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| Please describe in some detail, the outer lips of a woman's vagina. #595 |
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How come some women?s lips protrude outside of the vagina, while others are barely hanging out at all? What is the technical word for these lips? What purpose do they serve?
The lips you are referring to are the labia majora. They are larger than the inner lips called the labia minora. The labia majora are further away from the opening of the vagina than the labia minora.
There is great variation in the size of the labia majora, the 2 rounded mounds of tissue originating in the mons pubic (top) and ending in the perineum (between the bottom of the vagina and the anus. These structures, on each side of the vagina are developmentally comparable to the scrotum in the man. Hair distributed over their surfaces. The inner surfaces of the labia majora may come together completely or may be separated slightly by protrusion out of the inner lips ? the labia minora. Thus the labia majora have some protective effect for the opening of the vagina. As women's estrogen levels fall, the labia majora shrink somewhat.
You correctly note that there is great variation in the size, amount of hair, degrees to which the labia majora hang down and degree to which the labia majora cover over the labia minora. The labia majora becomes markedly distended enlarged during intercourse and move away from the midline slightly.
I will post this question with a good diagram of the external genetalia.
 
Key Words: labia majora, labia minora, vagina, lips, tissue, perineum, scrotum, size, estrogen levels, intercourse
Posted 6-24-2007, Updated 1-1-2009
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Robert A. Hatcher MD, MPH
Professor of Gynecology and Obstetrics
Emory University School of Medicine
Atlanta, GA
---2009-01-1
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