Hesperian Health Guides

The Reproductive System in People Who Can Become Pregnant

In this chapter:

a woman wearing no clothes, sitting with her legs apart

People have reproductive parts on both the outside and inside of their bodies. These parts are called “reproductive organs” or genitals. In a person who can become pregnant, all the parts on the outside are together called the vulva. Sometimes people may use the word vagina for this whole area. But the vagina is the part that begins as an opening in the vulva and leads inside to the womb. The vagina is sometimes called the birth canal.

The drawing below shows what the vulva looks like and what the different parts of the vulva are called. Each person’s body is different. There are differences in the size, shape, and color of the parts of the vulva, especially of the outer and inner folds.

The Reproductive Parts on the Outside

illustration of the parts described below
Vulva: All the parts on the outside of the body.
Mons: The hairy, fatty part of the vulva that sits over the pubic bone.
Outer folds: The fatty, hair-covered folds of skin that surround the vaginal opening.
Inner folds: The hair-covered, fatty folds of skin that surround the vaginal opening. During sex, the inner lips swell and turn darker.
Clitoris: The clitoris is the part of the vulva that is most sensitive to touch. Rubbing it, and the area around it, can sexually excite a person and cause climax.
Vaginal opening: The opening of the vagina, between the inner folds.
Hymen: The thin piece of tissue just inside the vaginal opening. A hymen may stretch or tear and bleed from a variety of activities. This can also happen when something is put in the vagina for the first time.
Anus: The opening where solid waste (stool) leaves the body. The anus connects to the rectum (the lower part of the intestine).
Urinary opening: The outer opening of the urethra, a short tube that carries urine from where it is stored in the bladder to the outside of the body.

The Breasts

Breasts come in all shapes and sizes. They start to grow during puberty, usually when a person is between 10 and 15 years old. Breasts develop further during pregnancy, and make milk following birth. For some people, sexually touching the breasts can cause pleasure and vaginal wetness.

a woman's body, showing where the reproductive parts are on the inside
Inside the breasts:
illustration of the parts of the breast
Glands make the milk
Ducts carry the milk to the nipple.
Sinuses are where milk collects between feedings.
The nipple is where milk comes out of the breast. Sometimes they stick out. Sometimes they are flat.
The areola is the dark and bumpy skin around the nipple. The bumps make an oil that helps keep the nipples from drying or cracking.

The Reproductive Parts on the Inside




illustration of the parts described below
Ovaries: The ovaries usually release one egg into a fallopian tube each month. There are usually two ovaries, one on each side of the womb. Each ovary is about the size of an almond or very small grape.
Fallopian tubes: The fallopian tubes connect the ovaries with the womb. When an ovary releases an egg, it travels through a fallopian tube toward the womb. If the egg is fertilized by sperm, this happens in the fallopian tube.
Cervix: This is the opening of the womb, where it connects to the vagina. Sperm may be able to enter the womb through the small opening in the cervix, depending on the thickness of the mucus that covers it. During childbirth, the opening of the cervix gets bigger to let the baby pass through.
Womb (uterus): The womb is a hollow organ with muscular walls. A fertilized egg will usually pass to the womb where it implants and grows. Menstrual bleeding flows from the womb if there is no pregnancy.
Vagina (birth canal): The vagina leads from the vulva to the womb. The vagina makes a fluid (discharge) that helps prevent infection. The vagina expands during birth.



This page was updated:22 Jan 2024
Retrieved from "http://en.hesperian.org/w/index.php?title=Where_Women_Have_No_Doctor:The_Reproductive_System_in_People_Who_Can_Become_Pregnant&oldid=99639"

QUICK LINKS


HealthWiki
Language Hub
Mobile Apps
Books
About Us
DONATE

CONNECT


Get 15% off your next order by
signing up for our newsletter. Signup and check your inbox for a coupon code and our newsletter.

Get our Weekly update

ORDERING & INFO


Buy Books
Bulk Ordering & Review Copies
Books Store FAQs
Apply for free Books
Contact Us
© Copyright - Hesperian Health Guides
| Hesperian is a tax exempt 501(c)3 organization
| Privacy Policy