRICATION, lubrication, lubrication.

Even if you’re not in Menopause and getting sore during sex, use lubrication, especially in marathon sex sessions. How much can one take?

Let’s talk STD, shall we?

At any age, protection for safe sex must be used at the beginning of any relationship or encounter. Even before sex occurs, you can ask your partner when the last time they were tested for STDs and provide proof. Have they had any issues regarding their sexual health? Get curious. It’s normal; if they are not forthcoming, then maybe that’s not a partner for you.  

There are many different shapes and sizes of Vulvas. Every woman has her own unique one. The trend to have Labiaplasty to change the outward appearance of the labia because you don’t like the look, is challenging for me to understand. I get if it is interfering in sexual intercourse or it’s needed for medical reasons, but because you don’t like the look, that baffles me. We are all different, and I believe if we saw others and didn’t compare, it would help with acceptance. It’s hard enough to know what is deemed fashionable or trending with bodies, fashion, hairstyles, and our smiles to have the perfect teeth. When does it end, and we just say fuck it, this is who I am and go with it? I still struggle with body image today, and I must say it’s so mentally exhausting. I can’t imagine having to contend with my Vulva needs fixing, too; yikes!

When I was a kid in the 60s, I was chubby with curly hair, one front tooth was missing, and the other had a silver cap from a bike accident. So can you imagine from age 9 to 18, I had a silver cap on my front tooth? The dentist told my mother not to waste her money because the mouth wasn’t fully grown till 18. So finally, when I reached puberty, the dentist gave me a false tooth. After that, I never smiled, never. My self-esteem was in the shitter. Then at 18, I got my front teeth fixed, but the damage was done. It took years to recover emotionally. I can’t even imagine how I would have felt if the message was that something was wrong with my Vulva too. I look back and think what a total mess this was, and decisions were made from money and not mental health, but that was the time I grew up in. We know better. We do better.

The Vulva is the center of our pleasure zone. It’s a pliable and magnificent part of the female anatomy. Erotic in nature, and her juiciness of her makes it desirable to ourselves and our partners. It is nectar for the bee!

Look at yours and become curious. Touch it and see where your pleasure centers are located. Use your fingers and toys to play and have fun. Explore and enjoy!