VAGINA SHAPES FRONT SKIN
She also recommends self-inspection with a mirror at least once a month, looking for any new moles, skin lesions or changes on your vulva. "The colour, consistency and smell of your discharge can also change to indicate infection - for example thrush is associated with cottage cheese-like discharge, bacterial vaginosis is associated with fishy smelling discharge and green discharge may be an indicator of some sexually transmitted infections." "It changes in volume and consistency depending on where you are in your menstrual cycle and some people even utilise these visible changes as part of natural family planning," she shares. "Working as a midwife previously and now a doctor, I have seen the wide spectrum of normal that encompasses vulvas and vaginas."Ĭoming at it from a health perspective, Dr Mutenga also notes that discharge can be a great indicator of your vulva and vaginal health. "Unfortunately the average woman might find the only example to see other vulva is through porn and that is not a representative or even realistically attainable 'beauty' standard," adds Dr Mutenga.
These are all normal ways for your labia to look, which means your vulva is totally normal. Are my labia normal?Īccording to Mr Ibraheim, there are more or less seven ways a normal set of labia tend to look: asymmetrical, prominent inner lips, curved outer lips, closed lips, prominent outer lips, open lips, visible inner lips. It should also feel wet, but not too wet - although moisture changes at different points in your cycle.
VAGINA SHAPES FRONT FULL
The vagina is full of ridges and the walls expand and contract when something is inserted. You can feel the inside with a finger and what you'll find should be a textured tube of flexible tissue. The vagina is elusive, because unless you're looking up there with a camera, you won't be able to take a look at it. "There are some rare conditions that can cause variations, including having two vaginas known as uterine didelphys) or Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser (MRKH) where the uterus (womb) and vagina may not develop properly, but ultimately, I think it’s important to know what is normal for you." So what is a normal vagina? "Normal is a difficult word to use as there is so much variation," says Dr Rumbi Mutenga, a women's health specialist and former midwife.
Over half correctly named the vagina as the the internal muscular canal extending from the vulva to the cervix. According to a huge study by Balance Activ, just 57% of respondents said they only know a ‘moderate amount’ about female anatomy and 21% only 'a little bit'.Įver looked at your bits in a mirror? 61% of women said they had, which can definitely help with getting to know yourself a little better, but still not all respondents would get top marks on their anatomy test when asked what they think the term 'vagina' refers to, 29% erroneously chose the whole of the private parts and 11% chose the outer lips. If you struggle to name every part of your vulva and vagina, you’re not alone. Your 'labia minora', on the other hand, are the thinner, inside lips which start below the clitoris and are either visible or not depending on the way your vulva looks. Think of the cushioning between your inner thighs and your labia minora. When Mr Ibraheim refers to the 'labia majora' below, that's the fleshier outer lips of the vulva. Carrying out regular procedures as his day job means he's seen his fair share of vulvas - so he was able to pin-point seven key 'types' of labia for us, which have been drawn below. In fact, half of young women say they don't know where their vaginas are, according to Gynae Cancer charity The Eve Appeal.īut, if there's anyone who does know what's 'normal', it's Mr Mofid Ibraheim MB BCh, MRCOG, an expert surgeon in gynaecological procedures at MYA. The problem is, most of us aren't all that familiar with what a normal vulva looks like and what the different parts of our junk are called (many often refer to the vulva as the vagina, when actually that's the internal organ - a handy way to remember is that vagina even has the word 'in' in it). But here's the thing: no matter what the shape, size, colour, whatever your labia (unless, you know, it physically hurts), it's completely normal. Labia, vagina, vulva: do you think yours is normal? Due to their intimate nature, we don't tend to see (and size up) the different types of vaginas our friends have, which is how so many people can end up with insecurities.
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