Leave it to Beaver!
We love a nature tour as much as the next person but instead of looking for the semiacquatic woodland mammals, we’ll be taking a tour of The Beaver. Aka the honey pot, the front hole, the coochie, the pussy. There are a whole lotta words for the vagina and vulva but not always a lot of understanding about what’s actually going on down there.
So get ready for your very own tour of the wonderful world of the V!
The first thing we want to clarify is a common misconception about what is (and isn’t) the vagina. The vagina refers to the interior canal, home to the cervix and access to the G-spot, whereas vulva refers to the entirety of the external genitalia — the mons, the clit, the inner and outer labia, and more!
While we are often taught about vaginas (and vulvas) in the context of reproduction, by not getting into the fundamentals of all of the many pleasure spots of this anatomy, we miss out on the full range of these amazing organs.
So…without further ado, may we present: the VULVA and more!
The vulva encompasses:
😻The mons, or the fleshy tissue over the pubic bone and clitoris. The mons typically grows hair after puberty, but some people don’t grow much pubic hair and some decide to remove it!
🌮The outer labia is the first set of lips you encounter on your journey around the vulva, and they may also have pubic hair growing on them like the testicles, the homologous organ in phallic anatomy. They have a similar sensitivity to skin elsewhere on the body so they can handle a good deal of pressure during stimulation. If you’re playing with a vulva, a great place to start is with massaging or holding a hand firmly against the mons and outer labia!
🌷The inner labia are the second set of lips, found inside the outer labia. The inner labia typically like a more delicate touch than the outer labia. For some, adding lubricant when you touch the inner labia is a must. Try gently running your fingers down the inner labia from the clitoris to the bottom of the vaginal opening to continue to tantalize the vulva you’re playing with.
☂️The clitoral hood hangs over and protects the clitoris! Typically, as someone becomes more aroused, the clitoral hood will pull back, revealing the head (or glans) of the clitoris. This is similar to the foreskin on a penis. For some people, though, arousal makes this whole area engorged with blood and the clitoris seems to disappear!
🕹️The clitoral glans is the external part of the clitoris. Extending internally to either side of the vagina, the crura or clitoral legs run alongside the pelvic bone and the clitoral bulbs lie on either side of the vaginal opening. Altogether, the hood, the glans, crura, and bulbs make up the whole clitoris! The clitoris is made of erectile tissue and tons of nerves, making this a major pleasure center. For some, touching the clitoris directly can be too much, so try providing pressure, movement, or vibration through the clitoral hood, the mons, or the outer and inner labia.
💦The urethra is the small opening just below the clitoris where pee and ejaculate are expelled from the body. No…people with vulvas don’t pee from their vaginas.
Moving inside the body:
🍯The vagina is a muscular canal that begins between the labia and extends inside the body to the cervix. Typically, a vagina increases in length and diameter and produces lubricant during arousal, but sometimes a little extra lube can help get someone going or sustain them through play!
🎯 The G-spot (or prostata femina) is textured tissue, commonly accessed 1-3” inside the vagina and up towards the belly button. The g-spot swells with fluid during arousal and some folks experience orgasms from g-spot stimulation as more intense or full-bodied. The classic g-spot-stimulating move is the “come hither” with fingers curved towards the belly button and slowly moving across the g-spot. If you’re struggling to reach that spot easily, there are tons of curved toys designed specifically to stimulate the g-spot!
💡And finally …at the end of the vagina, you can find the cervix, which is the lowest region of the uterus. If you find that your cervix is extra sensitive, try not inserting fingers, a toy, or anatomy so deeply into the vagina that the cervix gets prodded–or check out products like the OhNut that provide a bumper to prevent penetration that is too deep.
Like any other part of the body, there can be a lot of range among vulvas—they all look different! Some people have very pronounced clitorises that are always visible underneath the clitoral hood, whether or not that person is aroused. Other clits are never visible and always remain tucked in the folds of the clitoral hood, even when that person is super aroused! Similarly, some folks have inner labia that are smaller than the outer labia but others have inner labia that dangle down from between the outer labia.
Whatever your vulva looks like, it’s all good! And it has tons of nerve endings to help you feel good, too.
