Labia minora - wikipedia Labia minora Labia minora Labia minora ( inner labia ) - vertical folds of skin in the very middle of the photo of a vulva ( external female genitals ) between rounded thicker labia majora ( the outer labia ). Details Precursor Urogenital folds Identifiers Latin labium minus pudendi TA A09. 2.01. 007 FMA 20374 Anatomical terminology ( edit on Wikidata ) The labia minora, Latin for smaller lips, singular : labium minus `` smaller lip '', also known as the inner labia, inner lips, vaginal lips or nymphae, are two flaps of skin on either side of the human vaginal opening in the vulva, situated between the labia majora ( the Latin for larger lips ; also called outer labia, or outer lips ). The labia minora vary widely in size, color, and shape from individual to individual. Contents 1 Structure and functioning 1.1 Histology 1.2 Variation 1.3 Functioning 1.4 Medical conditions 2 Additional images 3 See also 4 References 5 External links Structure and functioning The labia minora extend from the clitoris obliquely downward, laterally, and backward on either side of the vulval vestibule, ending between the bottom of the vulval vestibule and the labia majora. The posterior ends ( bottom ) of the labia minora are usually joined across the middle line by a fold of skin, named the frenulum of labia minora or fourchette. On the front, each lip forks dividing into two portions surrounding the clitoris. The upper part of each lip passes above the clitoris to meet the upper part of the other lip -- which will often be a little larger or smaller -- forming a fold which overhangs the glans clitoridis ( clitoral tip or head ) ; this fold is named the clitoral hood. The lower part passes beneath the glans clitoridis and becomes united to its under surface, forming, with the inner lip of the opposite side, the frenulum clitoridis. Human vulva with anatomical feature labels The clitoral hood, analogously to the foreskin of the penis in men and also termed, like the latter, by the Latin word prepuce, serves to cover most of the time the shaft and sometimes the glans ( which is very sensitive to the touch ) to protect the clitoris from mechanical irritation and from dryness. Yet the hood is movable and can slide during clitoral erection or be pulled upwards a little for greater exposure of the clitoris to sexual stimulation. The frenulum ( Latin for little bridle ) is an elastic band of tissue attached by its one end to the clitoral shaft and glans and by its other end to the prepuce. It allows two - way shifting of the clitoral hood : firstly, it can extend to let the hood be moved upwards to expose the glans for stimulation or hygienic cleansing, and secondly, it contracts to pull the hood back to protect it. Histology On the opposed surfaces of the labia minora are numerous sebaceous glands not associated with hair follicles. They are lined by stratified squamous epithelium on those surfaces. Like the whole area of the vulval vestibule, the mucus secreted by those glands protects the labia from dryness and mechanical irritation. Variation The size of labia varies between women : while the labia minora remain hidden between the labia majora in some women ( top row ), they `` stick out '' in other women ( bottom row ), with the protuding labia clearly visible in standing position Being thinner than the outer labia, the inner labia can be also more narrow than the former, or wider than labia majora, thus protruding in the pudendal cleft and making the term minora ( Latin for smaller ) essentially inapplicable in these cases. The reception of wider and / or longer labia varies considerably between different people, with some men and women stressing the beauty of bigger labia while other women who have such ones complain of some discomfort either from mechanical irritation by their tighter clothes or from their own or their peers ' negative attitude to the image of less compact female genitalia than is stereotypical for them. They can also be smooth or frilled, the latter being more typical of longer or wider inner labia. From 2003 to 2004, researchers from the Department of Gynaecology, Elizabeth Garret Anderson Hospital in London, measured the labia and other genital structures of 50 women from the age of 18 to 50, with a mean age of 35.6. The results were : Measuring Range Mean ( SD ) Clitoral length ( mm ) 5 -- 35 19.1 ( 8.7 ) Clitoral glans width ( mm ) 3 -- 10 5.5 ( 1.7 ) Clitoris to urethra ( mm ) 16 -- 45 28.5 ( 7.1 ) Labia majora length ( cm ) 7.0 -- 12.0 9.3 ( 1.3 ) Labia minora length ( mm ) 20 -- 100 60.6 ( 17.2 ) Labia minora width ( mm ) 5 -- 60 21.8 ( 9.4 ) Perineum length ( mm ) 15 -- 55 31.3 ( 8.5 ) Vaginal length ( cm ) 6.5 -- 12.5 9.6 ( 1.5 ) Tanner stage ( n ) IV Tanner stage ( n ) V 46 Colour of genital area compared with surrounding skin ( n ) Same 9 Colour of genital area compared with surrounding skin ( n ) Darker 41 Rugosity of labia ( n ) Smooth 14 Rugosity of labia ( n ) Moderate 34 Rugosity of labia ( n ) Marked Due to the frequent portrayal of the pudendal cleft without protrusion in art and pornography, there has been a rise in the popularity of labiaplasty, surgery to alter the labia - usually, to make them smaller. On the other hand, there is an opposite movement of labia stretching. Its proponents stress the beauty of long labia and their positive role in sexual stimulation of both partners. Labiaplasty is also sometimes sought by women who have asymmetrical labia minora to adjust the shape of the structures towards identical size. Labia stretching has traditionally been practiced in some African nations. Functioning The inner lips serve to protect from mechanical irritation, dryness and infections the highly sensitive area of the vulval vestibule with vaginal and urethral openings in it between them. During vaginal sexual intercourse they may contribute to stimulation of the whole vestibule area, the clitoris and the vagina of the woman and the penis of her partner. Stimulation of the clitoris may occur through tension of the clitoral hood and its frenulum by inner labia pulling at them. During sexual arousal they are lubricated by the mucus secreted in the vagina and around it to make penetration painless and protect them from irritation. As the female external urethral opening ( meatus ) is also situated between labia minora, they may play a role in guiding the stream of the urine during female urination. Medical conditions Being very sensitive by their structure to any irritation, and situated in the excretion area where traces of urine, vaginal discharge, smegma and even feces may be present, the inner lips may be susceptible to inflammatory infections of the vulva such as vulvitis. The likelihood of inflammation may be reduced through appropriate regular hygienic cleansing of the whole vulval vestibule, using water and medically tested cleansing agents designed for female intimate areas. To avoid contamination of the vulva with fecal bacteria, it is recommended that the vulva is washed only from front to back, from mons pubis to the perineum and anus. Apart from water and special liquid cleansing agents ( lotions ), there are commercially available wet wipes for female intimate hygiene. Some women wipe the vulval vestibule dry with toilet tissue after urination to avoid irritation and infections from residual drops of the urine in the area. However, incorrect choice of cleansing agents, or their incorrect application, may itself cause labial irritation and require medical attention. Over-vigorous rubbing of the labia of little girls while washing, combined with the lack of estrogen in their bodies, may lead to the mostly pediatric condition known as labial fusion. If fused labia prevent urination, urine may accumulate and cause pain and inflammation. In adult females, irritation of the area may be caused by wearing too - tight underwear ( especially where wider inner labia protrude in the pudendal cleft ) ; while G - strings, which rub against the labia during body movements, may cause irritation or lead to infection from bacteria transferred from either the external environment or the anus. Additional images Organs of the female reproductive system. Outer anatomy of clitoris. Labia minora. Deep dissection. See also Femalia Labia pride Labia stretching Labiaplasty References Jump up ^ nymphae. Dictionary.com. Merriam - Webster 's Medical Dictionary. Merriam - Webster, Inc. ( accessed : November 24, 2007 ). Jump up ^ Manual of Obstetrics. ( 3rd ed. ). Elsevier. pp. 1 - 16. ISBN 9788131225561. Jump up ^ Lloyd, Jillian et al. `` Female genital appearance : ' normality ' unfolds '', British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, May 2005, Vol. 112, pp. 643 -- 646. PMID 15842291 Jump up ^ Rowenna Davis ( 27 February 2011 ). `` Labiaplasty surgery increase blamed on pornography ''. Life and style. Archived from the original on 2014 - 12 - 07. Retrieved 2015 - 04 - 03. Jump up ^ Özer M, Mortimore I, Jansma EP, Mullender MG ( March 2018 ). `` Labiaplasty : motivation, techniques, and ethics ''. Nat Rev Urol. 15 ( 3 ) : 175 -- 189. doi : 10.1038 / nrurol. 2018.1. PMID 29405204. Jump up ^ Clerico C, Lari A, Mojallal A, Boucher F ( June 2017 ). `` Anatomy and Aesthetics of the Labia Minora : The Ideal Vulva ? ''. Aesthetic Plast Surg. 41 ( 3 ) : 714 -- 719. doi : 10.1007 / s00266 - 017 - 0831 - 1. PMID 28314908. This article incorporates text in the public domain from page 1265 of the 20th edition of Gray 's Anatomy ( 1918 ) External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Labia minora. Female reproductive system Internal Adnexa Ovaries Follicles corpus hemorrhagicum luteum albicans Theca of follicle externa interna Follicular antrum Follicular fluid Corona radiata Zona pellucida Membrana granulosa Perivitelline space Other Germinal epithelium Tunica albuginea cortex Cumulus oophorus Stroma Medulla Fallopian tubes Isthmus Ampulla Infundibulum Fimbria Ostium Ligaments Ovarian ligament Suspensory ligament Wolffian vestiges Gartner 's duct Epoophoron Vesicular appendages of epoophoron Paroophoron Uterus Regions Body Uterine cavity Fundus Cervix External orifice Cervical canal Internal orifice Supravaginal portion Vaginal portion Uterine horns Layers Endometrium epithelium Myometrium Perimetrium Parametrium Ligaments Round ligament Broad ligament Cardinal ligament Uterosacral ligament Pubocervical ligament General Uterine glands Vagina Fossa of vestibule of vagina Vaginal fornix Hymen Vaginal rugae Support structures Vaginal epithelium External Vulva Labia Mons pubis Labia majora Anterior commissure Posterior commissure Pudendal cleft Labia minora Frenulum of labia minora Frenulum of clitoris Vulval vestibule Interlabial sulci Bulb of vestibule Vaginal orifice vestibular glands / ducts Bartholin 's glands / Bartholin 's ducts Skene 's glands / Skene 's ducts Clitoris Crus of clitoris Corpus cavernosum Clitoral glans Hood Urethra Urethral crest Other G - spot Urethral sponge Perineal sponge Anatomy portal Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Labia_minora&oldid=865255082 '' Categories : Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 20th edition of Gray 's Anatomy ( 1918 ) Mammal female reproductive system Hidden categories : Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from April 2016 All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from July 2018 Commons category with local link different than on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia বাংলা Български Brezhoneg Čeština ChiShona Deutsch فارسی Français 한국어 Italiano Nederlands नेपाली 日本 語 Polski Русский Simple English Српски / srpski Tagalog ไทย Türkçe Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 15 more Edit links This page was last edited on 22 October 2018, at 19 : 09 ( UTC ). 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Question: what is the cleft between the labia minora
Answer: the pudendal cleft