A Celebration of Vulva Diversity

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It’s common for both sets of labia to be darker than the surrounding skin. But there’s no average labia color. Some people may have pink or purplish labia, while others may have reddish or brown labia. So you have two holes, not one. Your urethra is just above your vaginal opening and below your clitoris. Vaginal opening Overview of the Male Anatomy.” John Hopkins Medicine, 19 Nov. 2019, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/overview-of-the-male-anatomy.

Breast Anatomy.” Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/8330-breast-anatomy. Accessed 27 Oct. 2022. For instance, there’s a correlation between body mass index (BMI) and labial majora size. The researchers also found a connection between vaginal delivery and labial majora length. To finish off the parts of your intimate anatomy that you can see from the outside, you have your vaginal opening. The area surrounding your vaginal opening and your urethra is called the vaginal vestibule. A change in color typically isn’t a cause for concern, unless you’re experiencing additional symptoms.The research team only began to realise this might not be the case when studying serotine bats, a species that has a wide distribution across much of Europe and Asia. Being able to identify and label different parts of your anatomy might also help you spot when something isn’t quite right so you can accurately describe the problem to someone you trust and your healthcare provider.

A Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii) in flight and hunting at night. Johan De Meester/Universal Images Group/Getty Images Some of the most striking characteristics in the animal kingdom come about as a result of sex. From the tridents of extinct trilobites to the antlers of deer, a variety of features help to give animals a better chance of reproducing and passing on their genes. Consult a healthcare professional if the odor lingers or if you’re experiencing other symptoms, such as itching or burning. Bumps and lumps on the labia

The male serotine bat ( Eptesicus serotinus) has a penis that, when erect, is around 22% of its body length. Credit: Joel Sartore/Photo Ark via NaturePL

Dr. Levy agrees. “[The labia minora] are rarely the same on both sides, and they are not supposed to be. They do not need to be symmetrical. After all, it is hard enough for us to see these areas.” Clitoris Prof Paul Racey, a bat expert at the University of Exeter, has witnessed penetrative sex in serotine bats and was sceptical of the findings. “Why would they want to mate without intromission, which runs the risk of ‘wasting’ semen?” he said. But he conceded that given recent revelations about bat sex, he had to be open-minded. Lin, Yen-Pin, et al. “Vaginal pH Value for Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment of Common Vaginitis.” Diagnostics, vol. 11, no. 11, Oct. 2021, doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics11111996. Labial hypertrophy rarely causes symptoms. For some people, though, it can make cleansing difficult or uncomfortable, and it may ultimately lead to infection.

Kreklau A, et al. (2018). Measurements of a ‘normal vulva’ in women aged 15–84: A cross-sectional prospective single-centre study. Bats do a lot of extreme things during reproduction from storing sperm to extending the duration of a pregnancy,” she explained. The scientists did not sample the females’ wet fur to confirm whether semen had been transferred. But Pavličev says that despite this, the evidence strongly suggests that the scientists’ interpretation of the behaviour is correct. The clitoris glans is an organ that’s usually covered by a hood. It’s located where the two inner lips meet at the top of the vulva. What is known, however, suggests that bat reproduction can be quite unusual when compared to other species.