Puberty is the time in your life when you mature sexually and your reproductive system starts to function. The female reproductive system is entirely situated in the pelvis. Unlike boys who can clearly see most of their reproductive system us girls have a harder job to locate ours as it is tucked away in between our legs… so it’s no wonder this area can be a bit of a mystery. Here we will take a look at the part of you reproductive system that you can see...

If you’ve ever used a mirror to look between your legs, you may find it all a little bit confusing so let me explain; the area of your reproductive organs that you can see is called your vulva. This area is soft and fleshy and its appearance will differ from person to person.

The soft mound of flesh found at the front of your vulva covering the pubic bone is called the mons pubis. It’s there to protect this delicate area and separate the folds of skin found either side of the entrance to your vagina, called the labia.

The labia are two sets of skin folds that protect your clitoris, urethra and vaginal opening. They are called labia majora and labia minora. Labia majora are generally larger and fatter than the labia minora and sit on the outside of the vulva. Labia minora are sometimes referred to as the ‘inner lips’. They’re hairless and do a great job of protecting the vaginal opening. During puberty, the increase in hormones can significantly change the appearance of your labia with the labia minora becoming more visible and wrinkled. So it’s very common for you to notice these folds of skin hanging down but it’s really nothing to be worried about.

Once puberty has started your mons pubis and labia majora become covered in hair. This is pubic hair and will be quite soft at first. It can start at the pubic bone and continue to the inner thighs and anal opening. The colour of your pubic hair will vary considerably and it’s rarely the same colour as that on your head and is more likely to be similar to underarm or eyebrow hair. Most of the time it grows in a triangular shape and for lots of people it appears curly (even if the hair on their scalp is straight).

The clitoris is a small mound of skin that is about the size of a pea and you can find it towards the front of the vulva. This part of your body is very sensitive to touch and if rubbed can very often make you feel tingly, both inside and out. Interestingly, as an embryo inside your mum, this part of your body will have developed to either be a clitoris if you are a girl or a penis if you are a boy.

Between your clitoris and vagina opening is your urethra. This tiny opening is very small and does not form part of your reproductive system even though the labia protects it. This opening is where urine (pee/wee) is released.

Finally, when opening the labia you will see the entrance to your vagina. It’s a larger opening than your urethra and is pinky red in colour. If you look closely, you might see a piece of skin that partially covers this opening, called your hymen. This piece of skin is very stretchy and over time will widen sometimes following strenuous exercise, using a tampon or when you have had sexual intercourse. The hymen only partially covers the entrance to the vagina so menstrual fluid can leave your body if it has not been stretched.

Next time, Vicki will take a look at a female's internal reproductive organs including the rest of the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries.