Anatomy of a person assigned female at birth

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External Anatomy

The external anatomy of a person assigned female at birth is called the "vulva". This image shows a person with a vulva laying on their back with their legs spread apart. This is the external, or outside of the body, anatomy of a person assigned female at birth.

External anatomy of a person assigned female at birth

Outer Labia (green)- The vulva has two sets of labia, or lips. The outer labia and inner labia. The outer labia are folds of skin and fat around the inner labia.

Inner Labia (bright pink)- The inner labia are folds of skin around the vaginal opening. Every body is different and everyone’s labia look a bit different.

Vaginal opening (yellow)- The vaginal opening is where vaginal fluid or discharge leave the body, where menstrual fluid leaves the body, where a tampon is inserted, where a penis is inserted during vaginal sex, and where a baby would leave the body during vaginal child birth.

Urethral opening (black)- The urethral opening is where urine, or pee, leaves the body. Unlike on anatomy of a person assigned male, in a person assigned female, only urine leaves through this opening.

Clitoris (purple)- The clitoris sits above the urinary opening and is full of nerve endings. It’s purpose is pleasure.

Clitoral hood (lilac)- The clitoral hood covers the clitoris.

Hymen- Many people assigned female at birth are born with a hymen or a piece of tissue that covers or partially covers the vaginal opening. The hymen may break the first time someone has vaginal sex but it may also break during normal activities, sports, or using a tampon. Some people also do not have a hymen.

Internal Anatomy

Here is the internal anatomy of a person assigned female at birth. This image is as though you are looking at someone from the front and can see into their internal organs.

Internal anatomy of a person assigned female at birth

Uterus (pink)- The uterus is shaped like a small upside-down pear. It is an organ where a fertilized egg would implant and grow into a baby. The uterus builds up a lining to nourish the fertilized egg and if no sperm is present and the egg is not fertilized, that lining is shed in menstruation, or a period.

Ovaries (green)- A person with a uterus has two ovaries where their eggs are stored. They are born with all of the eggs they will ever have. The ovaries also make the hormones estrogen and progesterone. Each month, one eggs matures and leaves the ovary in a process called ovulation.

Fallopian tube (blue)- There are two fallopian tubes, one on each side. Once the egg leave the ovary, it travels through the fallopian tube to the uterus. If sperm is present, the egg can become fertilized.

Cervix- The cervix sits between the vagina and the uterus. It feels kind of like the tip of a noes. It has a tiny hole to allow fluid and seamen to travel between the vagina and the uterus but it is too small to allow anything else through. Because of the cervix, nothing can get lost inside the vagina. During childbirth, the cervix expands to allow the baby to pass through.

Vagina (bright pink)- The vagina is a muscular tube inside the body. A penis is inserted into the vagina during vaginal sex and a tampon sits inside the vagina. Because the vagina is a muscle, it can stretch and lengthen and return to normal.