vulva

So many “V” words.  This article provides a brief explanation of external genital anatomy. In my many years as a gynecologist, I’ve heard an amazing array of words to describe anatomy. But, the most common word is always vagina. Even when patients don’t actually mean the anatomic vagina, this is the word they often use to describe anything in their genital region. Many articles written about the topic are part of the problem. Diagrams of genital anatomy are often labeled incorrectly. It’s no wonder that there’s confusion over the correct terminology. As an obstetrician-gynecologist, I am thrilled by the growing cultural acceptance of the word vagina and my patients’ comfort with using it. But I would like to introduce another “V” word, vulva, and explain the difference between the vagina and the vulva. The Vagina Let’s start with the word that everyone is already familiar with. Vagina. The vagina is the internal muscular tube that leads from the external genitalia to the cervix and uterus. It is an internal structure. The vagina is the place where a tampon or a menstrual cup sits during the period. It is the canal that a penis is inserted