When you get out of the shower and look in the mirror, take a look “down there.” Does everything look normal? I mean, what is normal anyway?
The vulva is the area of female sex organs that lies outside of the vagina. These organs include folds of sensitive tissue called the labia (labia means “lips”). The labia has two parts. The outermost folds are called the labia majora. A second set of folds, called the labia minora, is enclosed within the labia majora. The vulva also contains the mounded area made by the pubic bone, a small, round organ (clitoris), and the openings of the vagina and urinary canal (urethra).
Many women experience uncomfortable, vaginal infections at one time or another. The vulva can also become irritated. Steps can be taken to relieve and prevent vulvar discomfort and vaginal infections.
Not all vaginal infections are alike and home treatments can worsen some types. Besides pregnancy and childbirth, certain things can affect the vagina and vulva.
When it comes to what your vulva looks like, there’s really no such thing as a “normal” looking vulva. Vaginas and vulvas are as unique as faces — they all have the same parts, but everyone’s looks a little different. Labia (the inner and outer lips) come in all shapes and sizes. People can have dangly labia, puffy labia, or barely-there labia. Some people’s inner labia stick out past their outer labia, and others have inner labia that are more tucked in.
Some people have wide vaginal openings, others have smaller ones. The clitoris can be big or small, and it may stick out or be tucked away under the clitoral hood. It’s totally common for your vulva to be asymmetrical (when one side looks different than the other). And vulvas come in a whole rainbow of skin colors, from dark brown to purple to tan to light pink, with many different textures, types, and amounts of pubic hair.
Most people with vulvas are born with thin tissue that stretches over part of the opening of their vagina — this is called the hymen. Some people have hymens that cover most of their vaginal opening, and others barely have a hymen at all. As time goes by, normal, everyday activities can cause your hymen to stretch and open up — like riding a bike, doing sports, or putting something in your vagina (like a tampon or finger). Having penis-in-vagina sex can also stretch your hymen. Read more about hymens.
One thing to be concerned about is vaginal discharge coming from that area. Some vaginal discharge may be alright, but when it smells funny, looks weird or is happening more often than usual that you may get a bit concerned. Next time this happens (after reading this, of course), you will be able to decode your discharge before running to the store to buy a slew of creams, sprays and suppositories to “fix” it.
Clear/White and Wet
OB-GYN and co-author of V is for Vagina Alyssa Dweck, explains that discharge at ovulation can be… …copious, but normal. This is why many women prefer sex when they’re ovulating; it acts as an additional bit of lubrication. “Many woman have a very wet discharge around the ovulation portion of their period, it is completely normal and okay.”
White, Clumpy and Itchy
Dr. Dweck says, “If there is a lot of odorless cottage-cheese looking discharge, accompanied with a killer itch, more than likely it’s a yeast infection.” This can be caused by a ton of things ranging from antibiotics to hygiene. The good thing about this uncomfortable infection is that there are plenty of over-the-counter meds you can use to quickly alleviate this problem.
Yellowish-Green and Stings
According to Dr. Dweck, it’s probably chlamydia or gonorrhea, two very common bacterial STDs. You may also experience pelvic pain and painful urination. Dweck says, “Make sure if you are diagnosed, you and your partner get treated, or you’ll keep passing the infection back and forth to each other.”
MUST READ: Vaginal Steaming, Is It Right For You?
Grayish, Thin and Smelly
Dr. Dweck explains that, “the odor is the defining trait of bacterial vaginosis.” It has a foul, fish-like smell…… that lingers. Though this issue is also very common and can be easily cured, it often reoccurs once you’ve gotten it once. Generally, this happens with something has created a bacterial imbalance in your vagina.
Gray/Green and Frothy, Smelly
You may be dealing with trichomoniasis. According to the CDC, it is the most common and curable STD in the country, and it doesn’t have to come from you having intercourse. According to Dr. Dweck, “Trichomoniasis is caused by an organism that can live on towels, vibrators, and other inanimate objects.”
As a good practice, it is best to schedule an appointment with your gynecologist before attempting to self treat.
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