The entrance to the vagina
is covered, on the outside of the body, by the
vulva. The vulva has five parts: Mons pubis,
labia, clitoris, urinary opening and vaginal
opening.
The mons pubis is the mound of tissue and skin
just below your stomach. This area becomes covered
with hair when you go through puberty. The labia
are the two sets of skin folds (often called
lips) on either side of the opening of the vagina.
The labia majora are the outer lips and the
labia minora are the inner lips. The labia minora
cover a small sensitive bump called the clitoris,
which is at the bottom of the mons pubis. Below
the clitoris is the urinary opening, which is
where your urine leaves the body. Below the
urinary opening is the vaginal opening, which
is the entry into the vagina. This whole area
is called the pelvic area.
Now that your body is different, you can get
care from a doctor who focuses on women’s
reproductive health. This kind of doctor is
called a gynecologist . You should see a gynecologist
if you are sexually active, are 18 or older,
or have symptoms of PID (pelvic inflammatory
disease). PID is a general term for infection
of the lining of the uterus, fallopian tubes,
or the ovaries. Most cases of PID are caused
by bacteria that cause STD’s such as chlamydia
and gonorrhea. The most common symptoms of PID
include abnormal vaginal discharge (fluid),
lower stomach pain, and sometimes fever. You
should see a doctor if you are in pain or have
discharge that is yellow, gray or green with
a strong smell. In between periods, it is normal
to have a clear or whitish fluid or discharge
coming from your vagina.
Your doctor should also check your breasts to
make sure you don’t have strange lumps
or pain. Although it is common for young women
to have some lumpiness in their breasts, you
should still check with your doctor to see what’s
normal or not normal.
It doesn’t sound fun to have a pelvic
exam or breast exam, but it is important that
a doctor check out your vagina and other parts
on a regular basis. Your doctor will talk to
you about how to recognize the signs of vaginal
infections, as well as how to protect yourself
from sexually transmitted diseases (STD’s) |