Know Your Body

    How things work

    Know your body, know yourself

    Sexual health and sexual pleasure

Have you ever heard anyone use the term, “female plumbing”? Despite the primitive nickname, it’s actually a good analogy. The female reproductive system is a series of orifices (openings) for intake and output through tubes and passages. The interior part of the system performs the most important functions; the exterior acts as a cover to protect the delicate interior organs. When it’s in good working order, it’s a marvel. When it’s not, it can be disastrous. To continue the image a little further, it pays to understand how the system works so you can maintain, rather than repair it.

Understand how it works

The two halves – interior and exterior – are designed to work together as a whole for one purpose: to enable sperm to fertilize an egg to produce offspring. That’s why sex is so pleasurable; the drive to have sex ensures the continuation of the human race. If the egg is not fertilized within a menstrual cycle, Plan B kicks in. The lining of the uterus isn’t needed to cushion a fetus, so it’s discharged (that's when you get your period) and the cycle begins again.

There are four reproductive organs within the interior part of the system (click on any one for more information):

Ovaries

The ovaries are small, oval-shaped glands that are located on either side of the uterus (womb). The ovaries produce eggs and hormones.

Vagina

The vagina is a canal that joins the cervix (the lower part of uterus) to the outside of the body. Its exterior opening enables sperm to enter the system to reach an egg. If an egg is not fertilized, menstruation results and the blood is carried out of the body through the vagina. It also provides a way for a baby to exit the body. That’s why it’s sometimes referred to as the birth canal.

Fallopian tubes

These are narrow tubes that are attached to the upper part of the uterus and serve as tunnels for the ova (egg cells) to travel from the ovaries to the uterus. Conception, the fertilization of an egg by a sperm, normally occurs in the fallopian tubes. The fertilized egg then moves to the uterus, where it implants to the uterine wall.

Uterus

The uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ that is the home to a developing fetus. The uterus is divided into two parts: the cervix, which is the lower part that opens into the vagina, and the main body of the uterus, called the corpus. The corpus can easily expand to hold a developing baby.

There are five major components that make up the exterior part of the system. Click on any one for more information:

Mons pubis

The mons is the rounded fatty mass over the pubic bone covered with hair and coarse skin. It acts as a buffer during sexual intercourse, preventing injury to the underlying bone. It also contains sebaceous and sweat glands. Some of the latter form a specialized type of gland called the apocrine glands. These glands release a secretion with a characteristic smell that increases sexual attraction.

Labia majora

Literally translated as "large lips," the labia majora are relatively large and fleshy, and are comparable to the scrotum in males. Their job is to enclose and protect the other external reproductive organs. They contain sweat and oil-secreting glands.

Labia minora

The labia minora (“small lips”) are delicate flaps of soft skin that lie within the labia majora, creating another layer of protection for the female reproductive organs.

Clitoris

The two labia minora meet at the clitoris, a small, sensitive protrusion that is comparable to the penis in males. The clitoris is covered by a fold of skin, called the prepuce, which is similar to the foreskin at the end of the penis. Like the penis, the clitoris is very sensitive to stimulation and can become erect.

Bartholin's glands

These two bean-shaped glands are located on either side of the vaginal opening and produce a (mucus) secretion that acts as a lubricating fluid.

Learn how to recognize problems

Menstrual
Irregular Cycles
In a perfect world, women would have their period on a regular cycle of 28 days. In reality, the range is more like 21-45 days. A young girl who is just beginning to have her periods and an older woman who’s at the end of her reproductive life may both have erratic periods.

Get checked if:

• You’re sexually active and skip a period. You may be pregnant.
• Your period still hasn't settled into a relatively predictable pattern after three years, or if you have four or five regular periods and then skip a period or becomes irregular.
• Your cycle is less than 21 days or more than 45 days or if you don’t get a period for three months after first beginning your period.

Heavy, prolonged periods or no periods at all
Either extreme can be a sign of trouble. The cause may be as simple as a hormone imbalance or as serious as a structural problem.

Get checked if:

• You’re soaking through at least one sanitary napkin (pad) an hour for several hours in a row
• You have periods that last longer than 7 days
• You haven't started your period and you’re three years past the first signs of puberty or 16 years old
• You’ve had normal periods then suddenly stop having periods for more than six months or for three of your usual cycles

Painful periods
Having cramps for a day or two of your period is normal, but if they’re severe enough to keep you from participating in your normal activities, it’s time to get checked.

Abnormal bleeding
This could be a sign of many things, such as endometriosis (tissue growing outside the uterus) for example, or other conditions. Get checked.

Toxic shock syndrome
This illness is caused by toxins, which create a bacterial infection. While linked with tampon use, it can also associated with the use of contraceptive sponge and diaphragm. If you have a high fever, diarrhea, vomiting or are in shock, get checked right away. Of course, the symptoms may not be related to toxic shock syndrome, but better to be safe than sorry.

Sexually transmitted diseases and infections (STDs/STIs)

If you are sexually active, you have to protect yourself from diseases and infections. Obviously, the best protection is abstinence, but if you are having sexual intercourse, use a condom every time.

Using a condom doesn’t mean you can forget about sexual health. You still need to be vigilant. Remember, many STD/STIs do not produce symptoms.

However, if you notice any of the following:

• pain in the pelvic area
• pain in the lower abdomen
• pain when having sex
• discharge from the vagina
• a bad smell
• bleeding between periods
• burning when you pee

Or if you notice a problem with the following:

• painful bowel movements
• nausea, vomiting or loss of appetite
• fever or fatigue
• blisters, sores, warts (or any odd skin change, including rashes and yellowed skin)
• itching or swelling
• inflammation (redness)

...get checked.

Having a symptom doesn’t mean you have a disease. The symptoms (or lack of) are so many and varied, it’s hard to tell if, for example, bleeding between periods is simply the result of a normal, age-related hormone imbalance or a sexually transmitted infection. Get checked anyway.

Each year, one of every four sexually active teens will get an STD/STI. By age 25, half of all youth will have acquired one or more infections. That's more than 9 million people.

Know when and how to get checked

If you have any symptoms that you’re just not sure about, get evaluated.

You don’t have to have a symptom to get checked, though. All sexually active women under age 26 are recommended to be tested yearly for chlamydia. Older women with risk factors (new or several partners) should also be tested. If you have questions about STD testing, don’t be shy about talking to your health care provider.

Also, ask about pelvic exams and Pap tests. While not designed to detect STDs/STIs, these simple exams are an important part of a woman’s sexual and reproductive health. The American Cancer Society recommends women begin Pap testing within three years of first intercourse, or by age 21.

Know what to expect when you have your first pelvic exam and pap test

Whoever you choose--male or female doctor, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant--let the provider know this is your first exam. He or she will be more apt to explain the procedure as you go along. Your provider will examine your external sexual organs for any changes or abnormalities. They will also use an instrument called a speculum to open your vagina and take a look at your cervix. A Pap test is often done as part of a pelvic exam. While the vagina is open, the healthcare provider will use a small stick or brush to take a collection of cells from your cervix. These cells are then sent to a lab and examined under a microscope for anything that looks abnormal. The Pap test is an important means of preventing cervical cancer.

The whole exam is quick, painless and necessary.

Once a baseline has been established, any changes in your body will be noticeable and easier to diagnose. If an abnormality exists, it can be treated.

Bottom line? Pay attention to your body and how it works. Make sure a qualified health care provider is tracking your reproductive health. If something changes or doesn’t seem quite right, get checked. Above all, respect your body by protecting it from infection, disease and neglect.