Let's Talk About: Sexual Anatomy
Ins and Outs of People: Anatomy
When most people think about Sex Education, they probably think about anatomy and how pregnancy happens. This week we’re going to be doing a brief overview of some of these key points.
Let’s start with the absolute basics, the male and female anatomy.
One sentence in and I already have to stop and clarify:
Some people refer to one's anatomical, biological sex as their gender (ie. equating being born with a penis with being a boy), this is incorrect. Sex and gender are two different things, sex is the biological reality of what is in your pants and what chromosomes you have, gender is the way that you present to the world, the way you dress, the way you act. They can be intertwined, and for many people their biological sex and their gender are the same (Cis gender). However, for many people they are not the same. I’ll be using the terms “Male” and “Female” to be referring to biological sex. “Man” and “Woman” are used to refer to gender.
Also it’s important to note that there aren’t really only two biological sexes, or two genders. Gender and sex both exist on more of a spectrum than a binary. There is a small percentage of people who are born with physical anatomy or chromosomal differences which mean they are neither strictly “male” or “female”. We call people like this “Intersex”. Being intersex is normal, healthy, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with a person’s body that doesn’t quite fit the old binary concept of human sex.
I will discuss these issues much further in my piece about the sexual diversity. For now, we’re going to discuss male and female anatomy.
One more quick side note: I’m not a medical professional. I’m not a doctor. Please don’t take anything I say as medical advice, if you have questions about your anatomy, please please please see your doctor.
Female Anatomy
Let’s start with this diagram on the right.
Mons Pubis- The soft covering of the pubic bone, made of layers of fat, sometimes called “Mound of Venus” which I think is a much prettier name.
Prepuce- Also sometimes called the clitoral hood. A protective covering over the clitoris.
Clitoris- The small external portion of a much larger organ. Purely exists for pleasure. More on that later.
Labium majus- Also called labia majora, or outer labia. The outer lips of the vulva. Protective and thicker than the inner ones. Often hair covered.
Urethral orifice- The urethra is the tube that connects the bladder to the outside world. This is where it opens up. This is where urine comes from. Urine does not come from the vagina.
Labium Minus- Also called labia minora or inner labia. The inner lips of the vulva. These are thinner than the outer ones, although depending on one's particular anatomy not necessarily shorter. They also protect the vaginal opening.
Vaginal orifice- This is where the vagina opens up. This is about all of the vagina that you can see externally.
Perineal raphe- Also called the Perineum. This is the skin between the vagina and anus. This can tear during childbirth.
Anus- This is where the rectum opens and poop comes from. You also do not poop from your vagina. If poop comes from one’s vagina something is terribly wrong.
Fallopian Tubes- These are the tubes that connect the ovaries to the uterus. They have small fingerlike projections at the end of them that help to catch the egg when it is released.
Ovaries- These are the organs in the female body that produce both the ovum (eggs) and Progesterone and estrogen which regulate the body’s menstrual cycle. And a bunch of other secondary sex characteristics, which we will discuss in a later article.
Uterus- This is the organ of the female body where fetuses grow into proto-humans. The average unoccupied uterus is only about 2 inches tall by 3 inches wide.This organ also produces a thick lining to grow and nourish a fertilized egg, which gets shed monthly during the menstrual cycle.
Cervix- The cervix is the opening between the uterus and the vagina. Often it is closed but during the fertile periods as well as during menstruation it is open.
Vagina- Also called the birth canal, the tunnel of love, the lady cave, and many other equally charming names. This is where the baby must pass through during vaginal birth. It is also where a penis or sex toy goes during vaginal intercourse. This is where the menstrual fluid comes during menstruation as well.
A pet peeve that I have is when discussing the female anatomy some people refer to the whole area as the “Vagina”. This is inaccurate. The external genitalia, what you can see if a female person opens their legs, is the vulva. It includes multiple layers of protective skin (labia) and hair, as well as multiple openings. One opening is the urethra, which leads to the bladder. This is where pee comes from. The vagina is the opening and canal that lead to the uterus. The vagina is internal anatomy. I am a big believer in proper use of medical terminology. If you go to the doctor and tell them your vagina hurts when what you really mean is “My urethra hurts” or “My labia hurt” you can end up with entirely different treatments.
The images I shared of the female anatomy are meant to be examples, but by no way are they exhaustive. Every person who has a vulva looks different. Labias come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. If you’re a person who has a vulva, I recommend taking at look at yours. It’s harder for females to see their genitalia than it is for males, and because of this often females aren’t terribly well familiar with their own bodies. Using a mirror is the most effective way to look at one’s own vulva. Try doing so in the bathroom, when you have a few spare moments. Using a mirror to watch during masturbation can also be enjoyable, because once you know how things are laid out down there, it makes it much easier to guide a partner.
Special Topic: The Clitoris
I am of the opinion that the clitoris (aka: clit, bean, button) doesn’t get enough love. I will be devoting an entire article to the Clitoris at a later date. The Clitoris is absolutely fascinating with a long and convoluted history. For such a tiny organ, the external portion is only about the size of the tip of a female’s pinky finger, it has been at the forefront of controversy and a mystery for much of human history. It is the only organ found anywhere in the human body that exists purely for pleasure. The external portion of the clitoris is small but this tiny powerhouse has around 8000 nerve endings, in comparison the whole penis has about 4000. However, the clitoris is much larger than many people believe. Although the external structure is quite small, the internal structure can be much larger, usually around 3 to 4 inches and wishbone shaped. The legs of the clitoris wrap around the vagina and urethra, and connect to the “G Spot”. There are some who say the G spot is actually just the other side of the clitoris in the vagina. **
Also, can I take a minute to vent something about the G spot? It is named after Ernst Gräfenberg, a german gynecologist who wrote about the importance of the urethra in female arousal and orgasm in 1950. The G spot was popularized as a concept in 1982 with the publishing of the book “The G Spot and other Recent Discoveries about Human Sexuality”. The things that bothers me about it are: A- pretending like this is a new discovery, as if human beings hadn’t been exploiting every avenue for sexual pleasure since the dawn of time. B- Naming a part of the female anatomy after a male doctor who never studied it (he studied the urethra’s role in female arousal). And C- There is still a debate about whether or not it exists. If you have a vagina, or you have a willing partner with a vagina I encourage you to do some exploration and see if you can find it yourself. ***
Male Anatomy
Pubic Bone- The front of the pelvis
Bladder- Where urine is stored
Seminal vesicle- glands that secrete much of the fluid that makes up semen
Ductus Deferens- Also called “Vas Deferens” the duct that transports sperm from the testis to the urethra.
Prostate Gland- Another gland that produces fluid for the semen. It is also called the “male g-spot” as stimulation through the rectum can be very pleasurable.
Penis- The male sex organ
Spongy urethra- The sponge like tissue that makes up the penis and allows it to become engorged and erect.
Epididymis- A duct behind the testes that brings the sperm to the Vas Deferens
Testis- Comprised of many tubes, the glands that produce both sperm and testosterone
Scrotum- The protective covering of skin around the testis, can retract when cold or to protect the testis.
So, I’m not a person who has a penis myself. But it is my understanding from those who do have a penis that a great number of males, of any age, can be concerned about their penis size. On average the male penis is 4 to 6 inches long when erect. Many men are much smaller when flaccid than erect, popularly termed “Grower, not Show-er”. It is also worth noting that in polls approximately 80% of women partnered with men are perfectly happy with the size of their partner’s penis, even though 45% of men believe their penis is too small. *
Penises, in all their variety, tend to be a pretty straight forward animal right? A male thinks about sex, or sees something sexy, gets turned on. Penis gets harder and bigger, some sort of friction occurs, he ejaculates, and it’s all over. Right?
Sure. Kind of. But like all human anatomy, it’s much more complex.
All erections start in the brain. Whether they’re intentional or not, something triggers the brain to send a message to the arteries in the penis. The arteries relax, allowing more blood flow into the penis and the veins contract, restricting the flow outwards. This captures blood in the penis, engorging the soft sponge-like tissue and making it hard and erect.
When a male is aroused the vas deferens contracts and squeezes sperm from the testes into the urethra. The urethra senses the fluids being ready, and at the height of excitement sends a signal to the spinal cord which then sends a signal back to the muscles around the base of the penis to contract. The contractions are forceful and fast, every 0.8 seconds. Which force the seamen mixture (cum) out as the male climaxes.
Sperm are produced in the testes, through a process called “Spermatogenesis” which is one of my favorite words. It takes approximately 70 days to produce sperm, and they can usually be found in varying stages of formation all throughout the seminiferous tubules that make up the testes. At different points along the process different types of cells sperm nurse cells and sperm stem cells assemble the sperm for one purpose- to seek out and fertilize an egg.
Pregnancy
So, now that we’ve discussed how the male and female anatomical structures work, it’s time to discuss pregnancy. Unless prevented by birth control, a healthy sexually active 35 year old female who has sex with males has a 15-20% chance of getting pregnant during any given month and a 78% chance of getting pregnant during any given year. *
The most common way that pregnancy happens is when a Penis is inserted into a Vagina during ovulation, and ejaculates into the vagina, sending sperm into the uterus, where they travel to the fallopian tubes to combine with an ovum. The fertilized ovum (now called a zygote) travels down the fallopian tubes and implants into the lining of the uterus and begins to divide rapidly. Eventually the zygote becomes an embryo, then a fetus, then once the requisite 40 weeks (give or take) are over will be expelled from the uterus through muscle contractions and be born as a baby.
If that sounds like a gross oversimplification of how human reproduction works, that’s because it is. We’ll be discussing much more about conception and pregnancy and how sometimes it’s not that simple in a later article. There are lots of ways that people can become pregnant, and not all pregnancies result in a healthy baby.
Non-Genital Erogenous Zone
I know this has been a long article. But I really love talking about sex. And I love the human body. Before we go for this week I really want to take a moment to discuss all the parts of the human body that can be a part of sexual pleasure that aren’t the genitals.
Do you know what the largest sex organ in the human body is? The skin. Your skin is absolutely a part of any sexual experience. Most people think of erogenous zones as being the genitals, maybe the breasts and lips, the butt, possibly the ears or neck, but not much else. In truth, any part of the body can be erotic if approached in the correct way. How do you find out the correct way? Talk to your partner. Experiment. Pay attention to nonverbal cues.
Next week we’ll be talking more about communication and consent and how to have these conversations.
With Love
Erin
* Statistics on average pregnancy rates compiled from Planned Parenthood and the CDC
** Info about the Clitoris found https://www.britannica.com/science/clitoris (Visited 12/29/16)
*** Okay, so I got a lot of my information about the G spot and Ernst G-spot from Wikipedia. I’m sorry, I’m a bad influence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-spot (Visited 12/29/16)
**** Details on the menstrual cycle provided by WomensHealth.gov, because at least someone in the government understands how the female body works. https://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/menstruation.html
* Penis info found on WebMD. I’d like to express my frustration at trying to find reliable sources of information about penis length, everywhere I went seemed to be an ad for viagra or penis lengthening techniques. However a size range of 4-6” is about average based on the very few reliable resources out there.
* Information on sperm production: http://www.livestrong.com/article/62774-sperm-produced/ (Visited 12/30/16)
Originally published on Femislay.com