Written by Anuradha Varanasi | Updated : November 16, 2016 9:47 AM IST
Despite the fact that a woman’s labia is the most visible part of the vulva or external female genital organs, we know very little about it. As a woman, it is important to know about the labia or the part of the vulva that is popularly referred to as vaginal lips. Here are seven facts about labia that every woman should know of.
Your labia surrounds and protects the clitoris, opening of the vagina and also the urethra. The main function of the labia is to shield your vulva or the external female genital organs.
There are different parts of the labia which are called labia majora or the outer labia and labia minora. Your labia majora are fattier and larger while minora are the folds of skin under the outer labia.
Your labia can become bigger than normal when you’re aroused during sexual intercourse. This is because the labia becomes engorged or swells with blood due to increased vaginal blood flow during sexual arousal [1].
Some women go under the knife for surgical enhancements for the labia. This surgical procedure is known as labiaplasty which means reshaping of the labia. Another cosmetic procedure to enhance the appearance of the labia is known as labia puffing or plumping. This is a non-surgical technique which involves injections of the woman’s own fat or dermal fillers in the labia majora. Women opt for this procedure to look younger down there. However, millions of women worldwide are subjected to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) at a very young age where the labia is cut without any medical supervision or anesthesia. FGM is harmful and extremely traumatizing and was recently made illegal in several countries.
The labia can tear and get swollen due to childbirth and also following unfortunate incidents like sexual assault or abuse. However, other physical activities like intensive cycling can also cause swelling pain and a torn labia and female cyclists who have to cover long distances (an average of 462.5 km per week) are more prone to it [2]. Some women complain of pain and bleeding due to a torn labia after a rough and passionate lovemaking session.
As you age, your labia will change in appearance as it tends to shrink and even become droopier when a woman is approaching or experiencing menopause due to low estrogen levels. During your 20’s, your labia will look slimmer [3].
Lastly, it is important to remember that every woman’s labia looks different in some way or the other. Pornography has placed unrealistic standards on how a woman’s genitals are supposed to look so don’t feel ashamed about how your labia looks.
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